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Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 01

By: Panthem



"If I'm estimating right we should still be able to make it to the campsite a few hours before sunset. That'll be perfect; we can set up our tents and gather some firewood before it gets dark." Katie looked up from the park map to see if her friend was paying attention, which she was not. 

"Sarah," she said, but got no response. "Sarah!"

"What?" Sarah asked snapping out of her daze and glancing at the map quickly before focusing back on the road. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure we'll be fine whatever time we get there."

Katie rolled her eyes at that attitude. They were already two hours behind, having planned to leave town right after lunch, but of course Sarah hadn't even packed yet when Katie showed up to pick her up. She helped her friend cram her camping gear hurriedly into a bag and thanked her lucky stars that she'd taken charge of getting all their food together the night before. 

Sarah had been her best friend for the last three years, but sometimes she really drove her crazy. They'd met their last year of college in a relocation program for students who were going to work in underserved communities to help pay off school loans; Sarah as an elementary school teacher and Katie as a nurse. They moved together from Knoxville to tiny Norristown and lived together for the first year before realizing they made terrible roommates. 

Katie was a perfectionist and had such set-in-stone ideas about how everything should be that it drove Sarah nuts trying to keep up. And Sarah's laissez faire attitude toward life kept Katie in a constant state of anxiety; not to mention the fact that she had woken up one too many mornings to find strange men in their shower. In the end they determined that if they wanted to stay friends they could not keep living together.

Despite that they did almost everything together from grocery trips to bar hopping on the weekends. They both loved camping and used to take frequent backpacking trips together on the weekends. It had been a while since they'd gone on one of their trips, mostly because both of them were busy at work, but in part because of Sarah's new boyfriend. 

Caleb was a police officer in Knoxville, about forty five minutes away, so lately any spare time Sarah had was spent with him. They'd been together for almost nine months and any day now Katie expected the oh-my-god-he proposed call. She was happy for her friend and liked Caleb well enough. The three of them had hung out quite often and she had to acknowledge that he was perfect for Sarah even if she'd never be able to put up with him. 

At any rate, now that Sarah was done with school for the summer Katie was thrilled that they'd finally made time to go backpacking again. An hour later they pulled into the parking lot at the trailhead. 

Katie was more than ready for a long weekend in the woods. Work at the hospital was always stressful, but it had been particularly grueling lately and she was in desperate need of this vacation. Just the thought of getting outside where she could breathe fresh air and stretch her long legs on the hills had her grinning in anticipation. She climbed out of the car and the smile died on her face as she caught sight of the Jeep at the other end of the parking lot and the two men climbing out of it. 

"Oh! I meant to tell you I invited Caleb and one of his..." Sarah trailed off at the look on Katie's face. 

"I can't believe you, Sarah."

"Don't be mad, Katie. You know I don't get to see him often."

"This was supposed to be a girl's weekend," Katie hissed. 

"What? We never said that. I was just talking to Caleb last night and he said he was off the next few days and I told him he should come with us. He asked if he could bring his friend from work and I said yes. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

"Whatever," Katie said under her breath. The guys were approaching and she didn't want to continue this conversation where they could hear. She and Sarah both knew the real reason she was mad. It wasn't so much that Caleb was there, it was the other guy.  

For the millionth time she wished Sarah wasn't so focused on her love life. As much as she loved her friend she hated that Sarah seemed to think that Katie needed a man in her life to be happy. She was perfectly fine on her own and had long ago stopped letting Sarah set her up. Unfortunately that hadn't slowed Sarah down a bit, especially since she'd started dating Caleb, who apparently had an endless supply of single cop buddies. It was a frequent source of irritation for Katie. One that she usually tried to take with good grace and even joked about, but this was just too much. 

Usually Sarah tricked her into meeting guys at restaurants or the occasional bar; places where it was relatively easy to get away from them. This time Katie was going to have to spend the next three days and two nights in the woods with this strange guy who probably only came on this trip because he thought he was getting set up with an easy lay. She clenched her jaw and shot another glare at her friend for good measure, but the glare was wasted on Sarah who was all smiles as Caleb ran up.

"Hey baby!" Caleb shouted as he grabbed Sarah around the waist and spun her in a circle. Sarah squealed and they kissed noisily. Katie rolled her eyes and looked away, only to notice the other man watching at her. 

He had a crooked grin and an amused glint in his blue eyes, as if he knew something she didn't. Katie took this as confirmation of her earlier suspicions and narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" she snapped.

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, but the amusement never left his eyes. He grinned and said, "Hi, I'm Mike. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, I bet it is." Katie spat and spun around to start unloading the back seat of the car, pointedly ignoring his snort of amusement. She pulled out her gear and squatted down to tie her sleeping bag to the bottom of her backpack. 

By the time she looked up again, Mike was back at Caleb's Jeep digging around in the back. She glanced at Caleb and Sarah just long enough to catch an eyeful of tongues and looked quickly back to the Jeep. What the hell was all that stuff in the back? 

She watched Mike excavate his backpack out from under the rubble and continued to stare as he bent over to adjust the straps. His worn t-shirt pulled tight across his broad muscular back as he checked his bag over. His khaki cargo pants were cut off just below the knee showing tanned calves that hinted at legs that were used to work; hopefully that meant he was an experienced hiker. His shoulder and back muscles flexed as he tugged on a strap and Katie wondered if maybe she was being unfair. She really didn't know anything about this guy and she was treating him like she'd caught him abusing puppies or something. 

Katie sighed deeply and tried mentally shift gears. She was in the mountains and they were going hiking and she wasn't going to let Sarah's little surprise ruin her weekend. She determined to have fun no matter what, to not be angry with Sarah until they got home, and to try to be nicer to mister muscles over there.

She was lost in thought and didn't immediately notice when he craned his head back around and caught her looking at him. He winked and flashed her a knowing grin and her face flushed with heat as she ducked her head and busied herself rearranging her already carefully organized pack for the next ten minutes.

"What is all this stuff for?" Katie asked hesitantly, wandering over to where Sarah and Caleb were sorting through a large pile of equipment. "Did what's-his-name bring it all?"

"No, it's all Caleb's," Sarah said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disapproval.

"You did know we were backpacking this weekend, right?" Katie looked skeptically at all of Caleb's 'camping gear' wondering how he could have possibly imagined being able to carry it all. His beer cooler alone would require two people to lug it up the mountain, not to mention his two camp chairs, six-person tent, propane stove and lantern, and two large duffel bags full of who knew what.

"Yeah, but I kept thinking of things I might need," Caleb replied, "I mean how can you make blueberry crepes without a stove?"

"Blueberry crepes? You can't-" she shook her head dismissively. "Look, I just- I'm wondering how we're going to hike all of it in," Katie said apologetically.

"There is no 'we.' He's the one that brought it all, he can hike it in if he wants it," Mike said wryly. 

Katie tended to agree, but Caleb flipped Mike off. "Just for that you don't get any blueberry crepes, asshole."

"Look," Sarah said, "there's an access road. I bet the Jeep could make it up; we could just drive up to the first camp." 

Katie's heart sank, she didn't want to keep being Debbie Downer, but the whole point of this trip for her was get out in the woods and hike. Still she'd determined that she was going to have fun no matter what so she sighed, resigned, and helped Sarah and Caleb pack all the equipment back in the Jeep.

"Looks like somebody's gonna have to hoof it," said Caleb fifteen minutes later, looking at the backseat. There was barely enough room for one person and their pack. 

"I'll walk," Katie and Mike volunteered at the same time.

"You can have the seat. I'm gonna hike." Mike said, looking up at Katie as he slung his pack onto his back. 

"Don't give it up on my account." 

"I'm not, I happen to like to hike. Plus, I don't feel like squeezing my ass in there with all of Caleb's necessities." 

"Fine. I guess we're both hiking, then," Katie said, the corners of her mouth turning up just slightly at his dig at Caleb's over-packing. They both tucked their packs into the open spot in the back seat, taking only their water bottles and a copy of the trail map.

"Wait, did I even introduce you guys?" Sarah spoke up suddenly, "Katie this is Mike Cooper, Mike this is my best friend Katie Nelson."

Mike turned to her with a smile and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Katie," he said, the look in his eye daring her to blow him off again. Katie hesitated for just a moment before taking the offered hand. His fingers wrapped firmly around hers and he squeezed lightly before letting go. 

"Nice to meet you, too."

Mike turned to Caleb and Sarah, saying, "We'll see you at the campsite. It shouldn't take us more than an hour and a half, but that won't leave us much daylight. Can you go ahead and start gathering firewood just in case?" 

Katie checked the sky to see how low the sun was and was impressed to see that he was right.

"Yeah, sure buddy." Caleb tossed over his shoulder as he climbed into the driver's seat. "See you up there." He revved the engine and pulled off up the logging road. They stood there and watched the dust cloud settle for a moment before turning toward the trail.

"Think they'll make it without killing themselves or getting lost?"

"Let's hope so. They've got all our food." Mike said turning his grin on her as he wiped his forehead with a faded blue bandana. 

His smile was wide and seemed to take up his entire face, making Katie suddenly aware of how good-looking he was. She didn't usually find tall men attractive, but Mike's broad chest balanced him out and made him appear more proportionate than most guys his height. His sandy hair was just long enough that she could tell it was curly and his blue eyes twinkled with near-constant amusement. Between the scatter of light freckles across his nose and cheeks and his mischievous grin his face had an air of boyishness that was easily overlooked given his large stature. And somehow at the same time his friendly face made his size seem...non-threatening. How had she not noticed before?

She'd probably been too focused on being annoyed with Sarah. She blushed again at the thought that he might think she'd come on this trip with the sole purpose of hooking up. Her irritation with Sarah washed over her again and she must have made some kind of noise because Mike looked at her inquisitively.

"Was it something I said?" he asked, tying the folded bandana around his head. 

Her mouth opened to speak, but glancing up at him she caught a sly look that made it entirely impossible to come up with anything clever to say. Her mouth closed silently. 

"You realize I was making a joke, right? You know, pretending to value dinner over the lives of our respective friends. It was irony or sarcasm or...something like that."

Katie snorted in a most unladylike way and felt herself blushing again. What was wrong with her? She wasn't a blushing kind of girl. And she still hadn't said anything. She had to say something! "Yeah, I got it. It just wasn't all that funny," was the first thing that came to mind, but as soon as it left her lips she cringed at the bitchiness of it.

His laughter surprised her and she looked up at him, relieved he hadn't taken offence. People often took offence at her blunt commentary and she'd generally learned to filter herself, except when she was nervous. Like right now. 

"Well I'll just have to try harder, then," he said, winking at her. All the breath left her body in a rush and she was glad he looked away, certain he'd have been able to see the sudden tingle that shot through her.

"I wouldn't want you to strain yourself." she said, this time with a smile, punctuating her comment by speeding up and stepping past him on the trail as he chuckled. 

They fell into silence for a while as the trail turned upward and started zig-zagging up the side of the steep ridge. Katie let herself get lulled into the trance of the hike, breathing deep and absorbing the sounds and smells of the woods. This was the part of the hike that she loved; the mindless passage of time and miles, not having to think or plan or make any decisions. For a while she could just let go of control and follow a path that someone else had laid.

Mike was having a somewhat harder time. Not with the hike, he was barely breathing hard despite the steep terrain and quick pace Katie was setting. No, he was having trouble concentrating on anything other than the view directly ahead. He couldn't keep his eyes off the way her jeans tightened across her ass with every step, the way she'd occasionally flip one of her black braids back over her shoulder when it would fall forward, the way she'd turn and look in the direction of every bird call or rustle in the trees. He tripped over his own feet for what must have been the hundredth time and cursed himself for not paying attention to where he was stepping. 

Girls didn't usually distract him like this, even really cute ones like Katie. Of course he was interested in them and had dated his share, but between school and the academy and now actually working as a cop he'd never had a lot of time to devote to them. Females were more of a recreational activity for him than anything else. But Katie was a bit of a puzzle and he'd always liked puzzles. Talk about a distraction.

Of course, it didn't help that he hadn't been expecting female company on this camping trip. Caleb had sprung it on him in the car on the way there, and sprung was the right word. From the second the willowy beauty had stepped out of the car he'd been adjusting himself in his pants. She was taller than most girls, tall enough that he could look her in the eye without leaning over, which was a surprising turn on. Her eyes were so dark brown they looked nearly black and were set off by clear pale skin and framed by two black braids that hung nearly to her breasts. In all, there was something about her that drew his eyes and required him to make a conscious effort not to stare. 

But it was her attitude that intrigued him the most. She'd been so clearly irritated to see him; he could only guess she hadn't been told about him coming either. He could sympathize. Far from being offended by her rudeness, the way her eyes flashed when she'd snapped at him after he introduced himself made him determined to find more ways to get under her skin. 

They stopped for a water break at the top of the ridge and she pulled out the trail map to check their location. Not that there was much doubt about where the path had led them, but she had a compulsive need to verify that they were still heading in the right direction. She unfolded the map and was just getting her bearings when she felt his breath on her neck. She suppressed a shiver and looked back at him. 

"Are we lost yet?" he asked with mock seriousness, looking over her shoulder at the map. 

"Of course we are. That's what you get for letting me lead." 

Mike sighed deeply and nodded. "It's true, I should know better, you being such a weak-minded female and all." She laughed out loud at that and a thrill shot through him at the sound. Yeah, he was definitely going have to make her laugh more often. 

Katie folded the map back up and pointed in the only direction the trail led. "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to go this way," she joked, "but maybe you should verify it yourself."

"Nah, I trust you. Just remember if you get us lost you'll owe me."

Katie lifted one eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look "Owe you what?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't know, but I'm sure I'd be able to come up with something good," he said with another of those spine tingling smiles. Before she could come up with a reply he turned and set off up the last leg of the trail.

Katie stared after him for a moment before she decided to ignore the warmth that spread through her body at the implications of his comment. She started hiking again, but this time found it difficult to drop back into the trance she'd been in before. Her eyes kept returning to the man in front of her; his thick hair curling on the back of his neck where it was damp with sweat, his broad back and slim hips, his worn shorts hugging what she had to admit was one of the nicest asses she'd ever had the pleasure of staring at. Those muscular calves flexing as he walked. She tripped again and shook her head to try to clear it. 

"I think we'll make it before sunset after all," she said in an effort to derail her thoughts from the direction they seemed determined to go.

"Yeah, I think so, too. What do you think the chances are that those two actually gathered some firewood or made any attempt to set up camp?"

She laughed at that. "No telling, I guess it depends on how distracted they got."

"And by distracted, of course, you mean naked."

"Exactly," she said, a sudden image of a naked Mike appearing in her mind's eye, causing her mouth to go dry. So much for derailing her thoughts. Damn, she had to get a hold of herself before she did something stupid. 

She changed the subject again, "I'm sorry I was rude to you, before. I thought it was going to be just Sarah and I this weekend. It was sort of a shock to see you guys."

"Don't worry about it. I just assumed you were PMSing."

"Excuse me?" she said, appalled, until he turned around to look at her and she could see his teasing grin. She smiled back and rolled her eyes.

"No really, I wasn't expecting you guys either. Well not you specifically, Caleb said we were going to meet some friends of his, but never mentioned it was his girlfriend. It's probably a good thing. I wouldn't have agreed to come if I'd known I was getting set up."

"Me either," Katie said, inexplicably relived that she hadn't been the only one surprised. "Who sets people up on a camping trip? I can't imagine anything more awkward."

"Yeah, it's weird. But it doesn't have to be awkward unless we let it. I'm glad I came, actually. It would have been a shame to miss out on this." 

Katie's heart beat faster and she wondered if he meant what she thought he meant. 

"It looks like it's gonna be a gorgeous weekend to be in the mountains," he said looking up at the sky through the tree tops before glancing over his shoulder at her. 


Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 01



Katie's face burned and in her confusion she couldn't think of a suitable response so they fell into silence as they hiked the last quarter mile to the campsite. 

They both stopped at the edge of the clearing and stared. There was no firewood, but one tent was set up and the clearing was scattered with coolers, chairs, and half-unpacked bags.

"Where do you think they went?" Katie asked, her question immediately answered by a throaty moan from inside the tent. "Oh."

"Well," Mike said, surveying the mess around them, "at least they got one tent up before giving in to their baser urges. I admire their restraint."

A loud cry startled them and Sarah's voice rang out through the clearing, "Oh god Caleb, I'm gonna come!"

Katie flushed deep red and she turned away in embarrassment, quickly walking back down the trail. "Should we give them a minute? Maybe grab some wood?"

"Grabbing some wood sounds like a really good idea." Mike said, nodding seriously as he followed her.

Katie realized what she'd said and started giggling, clapping her hand over her mouth in a failed effort to be quiet. Not that it was necessary, the noises from the tent easily drowned her out.

"In fact, if you're looking, I've got some wood that could use a good grabbing," he said with a totally straight face. 

Her giggles evolved into snorts and Mike couldn't help laughing with her. She put her finger over her lips and shushed him, which made him laugh even harder. They were both still standing there giggling like fools when Sarah and Caleb emerged from the tent a few minutes later, straightening their clothes and smoothing their hair.

"You finally made it! I was starting to think you guys had gotten lost somewhere," Sarah said, totally unabashed at having been caught. "What's so funny?"

Katie dissolved into more giggles at the thought of trying to explain the joke to her friend.

"She's delirious," Mike claimed. "I totally wore her out with the hike and now the idea of getting some wood just sent her right over the edge." 

At this point Katie had tears running down her face she was laughing so hard and she couldn't catch her breath.

"Okaaaay," Sarah said quizzically, looking at Katie like she had two heads. "I'm gonna go find some wood. Why don't you sit here and calm yourself for a minute, Katie." She walked off into the trees and, once he got his shirt tucked back in, Caleb shot a grin at the two of them and went jogging after her.

Katie wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. She looked back at Mike and had to suppress the urge to laugh again at the comically innocent look on his face.

"It sounded to me like she already found some wood."

That pushed her over the edge into another spasm of giggles. "You are so bad," she finally said when she'd calmed down enough to speak. 

Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were sparkling bright after her laughing fit and one look at her was enough to steal Mike's breath away. It took him a moment to regain his composure. "You have no idea," he said in a low voice.

The rest of the night passed in a festive blur. The tents went up and the fire was lit and even Katie had to admit that there were benefits to camping with a Jeepload of supplies. Caleb had brought enough beer and chili dog fixins for all four of them and they soon had bellies full of roasted hot dogs and macaroni salad. 

They all drank and laughed and joked together, enjoying the fire and the beer. After a while Caleb went rustling around in his tent and came back with a guitar. Katie laughed and shook her head at the idea of trying to backpack with a guitar, but soon found herself singing along loudly with the others, trying to remember the words to all the golden oldies they could think of. It was getting late and they were all pretty buzzed when Caleb set the guitar down and drained his beer. 

"I'm wiped. You ready to go lay down, babe?" Caleb asked, giving Sarah a significant look. She smiled back with a slow grin, bit her bottom lip and nodded. He stood and pulled her to her feet and they stumbled off together toward their tent.

"Night you guys!" Sarah tossed over her shoulder as she crawled into the tent. She shrieked as Caleb pinched her butt cheek and flipped over and pulled him into the tent. One of them had enough presence of mind to zip the door, but their giggles and grunts were barely muffled. Katie glanced sideways at Mike, who was taking a long pull from his beer. 

"I'm gonna go to the little girl's...um, tree," Katie said with a giggle and ducked out of the circle of light the fire provided. 

"If you're not back in five I'll send a search party after you."

She laughed quietly as she stepped out of the clearing and into the surrounding woods. It was cold out here away from the fire and the darkness was dense under the cover of trees. She took a moment to breathe in the night air, looking up to try and see how many stars were visible above the treetops. 

She was having a good time. A surprisingly good time, given the way the trip had started. Mike was funny and nice and...pretty damn hot. She shook her head at herself, looked at the silhouette of his broad shoulders against the fire and sighed. 

Finally she couldn't hold it anymore and flipped on her flashlight just long enough to locate a convenient place to squat. Turning off the light, she shimmied her jeans down to relieve herself. When she was done she walked back toward the fire where Mike had picked up Caleb's guitar and was softly strumming it, singing quietly. 

Katie picked the song up right away, it was one of her favorites, and as he began the chorus she sat down next to him and joined in with the harmony. He looked at her, surprised, and smiled, singing a little louder,

"Mull of Kintyre, oh mist coming in from the sea, my desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre"

They sang the whole song together and she beamed at him as they finished, saying, "That's one of my favorite songs." 

"Mine, too," was all he could manage to say. He was inordinately pleased at the way she joined in. When she had sung that first note in harmony with him it sent a jolt through him and he'd had to cover his stumble by pretending to have forgotten the words. 

He caught himself staring at her, hypnotized by the way the reflection of the firelight made it look like she had tiny flames dancing in her eyes. Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip and he watched it disappear back between her soft pink lips. He was leaning toward her before he even knew what he was doing, but a sudden loud grunt from Caleb and Sarah's tent made them both jump. Mike turned to look in the direction of the noise and when he looked back he gave Katie a sheepish grin. 

"I should probably get to bed if I want to be in any shape to hike tomorrow," Katie said.

"Yeah, probably a good idea."

"Yeah."

"All right then."

Katie got up reluctantly. She'd thought he was going to kiss her a moment ago, but before she could decide whether she wanted him to kiss her or not, they'd been interrupted. Which made her all too aware how badly she did want him to kiss her. Then to break the awkward silence she'd spoken without thinking and immediately wanted to call the words back. 

Since that wasn't a viable option she climbed into her tent, quickly changed, and crawled into her sleeping bag, squeezing it tight around her willing it to warm up. She rolled onto her belly and looked out of her screen door to watch Mike pack away the guitar and pick up a few stray beer cans. He stood for a long moment looking in her direction and she held her breath wondering if he could see her watching him, but then he turned and went to his tent. She closed her eyes and fell immediately to sleep.

The next morning came too soon. Katie woke chilly and slightly hungover, groaning as she felt around her tent for her water bottle and took several long gulps. She could hear Caleb's incessantly cheerful voice chattering away just outside her tent and scowled until the smell of fresh coffee wafted in on the morning breeze. She was up and dressed quickly after that, Sarah handing her a warm mug almost as soon as she emerged from the tent.

"Thanks, this smells heavenly."

"Just wait until you smell the crepes," Caleb said, studiously mixing a bowl full of batter. Katie smiled and sat down near the fire feeling vaguely guilty for not offering to help, but not guilty enough to actually make the offer. She sipped on her coffee and slowly returned to a more human state of mind as the sights and smells of the woods inflated her mood. By the time her mug was empty she was smiling and the crepes were almost done. Just as she was about to ask what she could do to help she heard a tent zipper and turned to see Mike emerging from his tent. Her voice froze in her throat when she realized he was shirtless.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms, the muscles rolling under his skin on display for all to see, though apparently she was the only one looking. And she couldn't stop. Her eyes devoured his chest that seemed to go on forever, the muscles well-defined and covered in a scattering of light curls. the tiny brown nipples beaded up in the morning chill. His skin was pale, but the tops of his shoulders were covered in freckles indicating he spent a lot of time outside. A pair of loose sweatpants hung low on his hips and she couldn't help but wonder what kind of exercise a guy would have to do to result in such seriously cut obliques. The two lines pointed down in a V shape, drawing her eye to what must be hidden only a few scant inches below the waistband. 

She shook herself and turned away, but not before Sarah caught her eye and gave her a significant look. She rolled her eyes at her friend, but couldn't help another glance back at Mike as he wandered off into the trees, presumably to find a place to relieve himself. 

She was eating by the time he returned and was distracted enough by the delicious breakfast that she successfully avoided making a fool of herself when he sat down on the ground next to her. Sarah handed him a mug of coffee and he nodded his thanks through a wide yawn.

"Not a morning person, huh?" Katie teased.

"Need coffee," he replied, taking a long sip and moaning in pleasure.

The sound sent a shock through her, taking her completely by surprise and triggering a blush so deep she could feel the heat of it creeping up her chest into her face. The bite of crepe she'd just taken stuck in her dry throat and she choked, taking a long drink of water to recover. She looked up to see Sarah giving her another of those knowing looks.

"You alright?" Mike asked, looking at her strangely.

"Yeah. Rogue blueberry on a suicide mission," she joked, glad the choking had covered the blush. 

"Gotta watch out for those," Mike said, nodding seriously. 

After they'd all eaten the girls walked down the hill to the nearby stream to rinse off the dishes, leaving the boys behind to start breaking up camp.

"So what do you think about Mike?" Sarah asked as they rinsed off their dishes in a nearby stream.

"He seems like a nice guy."

"He's pretty hot, huh?"

"You aren't supposed to notice things like that about your boyfriend's friends."

"Whatever, Caleb doesn't care if I look as long as I don't touch. But what do you think?"

"He's alright, I guess."

"You're so full of shit. I saw you checking him out this morning, you were practically drooling."

"I was drooling over the crepes," she said. After a pause she grinned and continued, "and his abs."

"I knew it!" Sarah laughed. "He is cut. And he's a really good guy, too. He just moved here a few months ago from North Carolina or somewhere like that, but they've become really good friends already and I've hung out with him several times. We've been talking about setting you guys up for a while."

"Sarah, I really wish you wouldn't do that. You know I hate it. It makes things all weird, like there are...expectations. I don't like feeling pressured like that."

"There's no pressure, I promise. We just thought you two would get along. And we were right. So when you start planning the wedding, just remember who introduced you.

Katie looked up in shock, but realized when she saw Sarah's face that she was teasing. She splashed her with cold creek water and Sarah shrieked and splashed back. They were so busy dousing each other that they didn't hear the cry of pain from the campsite and had no idea anything was wrong until Mike appeared at the top of the hill calling for them. 

"You're going to want to try to stay off it as much as you can. It's not a bad sprain, but it will heal faster if you let it rest." Katie told Caleb as she finished wrapping his ankle in an ace bandage.

"So no hiking?"

"Definitely no hiking," she agreed, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She knew Caleb hadn't stepped into that hole on purpose, but she couldn't help being irritated at having to cut short their weekend before it really got started.

"Damn, I'm sorry guys. I've ruined everyone's weekend."

"No you didn't, baby," Sarah crooned, cradling Caleb from behind, hugging him tight to her chest. "We had a great time last night, didn't we guys?" She looked up at Mike and Katie expectantly and both readily agreed with her. "And we don't have to go home, we can camp here again tonight and have just as much fun."

"Yeah, I guess we could just stay here," Caleb said, cheering considerably. 

"Sure we could," Katie agreed, trying to reconcile herself to not hiking. 

"It's a bummer we didn't get to hike more, but I'd rather stay here than go home," Mike threw in, speaking Katie's thoughts better than she had.

"You know, there's no reason you guys couldn't go hiking just for the day. Or even go ahead and hike up to the next camp tonight and then meet us back here tomorrow," Sarah said. "There's a gorgeous overlook up there, isn't there Katie?"

Katie nodded in agreement and they all fell silent for a moment before Mike said hesitantly, "I'd be up for that. If you want to go, Katie."

Katie thought about it for a minute. She was excited about the idea of hiking, but didn't want to jump too eagerly. She was a little hesitant about setting off alone with Mike, but he seemed like a nice enough guy. As big as he was she hadn't felt the least bit threatened when they had hiked alone together the day before. In the end the mountains won out. She wanted to get out there and move. 

"Okay. Let's do it," she said, smiling at Mike. She suppressed the little bubble of nervousness that inflated in her belly when he smiled back and turned to pack up her gear.



Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 02



The rain cloud popped up over the ridge out of nowhere, a dark cloud suddenly appearing above the treetops blocking the sun. They didn't even have time to dig their rain jackets out before it broke loose and drenched them both to the skin.

"The site isn't far, let's just keep going!" Katie shouted over the deafening rain.

Mike nodded and followed her the last quarter mile up the ridge to the clearing. Katie was cursing her lack of preparation, but at least she had the waterproof cover on her backpack so her gear was dry even if she wasn't. She set her bag on the stump of a fallen tree and looked around. It was still pouring so she didn't want to try to unpack and she was already soaked so there was no point in putting on her rain jacket now. 

Mike caught her eye and grinned widely. 

"What?"

"If I'd known there was gonna be a wet t-shirt contest I'd have brought my camera," he said with an approving glance at her chest. 

Katie looked down to see her black cotton tank top plastered to her body, clinging to her small breasts like it was painted on. She wondered for a second if maybe she should have worn a bra, but she almost never wore one unless she was at work, didn't really need one with her A cups, and hadn't even packed one for this trip. Oh well, at least it wasn't see through. She put a hand in front each breast and flipped him off before turning and fishing one wet hand into her pack to find her rain jacket so she could cover up. 

Just as she pulled it out and was shaking it loose Mike snatched it out of her hand. Her mouth dropped in astonishment as he backed away, dangling the jacket from one hand.

"Come and get it," he said with a grin and then turned and ran.

Katie chased him into the woods, hurling threats and invectives as she went. Mike dodged and weaved through the trees, letting her catch up and then taking off again at the last second. Running in the rain with the wet smells of the ridge top permeating the air was exhilarating and even though she knew there was no way she could possibly catch up with Mike, her competitive nature took a back seat and she had to admit she was having fun.

Mike skidded to a stop on a wide, flat area of exposed rock overlooking the valley below. The view was breathtaking even with the grey wash of rain obscuring the far distances. He turned just as Katie emerged from the trees, scattering rocks as she slipped on the wet surface. 

"I've got you cornered now, buddy. Nowhere to run," Katie said, breathing deep from the exertion.

"You think?" he teased. "Come and get it then." 

He dangled the jacket in front of him, pulling it behind his back when she stepped forward to grab it. She reached around him and he deftly twisted away, laughing. She stepped closer and reached the other way snagging one sleeve before he had a chance to twist back. They both pulled on the jacket in opposite directions, neither willing to let go.

"It appears we are at an impasse," Mike quoted, grinning down at her. 

God she was gorgeous. Her dark hair was wet and slicked back into her ponytail and her cheeks were pink with exertion, eyes bright with laughter. He could feel every inch of her body pressed against him and was desperately trying to ignore the feel of her hard little nipples against his chest as she tugged on to her jacket with one arm wrapped behind him. 

His body was not following the command to ignore however, hadn't been ever since he got a look at those perfect, pointy nipples plastered with the wet fabric of her shirt earlier. He could feel himself growing hard in his pants and he knew he should move, quick, before she noticed too, but there was a line of drips along one eyebrow threatening to run into her eyes and he couldn't help reaching out with his free hand to wipe them off with his thumb.

"Give it back," she said weakly.

"What do I get in return?"

Katie's eyes narrowed. "How about I don't knee you in the balls."

Mike burst out laughing. "That's a fair trade," he agreed, letting go of the jacket. But before she could move away he brought his hands up to her face and pressed his lips to hers. 

He'd meant it to be a brief kiss, just to feel her out, but once he'd had a taste he found he couldn't stop. He lightly brushed her bottom lip with his tongue and felt her jump, but she didn't pull away. Encouraged, he took the kiss deeper, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and tangling it with hers. Just as he was telling himself he should stop Katie leaned in, her hands resting tentatively on his neck, her body heat counteracting the chill of his wet shirt. Mike dropped one hand to the small of her back and held her close as he kissed her, oblivious to the chilly rain, until a sudden clap of thunder startled them both back to awareness.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes where he was glad to see a reflection of the same desire he was feeling. At least he wasn't the only one getting carried away. "That was an even better trade," he said, his voice husky.

"So you're saying kissing me is better than a sharp blow to the nuts. I'm flattered," she said, attempting to suppress a smile.

"Well, I can't say for sure," he said seriously. "You haven't kneed me in the balls yet."

She laughed and dropped her arms from him, feeling suddenly chilled as he stepped away. She pulled the jacket on over her wet clothes and gave him a shy smile before pulling the hood up. "Should we go make sure our packs haven't been washed away?"

"Probably," he said, unable to come up with a clever response. Somehow his brain was suddenly working at half capacity.

Back at the campsite Katie pulled a tarp out of a side pocket of her pack and draped it over the fallen tree, creating a small covered space underneath just big enough for the two of them to sit with their packs. The rain had slacked off some, but it was still falling and it had brought a chilly breeze to the ridge top so they'd decided they should probably make an attempt to get out of the drizzle. Katie crawled in first to change into a dry long sleeved t-shirt and took the opportunity to try and assimilate her thoughts. 

He'd kissed her, no big deal. So why had she been fighting a ridiculous grin the whole way back from the overlook? Well, he was a good kisser...a really good kisser. That was enough to make a girl smile, right? But she knew that wasn't it. 

She liked him. And it had been a very long time since she'd actually liked a guy. She dated them; slept with a few of them. But she had never fallen head over heels; never even had much of a crush, unless you counted the occasional celebrity she lusted after. Sarah had accused her of holding herself back because it gave her the upper hand, which may or may not have been true. Katie felt like she just hadn't found anyone worth putting up with.

In any case, she made no secret of it and had never lied to any of the men she dated about how she felt. They pursued her, sometimes she allowed them to catch her, but in the end either she drove them crazy or they drove her crazy so they never stuck around for long and she was fine with that. There was something different about Mike, though. He might be worth putting up with. He didn't let her act awkward and uncomfortable and ignored her attempts to boss him around, or laughed at them. Normally that sort of thing would frustrate the hell out of her, but he seemed to be competent enough that she was surprisingly okay with it. 

After a few minutes Mike ducked under the shelter and quickly changed his shirt, treating Katie to another all-too-brief look at his body before pulling a dry t-shirt over his head, much to her disappointment. He grinned at her, giving her the distinct impression that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Rather than being embarrassed Katie found herself grinning back. 

"Hopefully it stops raining at least long enough for us to get a fire going later," he said, glancing out at the sky. 

"I'm sure it will; it's just an afternoon shower. They pop up all the time in the summer. Sucks to get wet, but it's nice afterward when it cools everything off."

"Yeah? It doesn't work like that back home. It showers in the afternoon and then it just gets all humid and muggy afterward."

"Where's home?"

"Little River, North Carolina. I'm not used to mountains, around there it's either beach or marsh."

"Really? You seem awful pale for a guy who grew up on the beach."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I think I should take offence at that."

"I didn't mean it as an insult," she said, giggling. "I'm not complaining."

"Fine, laugh at my Irish ancestry. I'll have you know my people have a long, proud history of pasty whiteness." 

"Oh, you have Irish in you?"

"Yeah. You want some Irish in you?" he asked with an evil grin.

Katie laughed out loud. "Nice," she said. "Does that line ever work?"

"Oh, come on," he said, clapping his hand over his heart. "You're killing me. That's some of my best material, right there."

"Oh you poor thing, you must never get laid," she said, feigning sympathy.

"I don't," he pouted, which looked ridiculous on such a large man. "Of course, I'm not above a little sympathy sex if you're really feeling sorry for me."

"Sorry bub, no sympathy here. Somehow I don't think you have any trouble finding willing participants."

"Yeah well, I could probably say the same thing about you."

Katie blushed at that, unsure how to reply, and the smile faltered on her face.

"Hey," he said, nudging the toe of her hiking boot. "I meant that as a compliment. Did it come out wrong?"

"No, it's okay," she said, shaking off the awkwardness. "But for girls the problem isn't finding willing participants, since most guys are horndogs. Usually the problem is finding a relatively sane horndog with tolerable self-hygiene."

"Wow, I feel like I've learned more about women from that one statement than I have in a decade of dating."

"Yes well, I'm nothing if not informative," Katie said, flashing him her fake newscaster-smile.

"Informative. That's not the first word I'd pick to describe you," he said, his eyes coming up to fix on her face.

She raised an eyebrow, deflecting what she feared was about to be a cheesy compliment. "How about anal? Controlling? Bitchy? All words I know for a fact have been used to describe me."

"I was going to say intriguing, but hey, you know you better than I do," he said with a smirk. Before she could come up with a reply he turned and stuck his head out of the tarp, looking up. "I think it's just dripping from the trees, maybe we should go ahead and set up now in case it rains again."

They got to work, quickly and efficiently setting up what they needed for the night. It was nice camping with someone who knew what he was doing and what needed to be done. Katie didn't feel like she needed to delegate or check to make sure things had been done right. They gathered firewood first, stacking it under the tarp in case it rained again. Then Mike put up his tent while Katie started a small fire and put some water on to boil for dinner. She looked at her tent and considered putting it up, but she knew there was a small hole along one of the bottom seams and decided to wait in case it rained again. 

Their fare tonight was much less fancy than Caleb's feast. Katie had her typical backpacking meal, ramen cup o'noodles and an apple. Mike had an MRE with a surprisingly yummy-smelling glop of chicken and rice and some other random items. She gave him half the apple and he shared a gummy brownie with her as the sun sank low in the sky. 

Katie was enjoying herself, but felt jumpy, unsure of how she should act around Mike ever since he kissed her. She found herself half dreading, half anticipating him doing it again at any moment. It wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to, given that usually she was the one in control of situations like this. 

She would have had a much harder time acting nonchalant if he hadn't kept up his steady stream of teasing and silly innuendo. As it was, he kept her smiling so she never had a chance to really worry herself into the state of anxiety that she was leaning toward.

After they ate Mike built the fire up, filling the small clearing with warmth and light. He dug around in his pack for a minute and pulled out a silver flask. 

"Care for some Crown?"

"Oh lordy, that's hard core."

"That's how I roll. Hard core all the way," he said, sitting down cross legged next to her.

Katie snorted and held out her hand. "Sure, why not?" She took a small sip from the flask, then another slightly longer one before closing it and handing it back. Mike's fingers brushed against hers as he took it and her hand jerked, letting the flask fall between them. "Sorry," she muttered, embarrassed, as he picked it up and dusted it off on his shorts.

"So what kind of nursing do you do?"

"I work in rehab. We get the patients who need time to recover from surgery or trauma before they go home. Strokes, hip replacements, heart attacks."

"Is it mostly elderly people then?"

"Mostly, but also the occasional head trauma or missing limb or paralysis."

"Wow, that sounds rough."

"It can be, but not usually. The people we see are on their way back to normal, you know? At least they aren't going downhill or they'd be in a nursing home, so most of the time it's positive, they're improving, and we get to send them home at the end."

"Sounds like you enjoy it."

"I do for the most part. It's been pissing me off lately because they changed the way they bill the insurance for the physical therapy and we aren't able to give some of our patients the kind of care they really need- You know what, that's really boring and I don't really want to start talking about it. The short answer is that I do like it, but I've been thinking about going back to school to get my masters so I can have a little bit more say in how things are run. I just have a year and a half left on my contract and if I want them to pay off my loans I have to finish it out."

"That's a cool program."

"Yeah, it is. It's saving me a lot of money. So what about you? Do you like being a cop?"

"Love it. It's what I always wanted to do, ever since I was a kid. I wish I could advance faster and move on up to more important things than giving speeding tickets and catching truants, but I gotta put in the time just like everyone else."

"That's great that you're doing something you love. I like my job, but I wouldn't say I love it."

By now it was full dark and stars were beginning to twinkle above the treetops. Katie stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back against her hands to look up at them. The whiskey was warming her from the inside out, relaxing her, so when he spoke again it didn't rattle her the way it might have otherwise.

"So I have to ask, are you gonna let me kiss you again or are you gonna keep avoiding it all night long?" He leaned back on his hands so he could see her better before continuing, "Because I figure I could either get it over with and just kiss you now, or you can go ahead and tell me that you don't want me to and we can both stop waiting for it."

"Wow," she said, impressed and a little unnerved by his honesty. "Way to take all the spontaneity out of the moment."

"Hey, you're the one that jumps every time I touch you," he said with a crooked grin. 

"I do not," she said, blushing at the lie.

Mike just looked at her with one eyebrow lifted. Katie, never one to refuse a challenge, reached across her body and laid her hand flat against his belly, just below his belly button. It was warm and surprisingly hard under her fingers, but she distinctly felt his muscles twitch at the contact.

"Who's jumping now?" 

"Oh, you play dirty," he said, his grin widening to a smile.

"Damn right."

He ran his hand up her arm, twisting toward her and pulling her close until their faces were nearly touching. The smile was still on his face as he looked in her eyes, not moving. He raised that eyebrow again and Katie realized he was waiting on her, challenging her. She lifted her face toward him and he moved back, barely. She narrowed her eyes and tried again, once more finding him just out of reach. Mike chuckled softly as she dropped her hand from his belly and turned her face away before he caught her cheek with one hand and brought her lips back to his in a soft, but insistent kiss.

Maybe it was the whisky or the gentle crackling of campfire in the night air, but for once Katie felt calm and unworried. She let herself feel and not think about what was going to happen next or what it might mean. This felt good, he felt good and for now she didn't want it to stop. Mike's tongue explored her mouth, tasting of whiskey, and she sighed, pressing her body closer to him in encouragement. By the time he pulled away several minutes later they were both breathless. 

"Damn," he said, surveying the ground around them. "I should have brought a blanket or something."

"I could grab my sleeping bag," she offered.

"I'd hate for it to get all dirty. And the ground is still kind of damp. Would it be totally jumping the gun for me to suggest my tent?"

Katie craned her head around to look at his little tent. Much like hers, it was narrow and tapered at the far end, just long and wide enough for one person to lie down comfortably and tall enough to sit up only at the front near the door. But his sleeping bag was already rolled out like a big puffy cushion and with the door open to the fire it looked welcoming and cozy.

"I don't know," she said, turning back to him. "I'm pretty comfortable here in the cold, hard dirt."

Mike jumped up and held a hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her up with ease, surprising her with his strength. She over-corrected and stumbled into him, catching herself against his chest at the same time he grabbed her elbows to steady her.

"Jesus," she muttered, splaying her hands across the hard planes of his chest. "You're like an immovable force, aren't you?"

"That depends."

"On what?" she asked, looking up at him with a grin.

"On who's trying to move me." He walked backwards, pulling her with him toward the tent, holding her hands loosely to give her the opportunity to change her mind. They paused just outside the tent to brush the dirt off their asses, then Mike motioned her in ahead of him. She knelt awkwardly by the doorway as he crawled in and lay propped on one elbow on his side facing her, his head nearly in her lap

Katie was struck again by his size once they were in the enclosed space. But it wasn't really his size that was overwhelming her, it was his presence, the way he was looking at her, the way her hand was already working its way up the smooth skin of his side under his t-shirt without her realizing she was doing it.

One side of his mouth came up in a crooked grin and he slid his hand up her thigh, wrapping it around to cup her ass and pulling her off her knees to sit next to him on the sleeping bag. He ran his hand up her back and into her hair, gently tugging at the rubber band until he released her ponytail, her hair, still a little damp from the rain, falling in gentle waves around her face and shoulders. He snaked his fingers up under her hair, rubbing his fingertips firmly against her scalp in little circles. Her hand fell still under his shirt, her eyes dropped closed, her head limp on her neck while he massaged her. 

"Oh my God," she moaned under her breath, "that feels amazing." She leaned forward slowly until her forehead was resting on his shoulder as his hand moved down to rub her neck.

"Lay down," he said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

She blinked her eyes open and gave a little disappointed sigh before laying back and stretching out next to him.

"On your stomach."





Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 02



She gave him an odd look, but complied, rolling to her belly and resting her cheek on her hands. He started at her neck again and slowly worked his way down, digging his thumb into muscles that felt like they'd been tense forever. He slid his hand down the back of her t-shirt trying to reach her shoulders, then tried tugging it up from the bottom, but couldn't quite get to them. 

Not one to stand in the way of a good back rub Katie propped herself up and said, "I'll take mine off if you'll take yours off."

In a surprisingly dexterous move, given the small space, Mike had his shirt off before she could blink and was tugging hers over her head. She laid back down and he continued the massage, this time adding the occasional little wet kiss or nibble to her shoulder, then neck, then jaw. By the time his hand made it to her lower back, digging his fingers deliciously into the tender muscles just below the waistband of her pants he was kissing her again, no longer playful, but demanding.

She rolled and he moved over her, hand sliding around to her hip pulling her close, neither of them breaking the kiss. The sudden heat of his chest against her breasts shocked her and she arched into him, wanting to feel his belly against hers. His sudden intake of air told her she'd pressed against more than just his belly. She did it again, this time raking her nails down his back, eliciting a low groan from deep in his throat.

He pulled back and looked at her, making eye contact for a split-second before dropping his head to her breast. Just before she thought he was about to take her nipple into his mouth dipped and kissed the flesh just below it. She felt his hot breath against her skin and then saw, rather than felt him flick the tip of her nipple with his tongue. If she hadn't seen it she might not have known he'd done it until she felt the cool wetness after the fact. In the orange glow of the fire she watched his tongue flicking and darting at the hardening nub, hot moist breath taunting her, lips parted as if at any second he might decide to close the scant distance and suck it deep into his mouth. And then he did.

"Oh, God!" she cried out. Her head fell back and hands came up to tangle in his hair, holding him in place as he rolled her nipple against the roof of his mouth with his tongue then slowly dragged his lips off, releasing it with an inaudible pop.

"It's Mike," she said, looking up at her.

"What?"

"If you're gonna call out someone's name, I want it to be mine. It turns me on."

"Really?" she asked looking down her body at him to see if he was joking. He didn't appear to be. His eyes were locked on hers and there was no trace of a smile on his face.

"Really. Especially when I make you come."

The words sent a tremble through her belly and she actually felt her inner muscles clench in anticipation. "All right...Mike."

He smiled back before lowering his head to her other nipple, trailing his hand down her belly to slide into the waistband of her jeans, teasing the elastic of her underwear with his fingertips. Her pants were snug and he couldn't get his hand in any further, so he pulled it back out and started to undo the button. 

Katie put her hand over his and said, "Wait a second." He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow and the dark look in his eyes was enough to make her think twice about what she was about to say. 

Before she could change her mind she took a deep breath and said in a rush, "Before this goes any further I need to tell you that I'm not on birth control and I don't have any condoms or anything and I just- I don't know you that well so we probably shouldn't- we can't have sex tonight" She took another deep breath, her gaze raking his bare upper body, and added, "as much as I really, really want to. We should probably just stick with...other things."

"Its okay," he said, shifting himself up so he could kiss lips her again. "If you want to, I mean, its okay. I have some condoms in my bag." He drew back to look her in the eyes to make sure she understood. "But it's totally up to you whether we use them."

He bent to press wet kisses along her jawbone and up to the hollow under her earlobe. At the same time he drew his hand up her side and slowly stroked the underside of her breast with his thumb. She shuddered at the sensation as he ran his tongue up along the edge of her ear.

"Really? You just travel around with condoms in your backpack?"

He chuckled as he gently probed the labrynth of her ear with his tongue, his hand gently squeezing her breast as his stroking thumb maintained a frustrating distance from the sensitive tip. She arched up against him urging him on, but he continued to tease her.

"No, I got them from Caleb this morning," he whispered before simultaneously sliding his tongue gently into her ear and finally clamping his warm fingers around her nipple. 

"Oh, Jesus!" she gasped as her body jerked in his arms and her hands locked onto his upper arms. He pressed his body more firmly against her, as if offering her an anchor. 

It took Katie a moment to absorb his words, she was so caught up in the physical sensations he was drawing from her body. But when she did finally realize what he'd said she froze and her eyes flew open in astonishment. 

"Wait, what?" she asked, pushing his hands away to avoid distraction. "Why did you get condoms from Caleb?"

"Just in case-"

"Did he give you a high five and tell you good luck, too?"

"What? What are you-"

Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to her, taking instant hold. "Did you have this all planned out? Get me out here in the middle of nowhere and get in my pants?"

"Wait, are you serious?" Mike finally managed to ask, the confusion on his face turning to irritation. 

"Divide and conquer, huh? Did you guys come up with it on the drive up?" she asked, finding her shirt and pulling it back on with shaking hands.

"Are you done with your conspiracy theories?"

"Oh, I'm done, alright," Katie said, shooting him a withering glare and turning to crawl out of the tent. 

She was halfway out when Mike grabbed her by the hips and hauled her back inside. "Now hold on just a damn minute, you're being ridiculous," he said, flipping her over to look her in the eye. 

She gasped and pushed him away, knocking his elbow out from under him. He lost his balance and fell against her and she started swinging at him with balled fists. He rolled away, but had to grab her wrists to keep her from hitting him and when he did; it was like someone flipped a switch. Suddenly she was all writhing movement. 

"What the-"

"Let me go!" she shrieked, kicking at him and yanking her hands trying to get away. Mike held tighter, trying to keep her from striking him. He tried to back away, but the tent was so small there was nowhere to go. "Please, let me go!"

Something in her voice got his attention and when he looked at her face he could see nothing but wild-eyed panic. He released her immediately, holding his hands up and palms open in a gesture of surrender, turning his face away to avoid the blows she rained on him before she scrambled out of the tent and ran.

Almost as soon as she was out of the tent Katie realized what had happened. It wasn't the first time she'd reacted this way, but it had been a very long time since she'd allowed it to overwhelm her like this. She'd thought she had it under control, but clearly not. Once again her whole body was shaking and she knew from experience that the tears were going to come soon and she wouldn't be able to stop them. 

"Shit, shit, shit..." she muttered to herself, pacing and shaking her hands to rid her body of nervous energy.

A quick glance over her shoulder told her Mike wasn't coming out after her and she was grateful; she didn't want him to see her crying and definitely didn't want to have to explain why. Not that he hadn't probably figured it out; he was a cop after all. She flushed with shame and embarrassment, grabbed her flashlight off the top of her pack, and ran.

Mike rolled onto his belly and watched her pace around the campsite, then stomp off into the woods. He'd been around enough victims to have a good idea of what had just happened and why. A wave of bitter anger swelled in his belly at whoever had hurt her, but even more than that he wanted to kick his own ass. 

He should have just let her go, but at first he hadn't believed she really thought he and Caleb had really schemed like that. It didn't matter, he should have let her go, he sure as hell didn't have any right to grab her like that. His head dropped into his hands and he exhaled a heavy breath, cursing himself. He tongued the cut on his lip to check how bad it was, but it wasn't much. No more than he deserved, that's for sure. 

He pulled his shirt back on and gave Katie a few minutes head start before following her into the woods to make sure she was alright. He found her at the overlook they'd visited earlier, sitting on the flat rock with her head buried in her arms like she was curled in a little ball. Mike swallowed past the lump in his throat and tamped down the urge to go to her and wrap his arms around her, figuring his comfort wouldn't be welcome. He left her to be alone for a bit and went back to the campsite.

Katie let the tears take over, knowing fighting them was useless. God knew she'd tried enough times over the years to know that. The anger would come next and that was always better than the tears. She almost looked forward to being able to rage and get it out.

She was surprised it took so little to trigger another panic attack. Intellectually she knew that Mike hadn't meant to hurt her, but unfortunately intellect had very little to do with it. When he'd dragged her in the tent she felt the fear start, but had already started to suppress it, force it back into the little hidden place in her brain where she usually kept it locked away. Then he'd grabbed her arms and she'd snapped.

She shook her head and stood up, pacing back and forth across the open space. She didn't want to think about it now, it wouldn't help. Nothing would help, not even time 

apparently. 

"Goddamn it!" she yelled into space. She picked up a rock sitting near her feet and threw it as hard as she could into the dark abyss, cursing loudly. And then another. And another. There was release in the physical effort of it and by the time she had cleared the entire overlook of small rocks and run through her entire vocabulary of expletives she felt a little bit better. 

She sat down with a sigh and rested her chin on her fist, staring out over the valley. The wind was picking up and it was getting pretty chilly out here, but she didn't want to go back yet. Not until she figured out what the hell she was going to say to Mike. That thought brought another sigh. There wasn't anything she could say to fix it. Nobody wanted broken goods. The best she could hope for at this point was to be able to stay out here until he'd gone to bed. If she could do that she'd just have to get through a few awkward hours tomorrow and then she could go home and she'd never have to see him again.

She was just starting to wonder whether it would be safe to go back when she heard a cough from far off and loud tromping through the woods. She couldn't see him yet, but it was obviously Mike making sure she knew he was coming. Probably so she didn't attack him again. Katie groaned to herself and turned back to the overlook to wait for him.

He sat down next to her without a word and handed her a jacket and a warm mug full of what smelled like hot chocolate. This was not what she was expecting at all and as she slid her arms into the jacket she glanced over at him to get an idea of what the hell he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, Katie," he said, catching her eye. 

The guilt and concern in his voice almost brought tears to her eyes again, but she bit them back and shook her head. "I overreacted," she said, her voice hoarse from crying and yelling.

"I shouldn't have grabbed you like that."

Katie shrugged and took a sip of the hot chocolate to cover for the fact that she didn't know what to say. It was delicious.

"Thank you," she said lifting the cup to indicate what she meant.

"I thought you might be cold."

"Yeah, it's chilly up here."

She shivered and Mike had to stop himself from putting an arm around her.

"I'm the one who should apologize," she finally said. "About that whole thing, the condoms and flipping out on you and everything. I guess I got embarrassed at the thought of you and Caleb talking about me and then..." she trailed off, again unsure what to say.

"You don't have to explain," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I scared you. And if it makes you feel any better I stole the condoms out of Caleb's bag without asking."

Katie snorted mirthlessly. "I hope you left him a few, those two don't need to procreate."

"What do you mean? That's exactly what the world needs, more irresponsible, over-packing horndogs."

She rewarded him with a half-smile and he smiled back. When she shivered again he held his arm out and she scooted under it, snuggling up next to his warmth. They sat in silence for a while, watching the stars spin slowly overhead while Katie finished the chocolate. 

It was cold and she figured he was ready to go to bed, but she didn't want to move out from under the protective circle of his arm. Quite the contrary, his warm body seemed to be calling to her, begging her to wrap her arms around it and nestle in. She wondered at his ability to make her feel comfortable with him again so easily after what had 

happened. It could have even been frightening if she didn't feel so calm, so...right. 

She shifted a little to fit closer to him and he looked down at her. They stared at each other for a long moment and Katie's heart beat faster in anticipation, but at the last second he sighed and looked away.

"You ready to head back?" he asked, dropping his arm from her shoulders and taking the empty cup from her hand.

"Sure."

They got up and hiked the short distance back to camp in darkness, their eyes long since having adjusted to the starlight. The smell of the campfire drifting on the night air reached them before they got to the clearing, pine smoke with a hint of paper. When they reached its light Katie noticed he'd set her tent up for her. 

Conflicting emotions flared in her. On one hand her heart swelled at the thought that he'd made an attempt to give her space and make her comfortable. On the other, she'd been encouraged by him coming to her on the overlook and was half hoping he would just forget what happened earlier, take her in his arms and keep her warm tonight. 

"Thanks," she said, gesturing at the tent.

"No problem. Good night." With that he quickly turned and crawled into his tent. 

Katie stood looking after him for a moment, plagued by guilt and regret. Well that was that, she'd actually liked him and now she'd run him off. As much as you could run off someone who was stuck in the woods with you. Not that she could blame him, she'd probably scared him to death with her histrionics. Why on earth would he want to risk a repeat of that scene? 

She sighed and went to her tent where she smiled to see that Mike had even gone so far as to roll out her sleeping bag for her. Normally something like that would bug the crap out of her; she could set up her own damn tent thankyouverymuch. But coming from him it didn't seem condescending, it just seemed, well, sweet. 

She crawled in and changed into her tank top and sweat pants, wishing she'd brought a spare long sleeved t-shirt since her other one had gotten so grubby. After digging fruitlessly in her bag for something warm and comfortable to wear her eyes fell on the fleece Mike had brought her earlier. She wrapped it around herself and lay down, closing her eyes as the smell of him surrounded her, making her feel safe.

Damn, she was in trouble. This guy had definitely gotten under her skin and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to just go home and forget about him. She fantasized for a moment about just walking over there, crawling into his tent, and screwing his brains out. He probably wouldn't kick her out of his bed and it might get him out of her system. Slowly the fantasy morphed into possibility. After all, tomorrow was going to be awkward regardless and she could still just go home and never see him again. 

She peeked out to see if she could get a glimpse of him, but the fire had burned down to ashy embers and it was too dark. All she could see was the bottom of his sleeping bag hanging out of the opening of his tent. Maybe he was cold. Maybe he wanted his jacket back. Before she could think too much about what she was doing, she was out of her tent and halfway to his. Kneeling in the door she looked inside, barely making out the outline of his head looking up at her.

"I brought your jacket back."

He lifted up on one elbow and looked at her for a moment before reaching out a hand toward her. For a split second she thought he wanted her to hand him the jacket and go, but then he spoke.

"Come here."

His voice, low and soft, sent shivers down her spine. She crawled inside and his hand came up, wrapping around her neck and drawing her gently down to him as he lay back. Their lips met in a silent collision, knocking the breath from both of them. Mike held her loosely, hands wandering her back and neck in little tickling caresses.

She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and Mike flinched as Katie recognized a faint metallic taste. Blood. She pulled back and looked down at him, noticing for the first time the small swollen spot in the corner of his mouth where his lip was busted. 

"Oh my God, did I-"

"It's okay," he said, smiling awkwardly. "You know, you've got a hell of a right hook. For a girl."

"I'm so sorry." Katie dropped her forehead to his shoulder, mortified, but his hands came up, lifting her face and forcing her to look at him. He didn't say anything, just smiled and kissed her again, gingerly avoiding the cut.

She tried to put her hands on him, but he was still in his sleeping bag. Without breaking the kiss she pulled the top back, the zipper hissing as she shoved the thick material away. Like a child opening a present her hands reached inside and found him warm and waiting. Her hands roamed his broad chest, teasing the tight hairs and tracing the hard curves of his muscles. Her fingertips found one pointed nipple and circled it a few times before rolling it between her fingers.

Mike jumped and nipped at her lower lip in response. He tightened his arms around her and pulled her on top of his body, kicking the sleeping bag off his feet. Katie settled against him, one leg sliding up between his where his erection was growing hard to ignore. She wiggled her hips against him and smiled at his low groan, but then his hands 

came up to her hips, stilling her movements and shifting her to the side.

"Listen," he said, hesitantly.

Katie's heart fell and her smile disappeared. Oh God, he wanted to talk about it. She really really did not want to talk about it. Before he could continue she slid her hand down and slowly stroked his erection through his sweat pants, hoping to distract him. It worked, briefly. He made a noise in his throat and tightened his grip on her hips almost painfully as she circled his shaft with her hand and squeezed.

"Katie, wait," he said, breathlessly, pushing her hand away gently. "Just listen to me for a minute. I'm not gonna ask you to explain things or tell me anything you don't want to tell me."

"Okay," she whispered, relief flooding through her.

"But you were right earlier, I think we should just stick with messing around tonight. No sex." 

"Look, I promise I'm not really crazy. Or at any rate I promise I'm not gonna freak out and cut your dick off or anything."




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 02



"Sweetheart," he said, bringing his hands up to her face to look her in the eyes. "I don't think you're crazy, that has nothing to do with it." His brow furrowed and he added in a more teasing tone, "Though do I have a pretty high tolerance for crazy, so you may want to take my diagnosis with a grain of salt."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just think it would be better for both of us if we didn't. For lots of reasons. But in the interest of full disclosure I should admit that part of it is that I think you're gonna try to blow me off after tomorrow and I'm trying to provide some incentive to make sure that doesn't happen."

Katie looked away and didn't answer. 

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he murmured, reaching up to push her hair out of her face. "I like you Katie. I want to see you again."

She ventured a look at his face while she was trying to figure out how to respond and he caught her eye and grinned.

"Although the next time you try to convince someone you're not crazy you should 

probably leave any mention of castration out of it."

His joke broke the tension and she actually laughed out loud. Before she could reply he was kissing her again and for a little while it was like the last few hours had never happened. 

They lay on their sides facing each other on the sleeping bag, pressed close together, their hands roaming each other's bodies for what seemed like ages. Mike quickly learned how she liked to be touched, stroking and caressing her until Katie felt so brittle she was afraid she might shatter. He pulled her knee up around his hip and, unhindered by buttons this time, he slid his fingers into her wet folds. 

"Fuck, you're so...mmmm," he murmured, taking her mouth in another hot kiss as he let his fingers explore.

Katie's hands stilled on his body, her breath stopped, and for a second she thought she might come right then and there, but he wasn't quite ready to let that happen yet. His fingers danced and circled all around where she wanted them to be, never quite penetrating or making contact with her clit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved against his hand trying to get more from him, but he just smiled and kept right on playing with her, taking pleasure in the frustrated noises she couldn't contain. 

"What are you doing next Friday?"

It took Katie a minute to realize he'd asked her a question. "What am I- What?" she said, dizzy with desire.

"Next Friday. I'm off work. I want to see you." 

She looked up into his face, stunned. "You're asking me out? Now?"

"Mmhm. Say yes." He teased her opening with one finger, barely sliding the tip inside her before slipping it back out and pressing two fingers hard against the tight nub of her clit and holding them there, perfectly still. Katie's entire body tensed and froze, a wave of intense pleasure growing in her belly, ready to break at any second if only he would let it. 

"Please," she breathed as the wave swelled higher, threatening to drown her. 

"Say yes."

"Yes! God, yes."

Then he was moving his fingers hard and fast against her clit and the wave broke, flooding her body with white heat as her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth fell open in a silent cry. He didn't let up speed or pressure, prolonging her climax until she was trembling all over. He slowed, but never stopped stroking her as she came down. 

As soon as she opened her eyes he locked her gaze with his and plunged the two fingers deep inside her, taking her completely by surprise. This time she cried out loud as he stroked her deep, sliding his fingers almost all the way out before thrusting them back in and rubbing the sensitive flesh inside. 

She kept her eyes on his, unable to look away from the sight of him watching her. His eyes narrowed to glittering blue slits and devoured her, raking over her face so intently she could almost feel it. His mouth had fallen open and she could feel his hot breath coming fast on her face as he swung his thumb in and rubbed tiny circles over her clit, shooting her to the edge of another orgasm.

"Oh God!" 

"Say my name," he growled.

"Mike! Mike, I'm gonna come again."

"Fuck yeah you are." 

His words pushed her over the edge and she arched against him, crying out his name as she came again. She collapsed against him, breathless as he held her tight. As her breathing returned to normal she came back to herself with the realization that she could feel the evidence of his own desire pressing hard and insistent against his hip. 

Immediately she let her hand drop to it, caressing his erection through his pants, running her fingernails lightly up the length of him trying to tease him the way he'd done to her.

"Are you having second thoughts about your no-sex policy?" she teased, kissing the smooth skin of his shoulder and nuzzling the little hollow above his collarbone.

"No. Though I think that makes me a fucking idiot."

"Then I guess I'm going to have to thank you some other way." She dropped her head to his chest and flicked one tight nipple with her tongue, tightening her grip on him.

"I'm sure whatever you come up with will be just fine," he said in a strained voice. 

Katie didn't have much experience going down on guys, she'd only done it twice and both times it was out of a sense of obligation, so she hadn't exactly enjoyed it. But the idea of driving Mike crazy with need got her even hotter than she already was. As she kissed her way down his body, positioning herself between his legs, she was surprised to realize that she actually wanted to do this. 

She slid his sweatpants down over his hips and he moaned as the cold air hit his hot skin. Katie wasn't too surprised to find that his dick was in proportion to the rest of his body, though she was a little in awe and a breathless, "whoa," escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"That's always encouraging to hear," he said, grinning crookedly as he looked down his body at her. 

She met his eyes and smiled back, watching him as she trailed her fingertips along the tops of his thighs. His head fell back and he groaned as she flattened her hands against his skin, smoothing up over his hips to trace those tight curves she'd noticed... God, had it really only been that morning? 

She bent low over him and his dick twitched as her hot breath hit his skin, contrasting sharply with the chilly night air drifting in through the tent door. She took it in her hand and squeezed lightly one time before closing her mouth over the sensitive head. The taste of salt filled her mouth, the result of two days in the woods she figured, but oddly she didn't mind. He tasted good, manly even. 

"Fuck," he groaned. 

She unintentionally teased him, sliding down a little lower and tentatively running her tongue along the underside of his shaft so lightly he had to clench the fabric of the sleeping bag in his fists to keep from grabbing her hair and pushing her head down, burying himself in her hot mouth. Instead she pulled her mouth off him and looked up. 

"I'm not very good at this," she whispered nervously.

"Sweetheart you're doing just fine. Don't stop."

"I want it to be good. Tell me what to do."

Mike propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her, brushing the hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. He could see uncertainty in her eyes along with a healthy dose of desire and could tell that she wanted to know how to please him.

He reached down and wrapped his hand around hers where she gripped his dick, squeezing her hand tighter around him and stroking himself up and down. Still looking in his eyes she took initiative and flattened her tongue, pressing against the tip, his sharp intake of breath encouraging her to swirl it around in little circles. He nodded at her and she continued use her tongue on him, gaining confidence and covering his dick in slick wetness as they continued to stroke him together. 

"No more teasing, put it in your mouth," he demanded, his breath coming hard now.

Katie smiled slowly and waited a few seconds before closing her mouth over him, taking him further inside than before. He stilled the hand he held over hers, but tightened his grip even more, shocking her with how hard he wanted her to squeeze him. 

"Suck on it."

His breath left him in a whoosh as he watched her cheeks collapse and felt the suction of her mouth. Realizing he wasn't going to last long he let go of her hand and held her hair out of the way so he could see her better. Her instincts took over and without prompting she started bobbing her head up and down, tonguing him on the down strokes and sucking hard as she pulled up, nearly letting go before plunging back down on him.

"Yes, Jesus Katie, that's so..." he trailed off and fell back, clenching his fists again to keep himself in control as she drove him steadily toward release. His hips lifted to meet her mouth as it came down on him and he could feel it building inside him.

"Katie," he said in warning. Her eyes flicked up at him and then back down as she continued. "Sweetheart, I'm gonna come," he said in a strangled voice, but she didn't stop. If anything she sped up and sucked harder. He tried to hold back, but when she took him far enough into her mouth that he hit the back of her throat he couldn't help it. He let go with a hoarse cry.

Her mouth filled with the hot taste of him as she sucked, trying to swallow it all without gagging. Sarah had told her one night when they were both drunk that if you ever wanted to really have a guy by the balls all you had to do was swallow. She'd told stories about guys that were so grateful they'd do anything for her. Katie had rolled her eyes and acted grossed out at the time, but had been intrigued by the idea and had occasionally fantasized about it. The reality was even better. Yeah, it was maybe a little bit gross if she thought about it, but totally worth it to see Mike writhing under her, to hear the roar of release erupt from his throat, and to know that she was doing that to him.

"How'd I do?" she asked with a little grin, pulling his pants back up over his hips so he wouldn't get cold..

"Jesus fucking Christ, woman," he mumbled.

Katie crawled up and settled herself against his side. "I'll take that as a compliment, I guess.

Mike's hand came up to cup her cheek and he kissed her lightly before pulling back to give her that contagious smile of his, the one that transformed his face into that of a mischievous little boy. "Oh it was definitely a compliment." 

"Good," she said, feeling inordinately satisfied with herself.

"So Friday night, then? I'm gonna hold you to that, you know."

Her smile faltered. Had she really agreed to a date with him? Well, she would think about it. There was no reason to get into it now, when they were both feeling so good. "Yeah, Friday," she said, a pang of guilt hitting her with the words. She snuggled closer to him, pressing against his warm body. 

"You cold?"

"A little," she yawned.

"Be right back." He climbed out of the tent, leaving her shivering in his wake, and returned a few minutes later carrying her sleeping bag. He unzipped it and crawled in, spreading it over them like a blanket. Katie wrapped her arms around him and moaned with satisfaction as the warmth surrounded her and she drifted immediately off to sleep.

The next morning could have been weird if she hadn't woken to his head between her thighs and his gently lapping tongue. As it was she was too worn out from yet another amazing orgasm to have enough energy left to feel awkward. 

Mike built another fire and they had a quick breakfast of instant oatmeal before packing up camp. Katie wanted to see the overlook again before they hiked back so they left their packs in the clearing and walked the short distance with their coffee. 

"Wow, you can see for miles now that the clouds are gone," Mike said, in awe of the view in the morning sun.

Katie nodded and breathed deep of the mountain air, letting herself enjoy that rare sense of contentment that she only ever got when she was out in the woods. She looked over at Mike and had to smile. With his face was all scruffy from two days' growth of stubble and the bandana wrapped around his head again he was the very image of outdoorsy male. She found herself wondering what he looked like in his uniform and quickly cut off that train of thought; the sense of contentment evaporated as she remembered who else wore that uniform. 

"Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course," he said, smiling down at her.

She felt suddenly nervous and really didn't want to have to say what she was about to say, but she needed to make sure he understood. "It's just that you know, or I imagine you've probably guessed...things about me that most people don't know. Things I've never mentioned to anyone else," she said with a significant look. "Not even Sarah." 

The smile faded from his face and he looked absolutely serious. "Katie last night, all of it, is between us. I'm not gonna go running my mouth to anyone."

"Thank you," she whispered, relief and gratitude welling in her chest.

"And I'm a little offended you'd even think you had to ask, but I'll chalk that up to you not knowing me very well." He grinned at her before continuing, "We'll just have to remedy that, won't we? Starting Friday."

"Yeah, Friday."



Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 03



Chapter 4 is coming soon and I wanted to get this edit in before I posted it. I didn't like the way I ended Chapter 3 and I suspect I'm not the only one. So I changed it. Because I can. The rest of the story is pretty much exactly the same, I just added a couple of scenes at the very end so if you've read it before you can just skip to page 3.

Thanks for reading,

P

... 

She didn't answer her phone. Again. For the third time in two days. She stared at it buzzing away on the arm of the couch, the glowing LED screen spitefully flashing a number with a Knoxville area code at her. It finally fell silent and her jaw unclenched as she looked away, sighing at herself. 

For three days she'd been turning the weekend over and over in her mind trying to sort out her conflicted feelings and three nights she'd been laying in bed trying not to think about the way his hands felt on her body, his mouth on hers. She'd been sorely mistaken to think one night with him would get him out of her system and told herself she should just answer the phone the next time he called. 

As if it read her mind, her phone started buzzing again, the same number on the screen. Her hand drifted toward it briefly before her throat closed up at the idea of actually seeing him again. She grabbed it, stuffed it under a couch cushion and walked quickly into the kitchen. Her heart was pounding and breath was coming in rapid gasps. 

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she asked her refrigerator. When it didn't answer she rolled her eyes at it and forced herself back into the living room. 

They'd said goodbye in the trailhead parking lot with a friendly hug; Katie rolling her eyes at Sarah and Caleb's effusive display of tongues and Mike silently laughing at her for it. He'd acted totally normal around their friends, giving no hint of anything that had happened between them, good or bad, and she'd appreciated it more than he could know. But as soon as they'd driven out of sight she felt the anxiety start to creep in. 

She'd been careful for so long, keeping her secret as close as possible so no one would judge her or think any differently about her. She didn't want to have to think about it or talk about it or wonder if others were thinking about it or talking about it. But now the secret was out and she no longer had control over it because someone else knew. He knew. Well, he knew enough and that should be reason enough not to want to see him ever again. 

Despite all of that a huge part of her did want to see him again, and not to take advantage of his incentive plan. Well, not just that. She also found herself missing his easy conversation, his quick smile, his goofy jokes, and wishing she could relax into that calm that he seemed to bring her. 

Maybe that was what was really scaring her. It wasn't that she didn't trust him to keep her secret or that she thought he would judge her; he'd given her no reason to think so. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was that she shouldn't want to see him, but she did; that she didn't quite have control of herself when he was around. 

Katie closed her eyes and thought about how he'd stopped her on the trail right before they made it back to the first campsite. She'd been hiking along, starting to get nervous about how she was supposed to act around him with Sarah and Caleb there, but he'd taken her hand and pulled her close muttering something about one last kiss and as soon as his arms were around her it was like all her concerns evaporated. All she thought about was how good it felt when he held her. So when he asked her for her number she'd given it to him, not really thinking about it until it was too late.

And now he was calling, expecting to see her in a few days and for whatever reason she just couldn't do it. Surely if she didn't answer he'd get the idea and just stop calling and she wouldn't have to deal with it. Or if he didn't cooperate she could change her number. Or move to an island in the Caribbean. She shook her head at herself and wondered, not for the first time, if maybe she really was crazy.

...

Katie munched on her apple and let her gaze roam the tiny courtyard behind the east wing of the hospital. There wasn't much to look at and nothing she hadn't seen a million times before on breaks or walks outside with her patients, but she was trying to soak up the remnants of the summer day before going back in to finish her shift. 

She'd been so busy today she missed her lunch break and was only just now, with an hour left before she got off for the weekend, getting a few minutes away to relax. It had been a hell of a week, in more ways than one, and she couldn't wait to go home, take a long bath, and climb into bed. Maybe tonight she'd be tired enough to just fall asleep instead of tossing and turning.

After Wednesday night he'd stopped calling. Rather than being a relief, it only increased her anxiety and made her irritable. God, she was so stupid sometimes. She didn't want him around, but she wanted him to want her. It was a silly, childish way to feel, but she couldn't help it. 

She took the last bite of her apple and stared with narrowed eyes up through the branches of the pretty sugar maple hanging over the picnic table to the deep blue sky above. Sometimes she was able to block the buildings and power lines out of her peripheral vision and pretend she was laying somewhere quiet and peaceful surrounded by trees and mountains. It wasn't working today so she let her eyes drift closed and tried her best to stop thinking. That wasn't working either. 

"Sleeping on the job?"

Katie's eyes flew open as the bite of apple wedged itself in her windpipe. Her eyes watered and she leaned forward coughing to clear her throat. Mike straddled the picnic table bench facing her and handed her the water bottle on the table.

"Shame on you."

"I wasn't asleep," Katie said when she finally caught her breath and took a sip of water.

"That's not what I was talking about."

A pang of guilt struck her and she couldn't look up. She was about to open her mouth to apologize when he spoke again.

"Do you always choke on your food or is it just when I'm around?"

"It's just when you're around," Katie replied before she had time to think about what she was saying. 

She immediately blushed and looked away, wondering how he'd done it to her again. Whatever it was he did. She should be angry that he'd tracked her down and showed up at her work, or maybe even scared. Instead she was fighting the urge to apologize and beg his forgiveness. Or wrap herself around him and lick his neck to find out whether his skin still tasted like woodsmoke and sweat. Or both. 

Of course the faded blue t-shirt pulling tight across his chest or the way he smelled like aftershave and fabric softener was at least partly responsible for her reaction. 

"I suppose it's good to know I have some effect," he said with a smirk. "Even if it is potentially life threatening. It makes me feel a little better about this whole stalker thing I'm trying to pull off."

Katie cleared her throat, trying to shake off thoughts of licking him and pay attention to what he was saying. "How'd you find me?"

"A very friendly lady pointed me in the right direction. She even wheeled me to the door, though I told her I could find it on my own." 

"You know what I mean," she said with a wry look.

"There's only one hospital in the county. It wasn't hard."

"Oh yeah, I guess so. Wait, what did you say the friendly lady in the wheelchair's name was?"

"I didn't, but it was Erma."

"Oh lordy, Erma? The whole floor will know about it by now," she groaned, sounding more amused than irritated.

"Know about what?" he asked with a smile, relieved that she didn't seem upset.

Katie looked at him and shook her head. "That a great big handsome man came looking for me and now we're sitting outside alone together."

Mike's face lit up. "You think I'm handsome?"

"We've probably got all the ambulatory patients in the ward watching us out the window. By tomorrow the story will have us tearing at each other's clothes and making out on the table," she added, pointedly ignoring his question.

"Well, if that's want they want I'd be happy to oblige. It'd be a shame to disappoint them," he said glancing back at the mirrored windows, unable to see whether anyone was watching. 

"Shut up," she said, whacking him on the bicep.

He looked back to see her grinning. "Be careful, now. You act too sweet and I might think you're actually glad to see me."

Katie flashed him an apologetic look before looking down at her feet. "I am glad to see you."

"Thank God," he said, his voice sounding sincerely relieved. "I figured I had a fifty fifty shot at not getting beat up or arrested."

"I'd say it's more like eighty-five fifteen," she said, nodding seriously.

"I'll take those odds." His smile dimmed only slightly and he looked at her eyes. "The payoff is worth it." 

Katie blushed, embarrassed by the compliment and unsure how to reply.

"You know, if you'd answered the phone and cancelled on me I wouldn't have shown up. I figured you weren't one to shy away from telling someone to fuck off if you really didn't want to see them." He paused for a moment, then slid his foot toward her through the dirt and nudged her shoe. "But you didn't answer."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. Just give me a chance."

Katie looked in his eyes, dark blue with uncertainty, and couldn't say no; didn't want to say no. Before she could second guess herself she pulled the pen out of her scrubs pocket and reached for his hand. Scooting toward him she pulled his hand close and wrote on his palm.

"Here's my address. I'll be home in about an hour and I really need a shower so show up in about an hour and a half." She looked up at him, realizing how bossy she sounded, but the triumphant smile on his face told her he didn't mind. "I'm pretty worn out, is it alright with you if we just hang out at my place?"

"Sweetheart, it doesn't make any difference to me what we're doing. I'm just happy to see you."

Katie's breath caught and she was suddenly aware of how close he was and that she was still holding his hand open in her lap. He closed it around her fingers as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Do you think they're still watching?" he asked, gesturing toward the building with his head.

"Without a doubt."

"That's too bad, I really want to kiss you right now."

Katie surprised the hell out of both of them by leaning in and pressing her mouth to his, marveling at how velvety soft his lips felt before tearing herself quickly away and standing up. "I'll see you in a little while," she said, turning and hurrying away.

...

The taste of apples lingered on his lips as he watched her walk away, the shapeless scrubs unable to hide the tight curve of her ass from his searching eyes. He didn't look away until the door closed behind her and cut him off. He blew out a deep breath he didn't even know he was holding and grinned, looking down at the writing in the palm of his hand. 

That had gone so much better than he'd expected. His nerves had almost gotten the best of him on the drive up here, he'd been so worried about what her reaction might be to seeing him. 

He'd been particularly hesitant to show up at her work like this, but couldn't think of any other way to do it aside from asking Caleb where she lived. That wasn't an option since it would have required some explanation of what had gone on last weekend and he wasn't willing to give one. He kept his promises.

Mike stood and headed toward the parking lot, walking around the building rather than through it so he could soak up a little bit more of the late afternoon sun. He whistled as he walked and wondered what it was about her that had him so determined. It wasn't just the challenge of chasing someone that didn't want him. Plenty of girls had turned him down in the past and he never gave them a second thought, let alone hunted them down. Plus he didn't really believe she didn't want him or he wouldn't be here.  

There was just something about her that drew him. She was smart, funny, tough, and gave the distinct impression that she needed no one. He liked that about her. He didn't want her to need him, wasn't the type of guy that thrived on a woman depending on him. Still, he had the inexplicable urge to take whatever the heavy burden was that she carried and help her with it, even if it was just to relieve the weight every once in a while by making her smile. Or laugh. Or cry out his name mid-orgasm.

No, he wasn't going to go down that road. Or at least that's what he told himself as he took a deep breath and tried to convince his body to behave. He wasn't here for that. Well, not just that. If she wanted to go there he was more than willing, but he wasn't expecting it and certainly wasn't going to push her. He still felt like an absolute asshole about what had happened last weekend and had resolved that whatever it took, he never wanted to see that look of fear on her face again. 

But he was determined to get through whatever these walls were that she was trying to throw up and find out who she was behind them. So tonight was going to be about getting to know each other better. If anything else happened, well that would just be a bonus.

...

Once again Katie's nerves hit almost as soon as Mike was out of sight. The sly looks from her patients didn't help and when Marie, one of the other nurses, came right out and asked her who her visitor had been she had to bite back the urge to snap at her that it was none of her business. She was so clearly agitated and therefore useless that the charge nurse told her to go ahead and leave twenty minutes early.

Her unexpected reprieve gave her a little more time to get herself together, but she was still rushing around like a chicken with her head cut off. Thank goodness she kept her apartment in a state of pristine neatness and didn't have to worry about that, but she had to stop by the store, hadn't shaved in days, had no clue what she should wear, and wanted to change the sheets on her bed. Just in case.

She was so busy she didn't have time to worry much about what they would do or talk about when he got there and by the time she ran out of urgent tasks it was almost time for him to arrive. She'd just slowed down long enough to realize she was hungry when she heard the knock on the door. 

Her hands came up automatically to smooth her damp hair and she glanced at herself in the mirror, tugging at her tank top to make sure it covered the top of her favorite comfy yoga pants. She had a brief moment of anxiety wondering if she'd gone too casual, but another knock interrupted her thoughts.

She had three locks on her door and for some reason her fingers kept fumbling with them, unable to coordinate themselves long enough to unlatch them, so it took her a minute to get the door open. She could hear Mike on the other side chuckling and rolled her eyes. When she finally swung it open he was grinning widely at her.

"How many locks have you got, sweetheart?"

"Enough," she tossed back. "I'm a single girl living alone, after all. Come on in."

He walked in and looked around at her small, but comfortable apartment. Not surprisingly it was as clean as a whistle, not a bit of clutter in sight. He noted with amusement the bookshelves with the spines of the books perfectly aligned and the coordinated pictures hanging straight as arrows on the walls.

"Have a seat." She pointed him toward the couch then flitted nervously in the other direction toward the kitchen calling over her shoulder, "What can I get you to drink?"

"What have you got?" he said, close enough that she could feel the rumble of his voice. She jumped and spun around. 

"Holy shit, don't do that!" she said as she backed into the kitchen. 

"Sorry," he said, his crooked grin indicating he wasn't the least bit sorry.

She opened the refrigerator and gave the sparse contents a disapproving look. "Orange juice or beer, not a great selection but it covers me on most meals." 

Mike pushed the door closed and stepped toward her again, leaning against the fridge and folding his arms in front of him. 

"You seem awful jumpy. Am I making you nervous?" he asked, with just enough of a smirk to be annoying.

"Of course not," she snapped, rolling her eyes as his smirk widened into a grin. 

"You are such a bad liar."

She turned and started to move away but he stopped her with a hand on her hip. 

"Katie," he said, the grin fading. "Don't be nervous. There's no pressure, no reason to feel weird." He paused a moment before adding, "We're not doing anything wrong."

"I know, I just-" she shook her head, making her decision. "Okay. No weirdness." She looked back at him just as he lowered his head to kiss her. It was exactly like it had been that first time in the woods. The world switched off, her entire consciousness focused on the feel of his lips against hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth, the taste and smell of him. 

His arms tightened around her, drawing her toward him as he leaned back against the fridge. Her hands came up to steady herself against his chest, then moved up over his shoulders, wrapping around his neck. She felt him moan as she pressed against him, loving the way his chest felt so hard and warm against her breasts. Suddenly he pulled away and for a moment he just stood with his eyes closed, breathing slowly. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"See? Not weird at all," he said, his voice rough. He cleared his throat and stepped away. "Beer it is, then." 

Katie was dazed and not a little disappointed she admitted to herself as she opened the fridge and grabbed two glass bottles. Mike took them both, opened them, and handed her one. Her heart was still pounding from the kiss and she tried to cover it up with a long drink from her beer. 

It wasn't fair, this effect he had on her, when she didn't seem to affect him the same way. She'd half hoped and half feared that the effect would have dulled now that they were back to reality and back to normal, but apparently not. She willed herself to fill the nervous silence.

"Should we, um, watch a movie or something?"

"Do you want to watch a movie?" 

Hell no, she wanted to pull her panties off, hop up on the counter and make a mess of the kitchen with him, but that didn't seem like an appropriate response. He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, looking at her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. 

"You're blushing," he teased. "What kind of movie were you thinking about watching?"

"I'm not blushing. I'm hungry, though," she said, changing the subject. "Have you had dinner?"

"I haven't."

"Do you like Chinese?"

"Sounds good to me."

Katie pulled a folder out of a kitchen drawer and Mike was amused to see several takeout menus organized by type of food in alphabetical order, but suppressed the urge to tease her about it. They ordered from her favorite place and settled on the couch to wait for their food. Katie took a spot at the opposite end of the couch from Mike and they sat facing each other in awkward silence for a moment until Mike spoke.

"So, are you from Knoxville or did you just go to school there?"

"No, I'm from a tiny town in Kentucky. You've never heard of it and probably wouldn't want to."

"Is your family still there?"

"What's left of them; an aunt, couple of cousins, that's it." Katie hesitated a moment before adding, "I was an only child, both my parents have passed."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Was it a while ago?"

"My dad died when I was little and I lost my mom when I was fifteen. Car accident."

"Were you with her?"

"In the car? No, I was at home in bed. She was coming home from the hospital late one night- she was a nurse, too. I didn't even know it had happened until the next morning when my aunt came and picked me up." Katie could tell by the tremble in her voice that she was treading on shaky ground and quickly changed the subject. "What about you, do you have family back in Little River?"




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 03



"I sure do," he said with a grin. "My mom and stepdad are still there with my little sister- well, she's my half-sister, but who's counting. And my granddaddy lives with them now. He doesn't get around much these days, but he's still kicking."

"How old is your sister?" she asked, trying to imagine a female version of Mike and failing.

"Jenny just started her senior year of high school." he said shaking his head with a smile. "She's too big for her britches sometimes, but it's just because she's been kinda spoiled."

"By her big brother, I'm sure," Katie said with a smile and a twinge of jealousy. As a child she'd always wished she had an older brother.

"Of course. Spoiled her and drove her crazy, both."

She kept Mike talking about his family, telling stories about how he used to torment his sister and the trouble he used to get into on his grandfather's farm until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Mike jumped up and answered it, insisting on paying for dinner, and Katie grabbed fresh beers and plates from the kitchen. They settled back on the couch with the myriad of steaming containers laid out before them on the coffee table and dug in, silent for a few moments while they ate.

"So what about your dad, does he live there too?"

"He lives in Knoxville, actually. That's what brought me here. I visited with him a few times over the years, but never spent a whole lot of time with him since he wasn't exactly the reliable type, according to my mother. When I started looking for a town a little bit bigger than home where I might get some decent training and experience as a police officer I thought maybe I could kill two birds with one stone and get to know him a little better at the same time."

"How's that going?"

"Pretty good, we get together once or twice a week for lunch or whatever. He's not a bad guy, fun to be around. I think he just wasn't ready for a family when I came along." 

"You're so..." she paused, trying to think of the right word. His eyebrow lifted in anticipation, but Katie just shook her head. "I don't know. I can't think of a word for it. Understanding? Generous, maybe? I don't know if I could be so quick to forgive."

Mike shrugged. "It's not forgiving, necessarily, though I'm not really one to hold a grudge, either. I just wanted to know who he was, so I decided to make it happen. It's for me as much as him. I figure I can spend my time and energy dwelling on the past or I can spend it creating the future."

"That's a sickeningly healthy life philosophy, did you read it on a motivational poster?" she asked, hoping her teasing smile took the edge off her words.

"I did. There was a kitten on it."

"Ah. Well, no one can argue with a kitten."

"No use even trying, really." He paused before adding, "You know it's that sickeningly healthy life philosophy that had me hunting you down at the hospital today."

"Sure, blame your stalking on a poor defenseless kitten." 

"It's common knowledge that felines are excellent stalkers."

Katie could tell she'd made him a little defensive with her comments and was afraid she'd hurt his feelings, but wasn't quite sure what to do about it. As usual she covered her discomfort with more smart-ass remarks, but even though he made it easy for her by playing along she still felt guilty. She actually admired his optimistic outlook and wished she could find some way to tell him that.

"Has anyone ever told you how pretty you look when you're embarrassed?"

"What?"

"You get these bright pink circles on your cheeks and your ears turn red."

"I'm not embarrassed."

Mike just stared at her, a slow smile creeping across his face as she felt her cheeks and ears get hotter.

"Stop it, you're doing that on purpose," she said, turning away so he just barely caught the corners of her lips turning up.

"Damn right," he chuckled. "Making you blush is my new favorite pastime."

With that he started gathering up their dishes and carried them into the kitchen. She followed a moment later and they cleaned up the dinner mess together, Katie only getting slightly annoyed when he put her dishtowel on the counter instead of hanging it on the hook to dry out. 

"Do you still want to watch a movie?" Mike asked as they drifted back in the living room. 

"Sure. You pick, since you bought dinner," she said, flopping back down on the couch feeling relaxed and a little sleepy now that she had a full stomach.

Mike walked over to her cabinet and started browsing through her DVD selection. "I guess we'll have to settle for a comedy, I don't see any porn." 

"Of course you don't, I keep my porn in my underwear drawer." She giggled at the look on his face and decided to just let him wonder about whether she was joking or not.

"You're on to me now, aren't you? I shouldn't have said anything about making you blush."

"Yeah, I'm becoming immune. I guess you'll have to step up your game."

He didn't say anything, but shot her a dark look that was enough to make her blush on its own. Suddenly she wasn't feeling sleepy anymore. Mike popped in the comedy he'd chosen and sat down on the couch next to her, throwing one arm around her shoulders.  

His hand rested casually on her bare arm, but for some reason that hand was all she could think about as the previews played, the warmth and weight of it multiplying exponentially the longer it lay there without moving. Katie shifted toward him, settling herself against his side and was rewarded with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder.

They were about half an hour into a movie that neither of them was paying any attention to when Katie decided she couldn't take it anymore. Sitting this close to him trying to pretend that she didn't want to climb into his lap was making her fidgety and irritable. 

She kept expecting him to make a move; put a hand on her thigh or lean in for a kiss or something. Anything. But the hand on her shoulder lay still as a stone. She turned toward him, catching him looking at her out of the corner of his eye. They moved toward each other at the same time, his tongue sliding into her mouth as she met it with a satisfied sigh. 

There was no hesitation or doubt in either of their minds this time as he pulled her so she was straddling him on the couch, one hand in her hair and one hand sliding up her ribs under her shirt. She arched against his body, wordlessly urging his hand further up and he complied, his warm palm closing on her breast as he pulled back his kiss to nibble on her lower lip. 

Katie settled herself so she could feel the bulge in his pants pressing exactly where she wanted it, eliciting a groan of pleasure from him as she rocked her hips against him. He bit down harder on her lip and tightly pinched her pebbled nipple in response, sending a dizzying rush of desire through her.

His fingers trailed down her trembling belly and danced lightly just above the waistband of her pants while she held her breath waiting for his next move. He released her lower lip with a wet pop and leaned back, looking in her eyes as he ran his open hand along her belly, dipping his thumb into her pants.

"Mike," she whispered, knowing it would spur him on. His eyes narrowed to slits as he moved his hand lower, running his thumb along the elastic of her panties. She reached down and put her hand over his in a futile effort to push it down where she wanted it to be. 

"Patience," he said, his voice wavering and giving him away. 

"Fuck patience, make me come."

He growled deep in his throat as he reached down and cupped her through her underwear. The thin fabric was damp already and he pressed his fingers into it eliciting a moan from her. He ran one finger along her slit, barely touching her, teasing her with the smooth silk of her panties. Her hips moved against him trying to press his fingers more firmly into her flesh, but his touch remained frustratingly shallow. Just as she was about to get annoyed he pushed her panties aside and slid two fingers deep inside her.

"Yes" she hissed half under her breath. He slowly slid his fingers out and then plunged them back in again.

"Is that what you wanted?" he whispered in her ear, flicking his tongue against the lobe and sucking it into his mouth. "Is that what you were waiting for?" 

She could do nothing but nod as his tongue snaked into her ear keeping rhythm with his fingers. Every few strokes he would slide his fingers out all the way and circle her clit with a wet finger tip before plunging them back inside to stroke her again and again. 

Mike bent his head to nibble at the hard peak of one breast, the soft cotton of her shirt somehow muffling and magnifying the sensation all at the same time. Katie cried out and threw her head back, clutching at his shoulders and bunching his shirt in her hands. 

He buried his fingers deep inside her, curling them into the fleshy bundle of nerves hiding behind her pelvic bone. She wailed and rocked against him, the palm of his hand roughly massaging her clit, hurtling her toward an intense climax. 

He leaned back so he could watch, fascinated, as she flew apart in his arms. Her eyes were squeezed closed and her mouth open but unbreathing for an endless moment, her slippery wet flesh clenching and releasing his pumping fingers as she rode the waves of pleasure coursing through her. Finally she trembled all over and exhaled in a gust.

"Holy shit," she gasped in a hoarse voice. Her body collapsed against him and she murmured again, "Holy shit."

"You are so fucking hot," he said and she was glad to hear he sounded nearly as breathless as she felt. He slid his hand out of her pants, dragging it up her belly and leaving a wet trail all the way up to where he rested it between her breasts. "And I don't even have your clothes off yet."

"We should remedy that situation. I've got condoms this time." she giggled, half embarrassed at her confession, but not nearly as embarrassed as she had been earlier at the store when she bought them.

"Me too," he said his deep chuckle resonating throughout her body. He smoothed her hair back with one hand and looked at her for a moment, his eyes boring into hers. "Are you sure you want-"

"Oh yes, I'm sure I want. I've been thinking about it all week."

"You have?" he asked, puffing up a bit. 

"I could hardly sleep thinking about it."

"So what would you have done if I hadn't shown up today?"

"Well, I suppose I would have resorted to the same thing I've done every other night this week, but it's a pale comparison. I'm glad you did show up." She bent to kiss him, but he dodged out of the way with an evil grin.

"Hold on, now. I want to hear more about what you've been doing every night this week. And I'm a little slow on the uptake so you'll need to be as explicit as possible."

Katie laughed and brought her hands to his cheeks, holding him still while she brushed his lips with hers and said, "Let's just say movies aren't the only things I hide in my underwear drawer."

He moaned his approval as she kissed him again, her tongue delving in to his mouth this time. He let her explore, gently welcoming her tongue with is own while his hand made its own exploration. 

He tugged the top of her tank top down allowing one hard nipple to pop free. His fingers circled it, making it pucker even more before he gently squeezed it between his thumb and forefinger. She inhaled sharply as he pinched it again, harder this time and pulling on it just a bit. 

"Mmm, Mike wait." he paused mid pinch and looked down at her. She took a moment to gather her words. "It's just...oh ..." she trailed off as he rolled it between his fingers. Reaching up she grabbed his hand and held it still for a moment so she could speak. "There's more room on my bed, we should move into my room." 

"Absolutely." He was up in a flash with her in his arms, protesting, as he made his way down the hall. "Is this it? He nudged open a door with his foot and saw a bed.

"Yes, and you can put me down. You don't make me so weak in the knees that I can't walk under my own power."

"Is that a challenge? No, don't answer that, I prefer to just assume it was a challenge and proceed accordingly." 

"Can you proceed a little faster? And maybe with less talking? I told you, it's been a long frustrating week."

"Oh, is that how it is? You're gonna rush me?" He tossed her on the bed and started pulling her pants off by the ankles. She laughed and kicked, pushing her underwear down with her pants then knelt on the edge of the bed, reaching up to pull his shirt over his head. She removed her own shirt as he shucked his jeans and boxers. 

"Fine," he said, picking up his jeans and retrieving a condom from the pocket, putting it on while Katie scooted backwards to lie against her pillows. "We'll do it your way this time, but the next round I'm gonna take my sweet time with you." He crawled onto the bed over her, holding himself up off her body as he leaned down and placed gentle kisses along her jaw, pausing at her ear to whisper, "I promise, you'll be begging for it by the time I give in." 

A thrill of arousal shot through her and Katie swallowed hard and took a deep breath to try to cover the startling effect his words had on her. "We'll see," she said, smiling with more confidence than she felt. "I have a bad habit of getting my way when I really want something."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, pulling his body down against hers. His belly was hot to the touch and she could feel the hard length of him pressing along her wet crease. Instinctively she slid herself against him eliciting a low moan in response. She did it again and he muttered something unintelligible against her neck as he pressed his hips tight against her. She turned to look at him with the intention of asking him what he said but when she saw the intense look of hunger on his face the words died on her lips. 

They locked eyes as he slowly drew his hips back, sliding down her sensitive folds and resting heavily just at her opening. Her eyelids fluttered but she didn't look away as he pressed into her, slowly filling her. She slid her hands from his shoulders down his sides and gripped his hips, pulling him down tight against her and drawing him into herself. His upper body collapsed against her and he pressed her into the bed, taking her mouth in a deep kiss as he thrust into her. 

They swallowed each other's moans as he bottomed out inside her. His hands curled up around her shoulders and pulled her down to him as he thrust again and again, loving the way her little grunts of satisfaction increased in volume each time. 

Katie was lost the second their bodies were joined. Vaguely through the haze of intense sensation part of her brain registered the thought that she'd had no idea it could be like this. She'd had plenty of sex- plenty for her needs, anyway. And some of it she'd even thought at the time was good, but after this the bar would have to be reset. 

In the past her sexual encounters had been...well, the best word for it was clinical. It was a means to an end. She knew how to use a man's body to get herself off and as long as he got off too she considered it an even trade.

But this was far beyond just having an orgasm; every touch, every moan, every murmur of encouragement was an end in itself. Her brain switched off, yielding complete control to her body which moved in wordless accord with his, instinctively seeking to pleasure and be pleasured, both of them fully caught up in the immediacy of the moment while driving blindly toward the inevitable conclusion.

When that conclusion finally hit it took her completely by surprise, an avalanche of ecstasy snatching her up and carrying her away, burying her so deep that she no longer knew where she was or which way was up. From far off she could hear Mike's ragged breathing in her ear, his increasingly frantic moans, and knew he was caught up with her. Her pleasure crested once again and she cried out his name, clinging to him tightly as if fearing he would be torn away from her. 

Then his mouth found hers again and the fear dissipated, leaving the aftershocks and tremors of intense pleasure in its wake. Her hands trembled as they came up to hold his face, her fingers twining themselves in his hair. The kiss gentled as they came floating back down to earth, eventually softening to light brushes of his lips against her mouth, cheeks, and eyelids. 

After several long minutes Katie opened her eyes to see his blue eyes fixed intently on her. She opened her mouth to say something, but the only thing that came out was a noise somewhere between a nervous laugh and a sob. 

"You okay?" he whispered, sweeping a thumb across her bottom lip.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and gave him a tentative smile. He shifted his weight so he was lying next to her and she curled into him, burying her head in his neck. His hand lazily stroked her spine as she breathed deeply of his scent, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She desperately wanted to know whether he'd been as affected as she was, but didn't know how to find out.

"Katie?"

"Hm?"

"I was just checking to see if you were asleep."

Something in his voice caused her to look up into his eyes and the concern she saw there gave her the courage to just ask. "Is it always like that for you? That...intense?"

"No, it is definitely not always like that. Or ever like that, really. That was something else."

The relief she felt made her suddenly giddy and she couldn't help giggling. Then once she started she couldn't seem to stop. Mike's eyebrow lifted and the concern in his eyes melted into amusement. 

"Lord help me," he muttered to the ceiling. "I've just had the most incredible sex of my life and she's laughing at me."

That just set her off again, laughing hard enough to bring tears to her eyes as shook her head. "No," she gasped, trying and failing, to stifle her mirth long enough to speak. "I'm not. Oh my gosh," she said, taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes with the corner of the sheet. "Sorry, I don't know what that was all about; must be the adrenaline. I'm not laughing at you, I promise."

"I know," he chuckled. 

"Was it really?" she asked, propping herself up on one elbow and grinning down at him. "The most incredible sex of your life?"

"By far," he said, pushing her hair back from her face and trailing one finger down her jaw. 

"Me too."

He smiled and pulled her down for another kiss that left them both breathless by the time it was over. "I'll be right back," he murmured against her lips. 

He sat up on the edge of the bed and Katie gasped at the sight of his back crisscrossed with fine red lines. "Holy shit, tell me I didn't do that to you," she said, tentatively touching the broken skin.

Mike laughed and looked back at her. "Sweetheart, if it wasn't you I don't think you'd want me to tell you that either." She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, "Don't even think about apologizing, I loved every second of it."

She grinned as she watched him walk away, admiring the tight roundness of his ass until it disappeared into the bathroom, then rolled onto her back feeling languorous and sleepy. The fresh sheets she put on her bed earlier that evening were calling her name so she climbed between them and snuggled in. Just as she started to doze off she felt the mattress shift and opened her eyes to see him sitting on the edge of the bed with his jeans in his hand, looking down at her uncertainly. 

"Are you going?" she asked, surprised.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Her hand found his and tugged the jeans out of it, dropping them on the floor.

"You did promise me round two."

"Yeah, you look like you're up for round two," he said, grinning as he tucked himself in next to her and pulled her close. "You were snoring when I got back from the bathroom."




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 03



"You should let me put some antiseptic on your back," she said with a yawn.

"It can wait." 

"Sarah's never gonna let me hear the end of this."

His chest shook in a silent laugh. "Go to sleep, sweetheart."

...

Katie woke from a light sleep and jumped when she realized there was someone in bed with her, a hard chest pressed up against her back. Weak blue early morning light filtered through the open window of her bedroom and she smiled when she recognized the sleepy voice.

"Relax, it's just me," he said, his voice muffled by her hair as he kissed the back of her neck. His hand was lightly stroking her belly and the hardness pressing against the back of her thigh made it apparent that he was ready for round two. "God, I thought you'd never wake up."

"You're insane. What is it, like four in the morning?"

"Something like that," he said, his hand drifting lower to tease the curls at the apex of her thighs. "You know what they say, though. The early bird gets the worm." 

"Hold on. In this scenario, which one of us is the bird and which one is the worm?"

He moved his hips against her, pressing his now fully erect cock along her ass crack, drawing a sharp intake of breath from her. "I would think it was pretty obvious who the worm is here," he said with a chuckle. "Though now that I think about it maybe that's not the most flattering analogy."

Katie groaned in protest when he dragged his hand up her belly to lazily circle one breast. She parted her legs and tried to roll around to face him, but he tightened his arm around her and held her still. He propped his head on one hand and looked down at her, meeting her glare with a grin.

"It's my turn, now. Do you remember what I promised?"

"No," she said, the hint of a smile touching her lips telling him she was lying.

He bent his head and nipped gently at her jaw before taking her earlobe in his mouth and sucking on it. "Are you sure? I think you probably do," he said quietly, his breath tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine.

"Maybe."

"What was it?" His hand was back to circling her breast and she felt goosebumps pop up all over her body.

"Something about you giving in?"

The deep rumble of his laugh sent more vibrations through her and his thumb swept gently over the tip of her nipple, barely grazing it before moving across to her other breast and taking up the same frustrating path just outside of where she wanted it to be. Katie couldn't hold back a whimper and put one hand on his arm trying to guide his hand back to her aching peak, but he held strong.

"You left out the most important part," he said as he squeezed the flesh of her breast gently. "Come on, I want to hear you say it." 

"You promised I'd be begging for it by the time you gave in," she said, her voice slightly breathless.

"I always keep my promises." He finally closed in on her nipple, rolling it between his fingers as he sucked and nibbled his way down her neck. 

Katie moaned and pressed her hips back against him feeling flushed and hot all over; his slow teasing both frustrating and intensely arousing. Part of her wondered at how he could make her entire body tingle with what seemed like such a small touch, but a bigger part of her just wanted more. 

He finally moved away and let her roll onto her back, but dodged her arms when she tried to pull him down on top of her. He put a knee on either side of hers to hold her legs closed, another move that surprised her, and leaned down to take one nipple into his mouth. She grabbed his head and arched her body up to meet his, moaning loudly as he sucked her deep inside. His let his teeth graze the taut peak as he pulled back, sending a jolt of sensation through her and then he was on to the other side to give it the same treatment. 

"Mike, you're driving me crazy," she whispered, gritting her teeth to keep herself from begging him for more. Surely she had more willpower than that? They'd only been at this for a few minutes and she was already crumbling.

"That's the plan, sweetheart," he murmured as he kissed his way down her belly.

The soft weight of his erection dragged along her leg as he scooted his way down her body and the feel of it made her groan and grab at his biceps, pulling him back up to face her. To her surprise he let her, but the triumph she felt at him giving in was touched with disappointment that it was so easy. 

He held his body up above her while his lips came down on hers, his tongue pressing inside her mouth in a searing kiss that left her gasping for air. She tried to wrap her legs around his hips, but he smiled against her mouth and pulled away. 

"I don't think so," he said with a dark look that made her belly flutter inside.

Before she knew what was happening he had her legs apart and he was kneeling between them trailing wet kisses up the inside of one thigh. Katie held her breath as he approached her aching center and exhaled in a disappointed gust when he started over again on her other leg. She lifted her hips as he came close this time, trying to bring herself to him, but he threw one arm across her hips to hold her still as he placed fluttering kisses and gentle nibbles around her outer lips and pubic bone. 

"Mike..." she gasped desperately.

"What is it baby? What do you want?"

She bit her lip, unsure of how to ask for what she needed. "Lick me," she finally whispered.

Mike dragged his tongue from her tight curls up to her belly button and then looked up at her with an evil grin. 

"Oh, fuck you," she said with a laugh. 

"What? That's not what you meant?" His smile faded and he pushed her legs further apart with his free hand, repositioning himself. "Tell me what you want, Katie."

Her head fell back and she closed her eyes. "I want," she paused a moment before she finally decided what to say. "I want your tongue inside me."

The next second she cried out as he plunged his tongue deep inside her, pressing his mouth tight against her wet flesh, sucking gently as he stroked in and out. Katie's head was spinning, the sensations assaulting and overwhelming her with their intensity, but still she needed more. 

"I want you to suck on my clit- oh fuck!" she cursed as he complied, sucking the sensitive bundle of nerves into his mouth and flicking it mercilessly with the tip of his tongue. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps and she couldn't speak anymore, but she didn't need to. 

Without being asked he slid two fingers inside her as he sucked, her hands fisting the sheets as she writhed under him, trying to buck against the arm holding her down. Then his teeth clamped down gently on her tender flesh and her entire body felt like it was imploding until all that was left was the spot where his mouth was drawing out her pleasure like venom from a snakebite. 

Her eyes were still closed when she felt his lips on hers again, the taste of her arousal sharp on his tongue. She slid her hands up his arms and pulled on his shoulders wanting to feel his body pressing against her, crushing her with its weight, but still he resisted. His hand slipped between her legs again, the touch on her sensitive flesh startling her.

"Come for me again," he whispered against her lips as his finger slowly circled her clit without touching it.

"Mike," she whispered, pulling harder on his shoulders. 

"Come for me again," he demanded, unmoving except for that one finger still teasing her mercilessly.

Katie knew she couldn't hold out much longer; the faster his finger went the faster her control crumbled. Another climax was looming on the horizon like a tidal wave, coming on ominously slow. As the first waves of pleasure hit, the words tumbled out of her mouth, "Please, I'm begging. Fuck me, Mike please."

His only response was a low rumbling groan, but his finger closed in on its target, pressing firmly against her clit and setting off fireworks behind her eyes as the wave crested. A split second later he thrust deep inside her, lifting her even higher as he entered her in one hard stroke. 

Something brushed her lips and they parted, sucking his fingers inside. Her eyes flew open to meet his gaze as she tasted herself again and she watched the satisfied smile creep across his face. Something about that smile sent a thrill of excitement through her; the way he looked at her like she was giving him exactly what he wanted. She sucked hard on his fingers, sliding her tongue between and along them and was rewarded with another hard thrust.

He replaced his fingers with his mouth, kissing her deeply and fisting her hair in his hands as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Once more she clutched desperately at his shoulders and finally he collapsed into her, burying his head against her neck as he thrust into her over and over. Katie turned her head and pressed her lips against his ear, murmuring his name and telling him how good he felt inside her, completely oblivious of the words coming out of her mouth.

She couldn't tell if she had another orgasm or if it was the same one that never quite ended, but when her body started trembling again he sped up, his thrusts becoming erratic as he neared his own climax. They came together, their cries mingling in the still room before fading away to leave only hoarse, ragged breathing. 

Mike rolled to the side and they lay panting for several long minutes while he stroked her hair. "I'll be right back," he said, getting up to head to the bathroom. 

"Whoa, you're like a condom ninja. I never even saw you put that on."

"Oh, I like that. Mike Cooper: Condom Ninja. I'm gonna have some business cards printed up."

Katie giggled and rolled onto her back, pulling the covers back up over herself against the morning chill. The light in her room was growing brighter and she considered getting up, but when she felt Mike climb in and wrap his warm arms around her a pleasant haze descended and she drifted back to sleep with a smile on her face.

The next time she woke she was alone in the bed, but she knew Mike was still there because she could hear the shower running. She smiled as she stretched her body, enjoying the pleasant soreness in her legs and remembering the things they'd done to make them that way. She rolled to the side and was just settling into the spot on the pillow that smelled like him when she was startled by a loud banging at the door.

She jumped up and grabbed the first article of clothing she could find, which happened to be Mike's t-shirt, and threw it on before running to the door and peeking to see who it was. "Shit," she said under her breath. She began unlocking the door, knowing there was no getting around it.

"Dude, what are you doing? I've been knocking forever. Did you forget we were supposed to do laundry this morning?" Sarah asked as Katie pulled the door open.

"Actually I did. I'm sorry, I overslept."

"I'll say," Sarah said, bustling in with a large basket full of dirty clothes. "You never sleep this late, what did you get into last night?"

"Um..." Katie wasn't sure how to answer, but fortunately didn't have to because Sarah finally stopped long enough to look at her; taking in the men's t-shirt, rumpled hair, swollen lips and general evidence of having been fucked.

"Oh shit, you got some!" she giggled gleefully, grinning like a fool before gasping and clapping her hand over her mouth. "Is he still here? Should I go?"

Again Katie was saved from answering, this time by Mike walking out of her bedroom in only his jeans, drying his hair with a towel.

"Hey Katie, did you take my shirt? Oh shit," he froze when he looked up. "Hi Sarah." 

Katie had the brief thought that it was worth any embarrassment she might feel to see Sarah struck speechless. Her jaw dropped and she turned and pointed at Katie, silent for a good thirty seconds before she finally spoke. "I knew it! I knew you were acting weird on the way home. Oh my god, I have to tell Caleb," she said, reaching in her back pocket for her phone.

"Why don't you call him from the road," Katie said, ushering her toward the door. "I'm gonna take a rain check on laundry."

"Fine, but you better call me later," she insisted, walking backwards out the door with her phone already up to her ear. She turned and started walking down the hall and as Katie closed the door behind her they heard her saying, "Oh my god Babe, guess what I just walked in on..."

Katie leaned back against the door and stared at Mike for a second before she burst into nervous laughter. "I guess our secret's out, huh?"

"Looks like it. You okay with that?" he asked as he walked toward her.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it," she thought, mildly surprised that it was the truth. Not only did she not mind their friends knowing they had hooked up, the idea of it made her feel kind of...proud. Or something. 

He looked down at her with one eyebrow cocked. "What are you grinning about?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I was just thinking...thank god for kittens." He snorted and rolled his eyes as she lifted up on her toes and kissed him. 



Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 04



I added to the end of Chapter 3, so if you haven't read the extended version you might want to do so before you read Chapter 4. It's not critical to the story, so not totally necessary, but it's fun. ;) You can thank my fabulous friendly neighborhood editor for the addition, I have. 

...

Mike pulled into the hospital parking lot just in time. It had been a long shitty day and he was irritable and exhausted. After being called in early that morning to help deal with an emergency he'd just barely gotten off duty with enough time to pick Katie up. He hadn't even had time to change and felt a little awkward showing up in his uniform, but her car was broken down and she was expecting him to give her a ride home so he didn't want to be late.

He parked his truck and was walking toward the entrance when he saw Katie walking out of the door with a tall, well-dressed man, laughing at something he'd just said. Mike couldn't help but smile at the sound of her laugh, but when he saw the smug, almost proprietary way the man was looking at her his smile faded. 

Though they'd never discussed whether they were seeing other people, he'd assumed that after dating for a little over a month she would have mentioned it by now if she had been. But when he saw the man reach out and put his hand on her back, guiding her toward the parking lot as they walked, he suddenly felt unsure.

Katie stepped away from the man almost immediately and when she looked around and saw him coming the way her face lit up pushed Mike's concerns aside. She was obviously glad to see him and clearly wasn't worried about letting this guy know it the way she moved toward him, leaving the man looking annoyed at her back. He smiled and waved back as they approached each other.

"Hey! You made it. I didn't think you would after your last message. I was about to call and tell you to just come to my place."

"Hi sweetheart," he said, bending to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek before glancing up and giving the man with her a quick nod to acknowledge his presence. "I wasn't sure I'd make it either, but I got off just in time."

Katie turned, gesturing at the man behind her and said, "This is Dr. Bernsen- or rather Ben, as he was just reminding me to call him. Ben, this is Mike Cooper." 

"Nice to meet you, Ben," Mike said, extending his hand. The other man took it firmly and they met each other's eyes, understanding passing between them with a look. Mike couldn't help tightening his grip just a bit.

"Likewise," Ben said, covering his wince with a subtle, but contemptuous sneer. 

"Ben was nice enough to offer me a ride home, but it looks like he's off the hook."

"Not at all, I'm at your service anytime. You've got my number," he said, with a quick glance at Mike. "If you ever need a ride don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks Ben," she called after him as he strode off toward the reserved parking. They turned and walked in the other direction and even though he knew the man probably wasn't watching, Mike couldn't help pulling Katie close against him with an arm around her shoulders just in case. She reached over and flicked one of his buttons, grinning up at him.

"What?" he asked, giving her a suspicious look.

"I've never seen you in the uniform before. I like it."

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as they approached his truck. "Do you?"

"I really do. I might have to come speeding through Knoxville just so you can pull me over."

Mike rolled his eyes and dropped his arm from her shoulders to retrieve his keys from his pocket. "Come on, now. There's no need to make fun."

"I'm not making fun," she said, laughing and turning toward him. "Okay, maybe I am just a little bit, but you do look good. Really, really good." She smoothed her palms up the black fabric covering his chest and took his collar in her hands, pulling him close for a kiss as she leaned back against the door of his truck.

Mike relaxed a little bit more, leaning into her as she wrapped her arms up around his shoulders. "Now that's the kind of hello I like."

"Speaking of hellos can I ask you something?"

"Mmhm," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"I was just wondering if you were... or well, really I wanted to know if we... oh that feels..." She shivered in his arms and pushed gently against his chest, saying," Can you stop for just a second? I can't think when your tongue is in my ear."

Mike grinned and pulled away, looking down at her. "Sorry. What were you trying to say?" 

"Are you...um...seeing anyone else?"

"What? Why?" His mind immediately went back to its earlier train of thought and he must have had an alarming look on his face because she suddenly looked worried.

"I'm not trying to pressure you or anything, it's okay if you are, or well, I guess I'd want to talk about it. But I'm only asking because I'm pretty sure Ben was trying to ask me out and-"

Mike stepped back and dropped his hands from where they were resting on her hips. 

"No! God this is coming out all wrong," she said, covering her face with her hands. "Never mind, can we just forget it and pretend I never said anything? Just go back to that tongue in my ear thing."

Mike reached out and pulled her hands down so he could look her in the eye. "Look, whatever you want to say, just spit it out," he said, resigned. 

"All I'm trying to say is that I didn't know how to introduce you. I kind of wanted to tell him you were my boyfriend, you know to send him a clear signal. But we'd never really talked about...what the deal is between us and I wasn't sure if it would be okay with you."

He stared at her a moment before breaking into a wide grin and laughing in relief. "Is that all? Good grief, woman, you actually had me worried there for a minute. Of course that's okay with me. I mean, to be honest I kind of already think of you as...you know." He shrugged, feeling uncharacteristically awkward.

"No, I don't know. Tell me," she said, the beginnings of a smile touching the corners of her mouth.

He leaned close brushing his lips gently against hers and decided to just go for it. "You're my girl." He looked in her eyes and could see the mixture of emotions there. She was still smiling, so that was a good thing, but there was also amusement and a touch of hesitation. He lifted his eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that funny?"

"No, it's sweet. In a cave-manish kind of way. I guess I'm alright with being your girl."

"You guess it's alright? Nice," he smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess it's alright," she said with a giggle. "If it'll make you feel better I'll make it official by having t-shirts printed up. That way it'll be clear to Ben next time I see him."

"Fuck that, let's go find him right now. I'll set him straight myself," Mike said looking around the parking lot.

Katie giggled, then got a speculative look on her face. "Wait a minute, what were you worried about? What on earth did you think I was going to say? That I appreciate you driving all the way down here, but I had a better offer for the evening?"

He gave her a sheepish grin and mumbled, "Well, when you say it like that it sounds stupid." 

"You know, you're pretty cute when you're jealous," she teased, bringing one hand up to play with the curls at the back of his head. 

"Shut up, I'm not jealous," his muffled voice sounded from her neck.

"Yes you are," Katie laughed and Mike lifted his head to look at her.

"Damn right I am. I didn't like the way he was looking at you."

"That's just the scrubs; they make any woman look glamorous."

"I also didn't like the way he told you to call him any time for a ride," he said, making a joke out of it by grinding his hips against her suggestively.

"Well, he didn't exactly say it that way," she said, slapping him playfully on the chest.

"I heard definite sexual overtones."

"You hear definite sexual overtones in everything. Just because you have the mental maturity of a fourteen year old boy doesn't mean everyone else does."

"You're not doing a very good job of talking me out of being jealous."

Katie met his eye and dropped the teasing tone. "You don't have anything to worry about. I'm not interested in that self-absorbed prick." 

"That's much better."

"Besides, I happen to have a thing for guys who understand the beauty of a well-placed 'that's what she said.'"

"I practically invented that joke."

"And did I mention how hot you look in this uniform?" 

"You did, but feel free to say it again," he said leaning closer.

"I'd rather find something else to do with my mouth," she said, looking up at him with a coy smile.

"Mm," he rumbled as he pressed his lips to hers. "That can be arranged."

On the drive back to her place Mike felt his foul mood settle back on him again. He knew he should be over the moon that she'd made any kind of move toward a serious relationship with him. He'd been waiting on her to give him some kind of sign, trying not to push her or move too fast. And now to his surprise she'd been the one to bring it up, even if she'd twisted things around so it seemed like he was the one who was asking for it. 

Whatever the case, it was settled now and he was happy about it, but couldn't seem to shake the stress of his day. It wasn't like him and he tried to just keep his mouth shut so his attitude wouldn't affect Katie, but of course she noticed.

"You're being awful quiet, what's up? Do I need to do more talking you out of being jealous?"

He gave her a quick smile and shook his head. She was quiet for a minute, but he could feel her looking at him before saying hesitantly, "Are you having second thoughts about the whole making-it-official thing?"

"No," he said, looking at her in surprise. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "Not at all," he said forcefully, wanting to reassure her. "I just had a tough day at work; it has nothing to do with you, sweetheart. I'm sorry to be a downer."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He exhaled heavily and thought about it for a moment before replying, "Not really."

"Alright. Well, will you let me cook you dinner tonight?"

He raised an eyebrow at that. "You can cook?"

"You sound surprised."

"Can you blame me? The only food I've ever seen in your house is fully prepared before it arrives."

"That's not true!" She grinned and added, "I add milk to my own cereal. But I can cook, I just choose not to most of the time. I got stuff to make you pasta because I felt bad about you having to drive all way down here again. I know it was my turn to drive up to Knoxville, but my damn car is being a piece of shit again."

"I would love for you to make me dinner. And while you do that I'll have a look under your hood to see if there's anything I can do."

"You can pop my hood any time," she said wiggling her eyebrows at him, but once again he gave her a brief smile to acknowledge her joke and didn't play along. "Wow, you really must have had a rough day if you could stand to let that one go."

He squeezed her hand as they pulled into her apartment complex and took a deep breath trying to relax. "Sorry. You totally lobbed it up and I didn't spike it."

"It's alright. Let's get you inside and get some dinner in you. Maybe that will make you feel better."

An hour later Katie was serving him up a plate full of salad and pasta with jarred tomato sauce while he scrubbed the grease out from under his fingernails. "So it's an easy fix then?" she asked as she set the plates on the coffee table.

"Yeah, it just needs a hose replaced. I'll run to AutoZone in the morning and get you fixed up. I'll go ahead and do a general tune up too, since it looks like it needs it. Oil change, sparkplugs, filters, all that shit."

Katie stared at him with an odd expression on her face.

"What?" he said around a mouthful of food. 

"Nothing, I just...isn't that a lot of work? I could just bring it to a mechanic."

"Why? They'll charge you five times what it would cost for me to do it and probably do a half-assed job."

"I hate for you to do all that work on your day off. Why don't you just make a list and I'll bring it to someone."

Mike scoffed at that and took another bite of salad. "It's really not a big deal, it won't take long."

"But-"

"Katie, as your official boyfriend I insist you let me fix your car. Now stop arguing with me and just say thank you," he said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

She was quiet for a few moments before finally saying, "Thank you. I'm sorry, I'm not used to having someone do things like that for me without some kind of payment."

His expression softened and he looked at her pushing her food around on her plate. "Hey," he said and waited for her to look up at him. "You might as well get used to it. I like doing things for you."

He was rewarded with a shy smile and a little giggle. "Alright, I suppose I'll let you fix my car, since you're insisting."

"Suddenly I feel like I should be thanking you."

"Save the thanks for after I pay you back," she said with a grin, trailing her gaze down his body. 

"That sounds promising," he said, making himself return her smile to cover for the fact that he wasn't feeling very receptive to her advances at the moment.

When they were finished he tried to help Katie clean up, but she sent him off to have a shower while she took care of the mess. He went gratefully, more than ready to rinse the day off. After washing his hair and body he stood under the hot spray with his eyes closed, letting the water relax his tense muscles. He didn't even hear the door open so he jumped when he felt Katie's naked skin pressing against his back and her hands rest on his hips.

"Sweetheart-"

"Shh, as your official girlfriend I insist you let me help you relax," she said as one hand slid down and around and wrapped around the base of his dick, squeezing gently before stroking the length of it. 

He couldn't help but chuckle at her using his own words against him and damn it, it did feel good and he didn't really want her to stop. He felt himself growing hard in her hand and she added another, creating a warm wet vise around his rapidly growing erection. She kissed and nibbled on his shoulder and as much of his neck as she could reach as she stroked him until he couldn't hold back his moans of pleasure.

"Turn around," she whispered.

He turned and reached for her, wanting to pull her close for a kiss, but she dropped to her knees in front of him and began licking the water off his firm shaft. All he could do was groan and let his head fall back against the shower wall as the sensations washed over him. Her hands were sliding around on his hips, tracing the lines of his muscles and scraping his skin gently with her fingernails while her mouth was doing amazing things to his cock. All of it added up to his mind going completely and blessedly blank for several long moments until she took him in his mouth and sucked hard.

"Fuck," he grunted, his hips moving involuntarily, pushing himself further into her mouth. She took him without complaint, sliding her lips further down as her tongue teased the underside of him. He looked down to watch her and the sight of her lips wrapped around his dick made him even harder. The pressure started to build in his belly and had the presence of mind to pull back before he lost control completely. 

"Get up," he said hoarsely as he reached down and took her hands, pulling her to a standing position.

"But I want to finish," she said pushing the wet strands of black hair out of her face.

"I want this," he murmered as he slid his hand between her legs, one finger slipping inside to tease her. When her eyes drifted closed and her mouth fell open he lowered his head to hers and kissed her, the water still cascading around them filling the small shower stall with steam and making him lightheaded. He pressed his finger deeper inside her to be sure she was ready for him, which she very clearly was. "Feels like you want it, too. Do you? Do you want me inside you?"

She opened her eyes and nodded, too breathless to speak. 

"Turn around and put your hands on the wall." 

She did as he said and he stopped for a moment to run his hands down her slender body. He loved that she was tall enough that he could do this standing up, but still looked so feminine with her slender waist and very slightly flaring hips. 

His hands caressed the rounded globes of her ass and he felt a rush of need; he couldn't wait anymore. He entered her from behind, her cry of satisfaction egging him on. His hands reached around her to find her aching nipples and he felt her inner muscles clench him tightly as he pinched and pulled them.

"Oh shit, Mike. Harder, do it harder."

He wasn't sure if she meant she wanted him to pinch harder or fuck her harder so he did both and that seemed to do the trick. Her loud cries echoed in the small space and she dropped her head and arched her back, thrusting her hips back against him. 

The urge to slap her ass overwhelmed him and he even lifted his hand to do it, but he held back at the last second, unsure how she would react. After that first night they were together he'd been careful about getting rough with her. She seemed to like it when he was a aggressive, which was more than fine with him, but he was hesitant about being physically rough for fear of setting off another panic attack so he tried to let her set the pace in that area. 

He lowered his hand instead and slid it around her hip to massage her swollen clit. As he began flicking it her legs started shaking and he knew she was right on the edge. He pinched the little nub between two fingers and she screamed his name as her hot wet flesh tightened around his dick.

Watching her come was always an amazing sight. It was probably the only time he ever saw her completely give up control of herself, and even then it was almost reluctant. As if he was tearing her control away by force, but she always seemed to enjoy it. Her face would flush pink and her eyes would squeeze shut. Sometimes she'd bite her bottom lip, which was so sexy he almost lost control every time she did it. 

This time he couldn't see her face, but her hands clawed at the slippery tiles on the wall and her hair lay in wet strands plastered to her back and shoulders. Her legs gave out and he caught her, one arm pulling her up against his chest without slipping from her warm, wet grip.

She moaned and wiggled against him when he braced on arm across her hips and pushed deep into her from this new angle. He sucked the water droplets off her shoulder and nipped at her neck, loving the deep, guttural noises she was making as his cock found that sensitive spot inside and pressed relentlessly against it. 

Her hand came up and clasped the back of his head, pulling his hair and pressing his face into her neck as he sucked hard enough to leave a mark. He smiled thinking of how she'd rip into him later for that.

"It's too much," she panted, shaking her head.

"Come on baby, one more time," he whispered in her ear. "Let go, I've got you."

He pressed one hand firmly into the soft spot just above her pubic bone as he thrust into her tightly, hardly pulling out before plunging back in again. Katie started trembling in his arms making a desperate moaning noise, and then her whole body tensed and her inner muscles clamped down on his cock so hard he cried out. 

It felt so good it was all he could do not to come inside her right then, but he gritted his teeth and continued to thrust until her keening wail faded away and her head fell back limply on his shoulder. A few more strokes and he pulled out and watched himself come all over her, the white pearly liquid looking impossibly sexy against her ass and back until the shower spray rinsed it slowly away. 




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 04



They stood there for a long quiet moment, Katie's head still resting against his shoulder as he held her from behind and placed tender kisses along her neck and jaw. 

"I came in here to help you relax and I'm the one that got turned into jelly," she murmured, a slow, sexy smile spreading across her face.

He chuckled and turned her around to face him so he could kiss her again, her lips so soft and pliant on his that his brief kiss turned into a long, deep one. "Don't worry," he said against her lips. "That was exactly what I needed." 

Once they were dry they settled on the couch in their pajamas. Katie sipped on a glass of white wine while Mike flipped through the channels unsuccessfully looking for something to watch. After finding only cop drama reruns and a Chuck Norris movie he sighed and turned the television off.

"Come here," Katie said, tugging his shirt and pulling him down so his cheek rested on her thigh. He wrapped one arm behind her and closed his eyes as she ran her fingers through his damp hair.

"I'm sorry I've been so pissy tonight."

Katie snorted. "Pissy? You offered to fix my car and then fucked me senseless in the shower. If this is pissy I want to see what you do when you're angry."

"No you don't. I don't get angry often, but if I'm at that point it's best if no one is around to see what I do." He chuckled and tightened his arm around her. "Anyway, I feel pissy even if I'm not acting that way. But you're making me feel better."

"Do you want to tell me what happened today?"

His first instinct was to say no, but before he really had time to think about it he found himself talking. "I got called in early this morning to help with a hostage situation. This man had holed himself up in his house with his family, and we knew he had a gun because neighbors reported hearing shots. SWAT had already gone in by the time I made it there and right as I got out of the car two of them ran out carrying people. One of them ran right up to me and pushed this young girl into my arms. I didn't even have time to think I just ran to the ambulance because she was covered in blood and I couldn't tell if it was hers or someone else's. She didn't answer me when I asked her if she was hurt."

He took a deep breath and focused on the feeling of Katie's fingers running through his hair. "She just kept saying, 'it's all my fault, he killed her' over and over. I didn't know what she was talking about, but I tried to tell her it wasn't her fault and that everything was going to be alright. The paramedics took her from me and left for the hospital and I was just standing there in the street wondering what the fuck had just happened."

"Once we got back to the station I found the detective in charge and told him what the girl had said to me, just in case it was important. And he told me...he told me that according to what they could get from the mother the man had been abusing their daughter. Raping her. She didn't know exactly how long it had been going on, but she'd finally told her mother about it and when she confronted the man everything blew up. Eventually he tried to shoot them both and then shot himself in the head."

"I'm glad he's dead the sick fuck, good riddance. His own daughter, and she couldn't have been more than fifteen. If I'd known...well I don't know what more I could have said to help her, but I still felt like I should have done more."

After a minute Mike realized that Katie's hand had stopped moving in his hair. He opened his eyes and saw that her face had gone as white as a sheet and she was staring off into space. 

"Katie, are you alright?" he asked, sitting up. "Shit, you didn't need to hear all that. I'm sorry." He smoothed the back of her hair with his hand, willing her to look at him. God, he could be such a fucking idiot sometimes. 

"No, it's- I'm okay," she said, snapping out of her trance and making eye contact with him. "Is she alright? The girl, is she going to be alright?"

"Yeah, he got her in the shoulder, it went right through. Her mom was in surgery last I heard, but they thought she was going to be fine."

"That's good. I'm glad they're alright. That was really brave. Of both of them." 

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I wasn't thinking-"

"Don't. Please, don't apologize. I asked you to tell me, I wanted to hear about it." She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something else and then closed it and stared at him for a moment before heaving a sigh and giving him a wry smile. "Come on, stop looking at me like that. I promise I'm not going to start swinging again."

He smiled back, but just barely. 

"Don't make me bring up cutting off your dick again to remind you how crazy I'm not."

His smile grew and he snickered at her. "I thought I explained to you that castration jokes are only funny up to a certain point. We are way past that point, sweetheart."

"Duly noted," she said with a grin. The grin faded and she reached out and took his hand. "Seriously though, Mike. It sounds like you did everything you could for her and said all the right things. She'll be okay."

"You think?" he asked quietly, searching her eyes.

"Yeah, I bet she's stronger than you think." She was quiet for a minute then shook herself and added, "Besides, she still has her mom thanks to you guys."

"That's true," he nodded. Their conversation was interrupted by the buzzing of Katie's phone. 

"It's Sarah," she said, looking at the display. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead. I'm gonna grab another beer." He got up and walked into the kitchen, unsure whether he was feeling better or not. He did feel better about his day, just talking about it and hearing someone tell him he'd done the right thing helped. 

Still, it seemed like he'd missed an opportunity. That was the closest Katie had ever been to talking to him about her past and he wondered if maybe he should have pushed harder. He shook his head and decided to let it ride. She'd talk to him when she was ready, if she was ever ready. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a shrill shriek from the living room. He rushed back in the living room to find Katie jumping up and down, smiling into the phone.

"Oh my god, Sarah! Congratulations. I'm so excited for you guys, that is such great news."

He smiled to himself as he flopped back on the couch, knowing exactly what Sarah was calling about. Caleb had been walking around with a ring in his pocket for a couple of weeks now and apparently he'd finally gotten up the guts to pop the question.

"Of course I will, I would be honored. Literally," Katie giggled at her own joke. "Yeah he's right here," she said, glancing at Mike with a smile on her face. She listened for a second and then said to him, "Caleb says to tell you to stop worrying about him dropping the ring in the toilet, it's safely on her finger now."

He laughed and said, "Tell them congrats for me. And give Sarah my condolences."

Katie laughed and passed along the message, talking for a few more minutes before saying goodbye. "So you knew it was coming?"

"Yeah we've been teasing Caleb about it for a while. Sorry I didn't tell you, he threatened me with death."

"That's alright. Sarah wants me to be her maid of honor and they're having an engagement party in a month so I guess I'm gonna be a busy little bee for a while."

Mike took her hands and pulled her down to sit on his lap. "As long as you still have a little time here and there for your official boyfriend, that's fine with me. Sarah couldn't have a better person for the job, it's going to be the most organized wedding in the history of marriage," he teased her.

"Shut up and take me to Office Depot so I can get some color coded folders and start planning."

"Mm," he said, nuzzling her neck. "How about we save that for another time. Right now I demand advance payment on your car repairs."

Katie laughed and squirmed around in his lap so she was facing him. "I thought I already paid you in the shower."

"Like any good mechanic I reserve the right to raise my prices at any time for no reason whatsoever."

"I hope I can afford what you're charging."

"I'll set up an installment plan for you," he said, then cut off any further joking with a kiss. 

...

Katie lay in bed a while later unable to sleep. She watched Mike's chest rhythmically rising and falling and tried to remember when she'd let herself start trusting him. It was comforting, in a way, to feel like she could rely on him; that if she ever needed him he would probably be there for her. But it was scary too because relying on him meant he had the ability to let her down. 

Mike rolled toward her and threw an arm across her waist, settling against her side. His warm breath drifted across her cheek and she smiled at how relaxed and innocent he appeared. 

He really did look like a little boy sometimes; it would have been disconcerting if it didn't fit so well with his personality. Like a child, his is optimism was endless, though somehow he didn't come off as naïve. Maybe it was the gun. She giggled to herself at that thought, then quickly sobered.

Sometimes she felt like a fraud with him; like she was playing the part of the normal, happy girlfriend only until he figured out who she really was. She'd damn near told him everything tonight, but she couldn't help being afraid that if he knew the details about her past he'd never be able to look at her the same. 

And of course old habits die hard. As usual when it came to talking about anything serious with him she went on autopilot and veered off into jokes. It felt like a ticking time bomb and she suspected that was why she hadn't been able to completely open up and let him in. Because deep inside she was sure that it couldn't last; feared that the very act of opening up would be the end of it all.

Other times she thought maybe she really was that normal, happy girl. That he helped her to be that person and she was screwing herself by hanging on so tightly to her past. He did make her happy, she couldn't deny that. Just being around him made her happy and she couldn't think of anyone who'd ever made her laugh the way he did. And there was certainly nothing naïve or childlike about him in bed. A satisfied grin crept across her face and turned to look at him again.

His hair was growing out and there were a couple of errant curls falling across his forehead. The corners of his mouth turned up in a sweet smile, but that didn't fool her. She knew the things he could do with those lips. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down her spine and she turned in his arms, resting her forehead against his warm chest and snuggling in. She determined to stop over-analyzing everything and just enjoy being with him for as long as it lasted.

...

The engagement party had been a huge success. They'd taken over the Spaghetti Warehouse in the Old City and nearly the entire Knoxville Police Department had turned up, all in their dress blues, along with a vanload of Sarah's fellow teachers who'd ridden down together from Norristown. 

There were several empty seats on the van going home and Katie suspected that more than one new relationship had been sparked that night, but most importantly Sarah had been having a blast being the center of attention all night long. It didn't bode well for the inner bridezilla she suspected was lurking inside her friend, but for now she was just happy that Sarah was happy.

Katie waited until the majority of the crowd was gone before she started drinking. By that time it was just the four of them hanging out at the bar. She'd been so busy making sure everything was running smoothly during the dinner portion of the evening that she'd barely eaten anything and at this point she wasn't keeping track of how many glasses of wine she'd tossed back so it didn't take long before she was nicely toasted. 

Caleb and Mike watched with amusement as the two girls got drunk. They seemed to have their own system of communication involving mostly eyebrows and giggles, so it wasn't surprising to either man when they rose together to go to the bathroom without ever speaking.

"You need a ride home, man?" Mike asked Caleb.

"Nah, I'm good. I stopped drinking after dinner. Good thing, Sarah is wasted."

"Katie too. We should probably get them out of here before they raise too much hell."

"I just want to get her home before she's too drunk to fuck."

"Hey now, that's your fiancé you're talking about."

"Shit, I guarantee you she's thinking the exact same thing."

Mike laughed and shook his head at his friend as Sarah sat back down, sliding close to Caleb in the booth and burying her head in his neck, kissing him noisily. Caleb shrugged at Mike as if to say, "I told you so" before turning to kiss Sarah back. 

Mike chuckled again as he slid out of the booth and looked around for Katie, his eyes finding her standing unsteadily at the bar. Her hair was swept up off the back of her neck giving him a tempting target as he walked up behind her and slid his hands around her waist, murmuring in her ear that maybe they should get home. 

"Yes," she said turning and leaning into him, letting him support her weight. "Yes, we should definitely get home and get you out of this sexy outfit."

He grinned and held her tight. "I could say the same for you. You look gorgeous tonight."

The compliment brought a smile to her face, since she didn't dress up often and usually felt slightly out of place when she did. Tonight she'd worn a black dress with a tight-fitting top and a flowy skirt made of some kind of filmy material that fell nearly to her knees. She'd bought it because she liked the way the skirt swished around her legs when she walked, making her feel sexy without being all that revealing.

"If you think this dress looks good," she whispered in his ear. "You should see what I've got on under it." She stepped back and tried to strike a sexy pose, but stumbled into the bar and had to steady herself on a barstool. 

Mike caught her and pulled her tightly to himself. "I can't wait," he murmured. "I'm gonna take you home and take advantage of your drunk ass."

Katie giggled again and clung to his waist as they said goodbye to Caleb and Sarah who were also heading toward the door. Mike steered her toward the parking lot and helped her up into the cab of his truck, waving to Caleb as they pulled out. He climbed in behind the wheel Katie came sliding across the seat toward him.

"You know, you don't have to wait until you get me home. You could take advantage of me right here," she said, tucking something into his hand.

"Well that is a tempting offer, but-" he stopped talking when he looked down to see her black lace thong dangling from his fingers. "Oh, shit."

"Are you sure?" she asked, grinning at his reaction and sliding the skirt of her dress up higher to reveal the lace tops of her thigh high stockings. Mike's eyes were locked on the sight as she lifted her skirt higher to show him that the stockings were clipped to a matching black lace garter belt. "Because I really don't want to wait." 

She dragged one hand slowly up her thigh and opened her legs just enough to slide it between them, just as inflamed by the look on Mike's face as she was by the feel of her fingers slipping into her wet folds. Her legs fell open of their own accord as she stroked herself while he watched, leaning back against the door of the truck so he could get a better look.

His eyes were so dark they looked black in the dim light of the parking lot, but she could hear his ragged breathing and knew he was enjoying the show. She hadn't planned this, but now that she'd started and seen the way he reacted she didn't want to stop. She slid one finger inside her wet depths, gasping at the wicked feel of it as she began stroking in and out at a slow pace.

"Two fingers," he said quietly, his voice an octave lower than normal.

Katie almost came just from hearing the words. She loved it when he did that; told her what he wanted her to do. There was just something about the commanding tone he used that got her so hot, whether she was in the mood to comply or not. Right now she definitely was in a compliant mood and she pressed a second finger inside, moaning loudly. 

The fact that she was in his truck in a public parking lot was completely lost on her at this point, her entire attention was focused on his face and the pleasure she was giving herself. Her hips began to rock in time with her pumping fingers and she could feel the wetness spreading to her thighs.

"Use your other hand. Play with your clit."

A shudder shook her body as she reached down and circled the tight nub with a finger, flicking over it every few seconds. Not too often, it felt too good and she wanted to wait; wanted to hear him to say it first. She just hoped he would say it soon.

"Mike," she moaned a few minutes later, the plea apparent in her voice. His eyes flicked up to her face and one side of his mouth twitched into a sly smile as their eyes locked together.

"You want to come, don't you?"

She nodded, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"You know what I want?" he asked, sliding closer to her and wrapping one hand tightly around her stocking-covered calf.

"What?" she whispered.

"I want to see you put three fingers inside that tight pussy and then I want to see you come all over them."

Katie's face felt like it was on fire and she was dizzy with need. Her head fell back against the window, unable to watch his face any more as she slid a third finger inside. A throaty groan escaped her and she bit her lip, the finger on her clit now moving furiously.

"Come for me," he demanded.

She was vaguely aware of his hand gripping her calf painfully and she had a fleeting moment of wondering if he was really biting her knee, but the waves of pleasure wracking her body were too much for those inconsequential sensations. Her inner muscles gripped her fingers tightly, pulling them deeper inside as her hips flexed and rose up off the seat for a long moment before she finally collapsing in an exhausted heap. 

Mike took her hand and lifted it to his mouth. Her eyes opened and locked with his again as he snaked his tongue out to lick one fingertip. "You," he said, licking the next one. "Are fucking," he said, licking the third. "Amazing." He slid the fingers in his mouth to suck them clean and the sight of it nearly sent her over the edge again. She moaned and reached for his belt buckle with her free hand, but he stopped her. 

"Not here," he said, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I'm gonna need more room than the cab of my truck to properly thank you for that."

"I can't wait," she said with a smile. The anticipation was killing her and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at Mike's insistence on going the speed limit the whole way. He had a fraternal order of police sticker on his back window and she had teased him many times about how that was an automatic out if he ever got pulled over, but he always said that was no reason to break the law.

They finally made it back to his apartment and he mollified her somewhat by jumping quickly out of the truck and running around to her door before she had a chance to even open it. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder while she shrieked with laughter and pounded on his back with her fists.

"No! Put me down, you're making a scene," she said.

"You're the one making a scene, keep it down back there." 

"Fine, but I'm not going to be held responsible for throwing up on your dress uniform."

"Don't you dare," he laughed, his hand coming down with a sharp smack on one butt cheek.

"Ow! Shit, you just wait until I tell Caleb you're abusing me."

"Sweetheart, that's not abuse, that's foreplay," he said, setting her on her feet in front of the elevator. He leaned in, pressing her against the wall as he kissed her and sliding his knee between her thighs, making her all too aware that she still wasn't wearing any underwear. The filmy material of her skirt slid over her sensitive folds sending a shiver through her body.




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 04



The elevator door opened and he ushered her inside, slipping his hand up under her dress as soon as the door closed behind them. His hand went right to it's target, one long finer sliding home inside her, tearing a low groan from her throat.

"Goddamn," he murmured as she rolled her hips against him. "You are wild tonight, aren't you?"

"I get horny when I drink a lot," she said, her giggle coming out sounding more like a whimper.

"I can feel that," he said, sliding his finger out to circle her clit slowly. "You think I can make you come before the elevator stops?"

"You only live on the fourth floor," she laughed.

"It's worth a try." He grabbed one leg behind the knee and pulled it up to his hip, spreading her open wider. Two fingers plunged inside her, curling around to hit her sweet spot as his thumb began a merciless torment of her swollen clit.

"Oh shit," she gasped, her head falling back against the elevator wall. She watched the numbers light up one after the other as they slowly rose and just as they got to four she felt the trembling start in her belly. 

"You want me to stop?" he asked quietly as the door slid open. 

She shook her head franticly and bit her lip to keep from crying out as the first wave of pleasure hit hard. The empty hall disappeared as the door silently closed again and her body shook with the force of her climax.

His lips brushed hers in a gentle kiss as he removed his hand from under her dress and hit the door open button. He took her hand and she could still feel the wetness on his fingers as he towed her down the hall toward his apartment.

The second they were inside he was unzipping her dress, his hands smoothing over her skin, touching her everywhere at once. He pushed the dress down over her hips, letting it fall to the floor in a pool of fabric, then stepped back to look at her. As usual she hadn't worn a bra, but she still had on her stockings and garter belt with no panties and she was gratified to see that all that silk and lace was having the desired effect on him.

"Damn," he said, his voice rough. "I need to find more excuses for you to wear stockings."

Katie ran her hands down over her hips, the heat of his stare causing her to flush hotly all over. "You don't need an excuse, all you have to do is ask," she said, stepping toward him and reaching for his belt buckle.

He didn't stop her this time and she made quick work of his clothes, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it down off his shoulders, pulling his undershirt out of his pants and running her hands over his stomach and chest. 

She slid her hand down into his pants and palmed his erection through his boxers, squeezing him hard as she bit down on the soft skin of his neck. He groaned and pulled her tightly to him, pinning her hand between them as turned his face to capture her lips in a hard kiss.

"I want to be inside you in the next thirty seconds," he said. "If you don't want me to fuck you right here on the floor you better get in the bedroom."

A giggle erupted out of her as she turned and hurried down the hall toward his room with him on her heels. She climbed onto his bed on her hands and knees, but before she could roll onto her back he was behind her, pressing her down into the mattress. 

"Time's up," he said, his voice low and quiet, but so close she could feel his breath on her ear.

The next instant he entered her from behind, burying himself inside her in one hard thrust. Katie gripped the sheets in her fist and pushed back against him wanting more. He got the message and pushed himself to his knees before drawing back and slamming into her again. With a firm grip on her hips he continued to fuck her deliberately slow and hard, each stroke sending searing licks of flame through her body.

"You look so goddamn hot right now," he growled, running one hand over the silk stocking on her thigh and continuing up to caress the soft skin of her ass. He thrust again and squeezed her ass cheek tightly. "I'm about to slap your ass again."

He didn't ask permission, but she knew he was giving her the chance to say no and she froze for a split second before glancing over her shoulder at him and nodding. Before she could draw another breath his hand came down with a sharp smack, eliciting a high pitched squeak of surprise from her. 

His hand smoothed over the stinging skin and he treated her to another hard thrust, the mix of sensations building into a wall of pleasure that threatened to collapse on her when his hand came down on her other cheek. Her hips jerked back toward him as he thrust and smacked yet again, this time holding her tight and rocking into her without pulling out.

Katie's toes curled and her back arched downward trying to take him deeper inside. He pulled out and thrust back in quickly, timing another slap with his entrance. The climax hit hard, overwhelming her in an instant. Her high pitched moan came through clenched teeth as she ground her hips back against his, reveling in the feeling of him filling her completely.

"Turn over," he demanded before she had fully recovered. He pulled out of her and helped her onto her back, landing on top of her and sliding back into her warmth as his mouth took hers in a passionate kiss. 

She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for the ride as his thrusts got faster and more erratic, pushing her almost immediately to another peak. He groaned her name into her mouth as her climax triggered his own and he came inside her. 

His body lay limp on hers, his head buried in her neck while she teased the hairs at the back of his head with her fingertips. Her breath was still coming short, but his warm weight felt so good on her that she didn't want him to move. The only part of her that was uncomfortable were her stinging ass cheeks and with the realization a little giggle escaped her.

"What's so funny?" his muffled voice asked.

"I can still feel your handprints on my ass."

"Mm," he said, shifting his hips as he lifted his head to look down at her. "Did you like that?"

She nodded as a slow grin crept across her face. "Did you?"

"Fuck yeah. Your ass looked so good all surrounded by lace, but I had to see if it looked even better after I turned it pink."

Katie snorted a laugh and asked, "So did it?"

"Absolutely. You want me to take a picture for you?"

"No, I don't think that will be necessary."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind. I'll take it on my phone and keep it on there so you can look at it any time you want."

Katie laughed, pushing him off her and rolling to her side to cuddle him. "That's very generous of you to offer, but I think I'll just take your word for it."

"Alright, if you're sure," he said, kissing her forehead and detangling his limbs from hers. "I'll be right back."

He disappeared into the bathroom and she got up to go rummage in the kitchen for something to drink, doing a little happy dance when she saw several cold beers in the fridge and grabbing one for each of them before heading back to the bedroom. She was pretty drunk, but feeling good and not ready to go to sleep just yet. Her body was still buzzing from the incredible sex they'd just had.

A wide grin split her face at the thought; the amazement of having someone who could make her feel so good still fresh after all this time. God, she loved that guy- Whoa. She froze in the middle of the hall. Where had that come from? She shook her head, telling herself it was one of those drunk-girl things to say and thanking her lucky stars she hadn't said it out loud. That would have been embarrassing.

She did like him a lot, though. He was pretty great as boyfriends went, definitely the best one she'd ever had. Not that she'd had a lot of them, but still. 

The sight of him kicked back against the headboard waiting for her in nothing but his boxers made her breath catch in her throat. He took the beers from her and while he was opening them she climbed up onto his lap, straddling his thighs so she could face him. He handed her one of the bottles and they both took long drinks, parched after all that heavy breathing. 

Katie watched his eyes trail down her still-naked body and back up, her nipples hardening again under his gaze. When their eyes met the smile he gave her made her melt inside. It was a happy, secure smile that told her without words how he felt about her. In that moment she made a snap decision.

"D'you know what?" she said, her words slurring together slightly.

"What?" he asked with a grin.

"I have a secret."

"Do you now?" he asked, running his hands up her sides. "Are you gonna tell me or do I need to tickle it out of you?"

"No! Don't tickle me." She giggled as she slapped his fingers away, then tried to compose herself and keep her face straight. "Stop that. This is a serious secret, I mean it." 

"What is it?" he asked again, his grin fading a bit.

"I'm in therapy."

"What?" he asked, sitting up straighter. "Since when?"

"Ever since that weekend-" she stopped for a second with an odd look on her face before burping wetly and making a face. "Shit, I drank too much."

"We don't have to talk about this right now, sweetheart."

"No, I want to. I want you to know. When I freaked out on you that night in the tent...it scared me, Mike. I really thought I was over all my shit before that happened. And then you should have seen me that next week, jumping at every little thing and panicking every time you called. I was totally psycho. I was talking to my refrigerator." 

She broke down in giggles at the look on his face and snorted a few times before she was able to catch her breath and continue. "Don't worry, it didn't talk back. But I realized that I wasn't all right, you know. Normal people don't talk to kitchen appliances. So I thought maybe I should get help. I never got any back then. I never told anyone except Aunt Meg and that didn't go over well at all. She was so pissed..."

She was losing her train of thought and getting distracted and the look on Mike's face was clearly confused so she closed her eyes for a moment and tried to work out what she wanted to say while she felt calm enough to say it. 

"My therapist," she reminded herself what she'd been talking about. "She thinks I should tell people in my life about what happened to me." She felt his fingers on her lips and her eyes flew open.

"Katie," he said, an expression on his face that she couldn't interpret. "I don't think we should have this conversation tonight."

Her face felt like it went numb and she sat there and stared at him, listening to the blood pound in her ears. He didn't want hear it. It wasn't a surprise, really, that he didn't want to know. Probably he was worried about the same thing she was; that he wouldn't be able to look at her the same afterward and she couldn't blame him for that. But it hurt. A lot. So much that she hardly heard him when he kept speaking. 

"If you're ready to talk to me about this then I'm ready to listen. But now is not the right time. Not when you're drunk and not thinking clearly and might not even remember what we talked about in the morning."

"Uh huh," she said, climbing off his lap and laying down next to him on the bed. She rolled to her side facing away from him, suddenly feeling sick. His hand rested gently on her shoulder, just as warm and soft as it always was, but somehow his touch felt different and she had to suppress the urge to pull away.

"Do you hear me, Katie? I want to talk about this, just not right now. I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you or something."

Her head was spinning so she opened her eyes, but it didn't help. When he bent his head and kissed her bare shoulder she jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and falling to her knees in front of the toilet. 

She was going to throw up, she knew it. It was just a matter of when. Of course in the meantime this provided a convenient out from a situation she just didn't want to deal with at the moment.

Mike's toilet was gross. Obviously he wasn't as diligent as she was about cleaning it twice a week. But every time she closed her eyes she got the spins and that was even worse than looking at his pee splatters. 

She tried to focus on these things to avoid thinking about what had just happened, though it wasn't working very well. The tears were already burning her eyes and she had to grab a wad of tissue and press it against her lids to try to hold them back. The sound of the door opening startled her, but she didn't turn and look at him. 

"You alright?"

"Yeah. That last beer was a mistake. Can you just leave me alone for a bit?"

"Sure," he said, setting a t-shirt and a glass of water on the counter next to the toilet. He hesitated a moment and she thought he was going to say something more, but then she heard the door close quietly and was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Eventually the spins pushed her over the edge and she emptied her stomach of all its contents, noting with disgust that it was obvious she hadn't eaten any dinner. She cleaned herself up, put on his blue t-shirt with bright yellow KPD emblazoned across the back and sipped the water slowly, hoping Mike would be asleep by the time she was done. 

The bedroom was dark when she finally climbed into bed next to him, but he wasn't asleep. He reached for her as she lay down and she went to him, wanting the comfort of his warm body despite the ache she felt in her heart.

...

"Good morning," he said as she shuffled into the kitchen blearily rubbing her eyes. 

"Is it?" she replied. Katie couldn't stop the irritated sneer from spreading across her face at his chuckle. It didn't feel like a good morning to her; she had the headache from hell and her mouth felt like a furry woodland creature had crawled into it and died.

He set a cup of coffee and two Advil on the counter in front of her and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Feeling a bit hungover are we?"

Katie didn't answer, just took the pills with a swallow of coffee and sat down at Mike's kitchen table. The events of last night were coming back to her and she was starting to realize why she felt so irritated with him. 

"I don't feel very good. I think I need to just go home and sleep for a while."

"Oh," he said, leaning against the table next to her. "I thought we were gonna go hiking today."

"I'm not up for it. Sorry."

"It's okay. You're welcome to sleep here."

"I know, but I'd rather be in my own bed."

"Well, do you want some breakfast before you go?"

"Oh god no, please don't mention food."

"You should probably eat a little something, it would make you feel better."

"I said no," she snapped. 

"Alright, alright, no need to get pissy about it," he said, the irritation clear in his voice.

"Well, if you weren't being so damn pushy I wouldn't have to."

He didn't answer right away, just crossed his arms and looked down at her speculatively. "You're angry about last night and you're trying to pick a fight with me."

"Thank you Dr. Phil, why don't you go ahead and tell me all the other ways I'm fucked up while you're at it."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Of course I am. Any time I do something you don't like I'm being ridiculous. You have fun up there on your high horse. I'm going home." She stood up and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Wait, Katie. Stay here and talk to me."

"I don't have anything to say." She pulled her hand from his and walked away. The anger was churning in her stomach and she knew it wasn't entirely fair, but she couldn't make herself stop. If she let herself stop being angry she was afraid she'd collapse in a blubbering heap on the floor.

He didn't follow her into the bedroom and she changed quickly into a pair of khaki shorts she had stashed in her purse, but she left on Mike's t-shirt. It was comfortable and it smelled like him. 

She wrapped her arms around herself and heaved a deep sigh. What was she doing? Did she really want to leave like this? Not really, but she needed to be alone for a while to sort out her mixed up emotions. 

Mike was standing by the front door, obviously waiting for her, when she finally emerged from the bedroom. For the first time that morning she actually met his eyes and was startled to see so much pain there. She'd expected the anger, but not the pain.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said, stopping her hand as she reached for the doorknob. "I thought I was doing the right thing. You could give me a little credit for that at least."

"I'm sure you were doing the right thing. You always do." 

It came out sounding much more derisive than she meant it to and he flinched like she'd slapped him. She swallowed down her guilt and opened the door to go, unsure how else to react, but he caught her in his arms and pressed his mouth to hers in a fierce kiss that she couldn't help responding to. 

His tongue was insistent, demanding entrance and she yielded to him, needing the contact as badly as he did, and by the time he pulled away they were both slightly breathless. Then he turned and walked into his bedroom so he didn't have to watch her leave.

...

Mike was pissed. The more he thought about it the more pissed off he got. Somehow Katie had twisted things around so he was some kind of bad guy in her mind and the idea of that just rubbed him raw inside. Especially since he felt like he'd always gone out of his way to be understanding with her; laughing off her snide comments and ignoring her pushiness, telling himself she didn't really mean it. 

Most of the time he even believed it, but at the moment he was in no mood to be understanding. Her scornful parting shot about him always doing the right thing had hit below the belt and he was still smarting from it. He did try to do the right thing and it hurt to hear that not only did she not appreciate it, she looked down on him for it. It made him question how she really felt about him.

Fuck, maybe he should have just let her talk last night. He'd known almost immediately that he'd made a mistake stopping her, but it was already too late. She'd shut down and there was no talking to her after that. Their argument this morning was proof. But he didn't want her opening up because she was drunk, he wanted her opening up because she trusted him. And he damn sure didn't want her to regret it later when she came to her senses.

Rather than sit in his apartment alone and stew he decided to go work off some of his frustration at the gym. The physical release of two hours of lifting weights and punching the shit out of a sand bag alleviated some of the anger, but even after all that his mind was still running a mile a minute so he hopped on a treadmill to run with it.

Why was he letting her do this to him? And he was letting her, he was under no illusions about that. He could walk away at any time and she would no doubt let him. She probably expected it. That was one reason he couldn't do it; he didn't want to prove her right. 

And really, most of the time it wasn't an issue. The vast majority of time they spent together was great. He'd honestly never had so much fun just hanging out with anyone, let alone someone he was dating. They made each other laugh nearly constantly, they could talk for hours about the stupidest things, and the sex was hands down the best he'd ever had.

But he was ready for more than just fun; he needed more from her than sex and laughs. Sometimes it seemed like she felt the same way, but any time they got close to taking that next step she shied away and as usual he was hesitant to push her. 

If he was being honest with himself he had to admit that he was afraid to push her. Not because he was being sensitive to her feelings, but because there was part of him that was afraid to find out that she didn't want anything more from him. 




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 05



"So then he just walked away?"

Katie nodded at her friend, biting her lip and struggling not to cry. 

"He didn't say anything else?"

"No, Sarah, I told you he just said, 'apparently I am' and walked out the door," she said, a little harsher than she intended, but the flash of irritation held back her tears. 

Katie had been holed up in her apartment for the last week, had even called in sick to work the first few days to avoid having to see anyone. Then this morning Sarah had come banging her door down insisting she come eat breakfast with her and demanding to know what had happened. Mike wouldn't tell Caleb anything other than that they had split up and she insisted Katie provide the details over pancakes and coffee.

"You're such an idiot."

Katie's hand froze on the way to her mouth with her mug of coffee. "What?"

"I'm serious. You have this gorgeous, sweet, funny guy jumping through hoops for you, bending over backwards to try to be the man you need him to be and you don't want him."

"But I do want him."

"I guarantee that's not the impression he's getting."

"I know, but maybe that's for the best, you know? Maybe he's better off without me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sarah looked sincerely shocked at her words.

"I don't know Sarah, I'm not the easiest person to be around. He's so...well, just like you said, gorgeous, sweet, funny. Sometimes I just think maybe I'm bringing him down, you know? Like he'd be happier with someone who can be happy with him."

Sarah just stared at her for a moment and then shook her head. "Look, I'm not stupid. I'm well aware that there's a huge part of yourself that you keep hidden from me-"

"I'm sorry," Katie murmured, her eyes filling with tears.

"No, I'm okay with that, I don't have to know everything about you to be your friend. I love the parts of you that you do share with me. Most of them, anyway," she added with a wry smile. 

"But you need at least one person in your life that knows you and accepts you for everything that you are, the good and the bad. Hell, everybody needs that, it's just most people have it their whole lives so they take it for granted. You're so used to not having it that you think you don't deserve it. But you do, Katie. You deserve to have that. And Mike wants to be that person for you. He's trying so hard. Even though you keep pushing him away he keeps trying. Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," she said, transfixed by Sarah's out-of-character insights.

"Because he loves you, you idiot. If you'd let him in he'd be able to prove it to you."

"But what if I let him in and he realizes he doesn't love me after all."

"Then that would really suck. But what if you let him in and he realizes he loves you even more? Give him some credit. Don't make that decision for him. Don't pass up the chance to be happy, to make him happy, just because you're scared."

Katie sipped her coffee as she absorbed Sarah's words, turning them over and over in her mind as she slowly realized the truth in them. With that realization came the fear that it was already too late. 

"I really messed up didn't I?"

"It sounds like you hurt him pretty bad. Caleb says he's been a total asshole at work."

Katie cringed at that. He must be in bad shape if he was acting like an asshole. It just wasn't in his nature. 

"What do you think I should do?"

"You can start by telling him you aren't settling for him, which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Seriously, where do guys get this shit? Their egos are so damn fragile. Start with fixing that. Then apologize and tell him that you love him, too. Once you have that down maybe you guys can figure out how to work out the rest."

Katie opened her mouth to say that she didn't love him, but the words stuck in her throat. She thought about how safe and calm he always made her feel, how her first thoughts in the morning and her last thoughts at night were about him, how she felt like part of her had been torn away since he'd left. 

She needed him in a way that she'd never needed anyone else. Since her mother died there hadn't been a single person in her life that she had let herself feel this kind of connection to, and though her instinct was to sever that connection so she wouldn't be vulnerable to the pain it could bring her she was starting to realize that it was a risk she wanted to take. He was worth it. 

"I do love him."

"No shit."

"Why am I paying a therapist when I can just talk to you for free?"

"You're in therapy?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you about it one day soon. There are a lot of things I think I need to tell you about."

"Well, I'm ready to listen whenever."

Katie reached across the table and took her friend's hand, squeezing hard. "I know. Thanks."

...

Katie felt like her heart was beating in her throat as she approached his door. She pulled at the hem of her sundress, feeling self-conscious about her choice of attire. As if wearing a dress was gonna make any difference, especially when she felt silly in it. 

She stood there for several minutes staring at the numbers on his door and trying to get a hold of herself before finally deciding she just needed to do it and get it over with. It had already been three days since she talked to Sarah; she'd put it off long enough.

The urge to run overtook her before the knock stopped echoing in the hallway, but she dug her fingernails into her palms and forced herself to stay. Even when Mike opened the door wearing nothing but his jeans and the shocked look on his face told her she was the last person he expected to see. 

"Hey," she said, lamely. 

"Hey," he replied. 

God, he looked good. After only a couple of weeks she'd forgotten how he could take her breath away even when he was all rumpled and messy...especially when he was all rumpled and messy.

"Are you alright? You look like you're about to throw up."

Katie shook her head no, but wasn't quite sure herself whether she meant no everything wasn't alright or no she wasn't about to throw up. She noted the half-empty glass of amber liquid in his hand and the way he swayed on his feet and realized he was drunk. 

He hadn't invited her in, but rather than try to figure out whether it was a bad time and potentially have to come back and do this all over again she decided to just say what she needed to say and get it over with. Come what may.

"I wasn't settling for you," she blurted. "I know you're probably way past wanting to deal with me and all my bullshit after how I acted, but I couldn't let you walk away thinking that you weren't enough for me when it was the exact opposite. Ever since that night you came to me out on that overlook after I freaked out and busted your lip I thought you were too forgiving, too sweet, too good-looking..." 

She trailed off for a moment letting her eyes drift from the stunned look on his face down to his bare chest. She shook herself and continued, "Too good for me. I felt like I didn't deserve you and I just knew that any minute you'd come to your senses and realize how messed up I really was. So I kept looking for reasons to think you weren't that great. I think maybe so it wouldn't hurt so much when you left. But it didn't work. It's still not working. And even though I realize it's probably too late I just needed you to know that I never felt like I was settling for you. And that I'm sorry I hurt you."

She took a deep breath before forcing herself to say the hardest part. "And that I love you, too."

Mike stepped toward her through the open door and opened his mouth to speak, but before he formed the words Katie heard a voice from behind him.

"What the hell is taking so long? Don't tell me they brought the wrong pizza again," a short blonde woman said as she walked out of the living room into the hallway. For a moment no one moved or spoke, as if they were all frozen staring at each other; Katie at the woman, Mike at Katie. 

"Oh wow," Katie whispered, then glanced at Mike who was shaking his head and reaching for her as she backed away. "I'm so sorry." Then she bolted.

The elevator at the end of the hall got closer and closer, though she could barely see it through the tears. She banged on the button a couple of times before giving up and turning toward the door to the stairwell. Just as she made it she found her way blocked by a large bare chest.

"Katie, stop for a second and listen to me."

God, she didn't want to hear it; couldn't hear it. "Please Mike, just let me go. You don't owe me any explanations," she said, dodging around him and through the door trying not to let him see her tears.

"The fuck I don't," he said angrily, following her into the stairwell and blocking her way again with his hand on the wall next to her. "Stop selling me short, goddammit. You show up at my door not even two weeks after I tell you I'm in love with you and see another woman in my apartment and you say I don't owe you an explanation?" 

He put his hands on her cheeks and tilted her face up so he could see her eyes. His sigh drifted over her face as he wiped the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. "You think you don't deserve an explanation."

His body swayed toward her, his hands still on her face, the look in his blue eyes scorching her heart. She could smell the whiskey on his breath and her whole body ached to close the inches between them and kiss him, to wrap her arms around his neck and anchor herself to him. She shook her head at the futility of her desire.

And then he was kissing her, leaning against her, surrounding her and pressing her into the wall. For a few minutes she didn't think about anything else, just how wonderful it felt to have him here, his body against her, his lips on hers, his tongue diving into her mouth to taste her. At the moment she would take him any way she could get him, even with another woman waiting for him in his apartment.

That thought had her throwing her arms around him possessively, pulling him closer and kissing him back with all the pent up frustration and desire inside her. Mike groaned in response and grabbed her ass, lifting her and settling her against his hips. She wrapped her legs around him and held tight as he ground his erection against her. 

"God, you drive me crazy," he muttered against her lips. "You're all I can think about. This whole fucking time I've been trying to get you out of my head and I can't."

Katie felt a thrill shoot through her at his words. Apparently the blonde bimbo didn't mean all that much to him if he'd been thinking of her all this time. She might not deserve him, but damn it he was hers and she didn't want anyone else to have him. And here he was with her right now while that bitch waited for the pizza guy back in his apartment.

The cinderblock wall at her back was cold, but his chest was so hot she could feel it through her dress and it ignited all her nerve endings until she felt like she was burning up from the inside out. She reached down between them to unsnap his pants and slide her hand inside, but he grabbed her wrists and pulled them away, pinning them against the wall above her head. 

He held her in place with his body and she could feel every inch of his hard form molding her soft curves into place. Holding her wrists with one hand he ran the other down her side, brushing over her nipple with a quick flick of his thumb before continuing downward. 

He was kissing her again and she could feel his fingers pushing her panties to the side, sliding inside her to tease her wet folds. He groaned into her mouth and then his fingers were gone, replaced by the blunt end of his dick.

"Jesus, you're so wet. Tell me you want me. Tell me you want this," he said, pressing against her just enough to slip a fraction of an inch inside.

"Yes," Katie gasped, wiggling her hips to try to get more of him inside her. She'd never wanted anything so badly in her entire life as she wanted him right now. She thought she might explode if he waited one more second. "I want you, Mike, please. I need you."

Their simultaneous cries echoed in the stairwell as he plunged deep inside her. Katie's eyes rolled back in ecstasy at the feeling of him once again filling her so completely; his powerful thrusts dragging involuntary grunts and moans of pleasure as he moved against her. 

Katie had no control over the pace or intensity of his movements in this position; pinned against the wall with him between her legs. But there was no fear taking hold, no panic to suppress, only sheer pleasure and amazement that he could bring her to the brink so quickly and with so little effort. 

"Oh, oh, oh," she gasped as the sensations overcame her. Her hands clenched into fists as he thrust harder, pushing her higher as an explosive orgasm washed over her. Just as she started to come down he shifted his legs and tilted her hips, sinking in even deeper than before. 

She pressed her mouth against his and he opened to her, kissing her hard, both of them pouring all their unspoken words into the physical expression of need and desire. Katie's entire body shuddered with the impact of the emotion she felt from him and she pulled against his restraining hand, wanting nothing more than to fold herself around him and show him that his heart was safe with her.

He let go of her wrist and wrapped his hand around the back of her head, cushioning it from the wall as he slammed into her, grunting and gritting his teeth with the effort of holding back his own climax. He didn't have long to wait, Katie soon succumbed to the pleasure again, arching her back off the wall as her powerful muscles gripped him, pulling him along with her over the edge.

Before they had time to catch their breath they heard the unmistakable sound of the stairway door opening on a floor above them. With a glance upward Mike pulled out and rested her feet on the ground, her dress falling back into place while he hurriedly stuffed himself back in his pants and buttoned them up. He pushed the door open and let Katie step through it before following her into the hallway. 

The whole episode had only lasted a few minutes, but to Katie it was monumental. Tears pricked her eyes as she turned to look at him to see if he'd recognized it as well, but he looked pissed as hell and wouldn't meet her eyes. She was confused for a moment until he spoke.

"Fuck. I'm so sorry, Katie."

"No-"

"I can't believe I just did that to you."

"No! Mike, it's okay. You didn't hurt me," she stepped closer to him and put one hand on his arm to try to convince him.

He looked into her eyes, searching for the truth there. "You're sure?" he asked quietly, wiping the tears from her face.

"I'm positive," she said, smiling up at him. "Jesus, that was amazing."

"Well," he said, the beginnings of a grin touching his lips. "Give credit where credit's due. That wasn't Jesus in the stairwell just now."

Katie snorted. "I don't know, I think I might have seen God for a second."

"Oh yeah?" he said, moving in for another kiss. 

This time they were interrupted by voices in the hallway. Katie looked up to see the blond woman and a tall red-haired man heading their way. He didn't look like a pizza guy. 

"We're gonna head out, bud," he said to Mike as they approached. 

"Alright, let me introduce you before you go. Katie, this is my dad, Sean, and his girlfriend Carla."

Katie flushed red realizing her mistake, but managed to stammer out a hello. 

"It's nice to finally meet you Katie," Sean said. "I've heard a lot about you."

His boyish smile triggered instant recognition in her and she couldn't help but smile back. "Oh, well I hope at least some of it was good."

"Of course it was; this guy's crazy about you." 

Katie glanced at Mike to gauge his reaction, but he was smiling too. "You guys don't have to go on my account. I didn't mean to interrupt your visit."

"No, it's alright. We just came by to make sure he had a shower and ate at least once this week. Now that you're here I don't think we need to worry about it. Besides, I'm sure you two have some catching up to do. Two weeks without sex is two weeks too long."

Katie wasn't sure how to respond, but must have looked shocked because Carla gave her a comforting look and laid a hand on her arm. "Don't mind him, he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Everything comes down to sex with him."

"So that's where Mike gets it. I didn't realize it was hereditary."

Carla and Sean laughed while Mike pretended to be offended. When the elevator arrived they said their goodbyes and Katie and Mike retired to his apartment, finally alone. As soon as the door closed behind them he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close, and she stood there for a few minutes just reveling in the feeling of his warm chest rising and falling against her.

"I missed you so much," she whispered.

He said nothing, just tightened his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, breathing deep. 

"You tore me up, Katie." 

"I'm sorry." Her throat constricted and she fought back tears at his words, suddenly struck with the realization that as scary as it was to give someone the power to hurt you, it was downright terrifying to have the power to hurt someone else. After a few more minutes he finally lifted his head and looked down into her eyes.

"Tell me again." 

Katie swallowed, perfectly aware of what he wanted to hear, but the words stuck in her throat. His blue eyes bored into her, stripping away her defenses without a word, and she felt the tears sting her eyes as she forced herself to not look away.

"I love you," she finally said, staring directly into his eyes so he could see the truth.

It wasn't until he exhaled that she realized he'd been holding his breath. His uncertainty sent guilt and pain slicing through her and she brought her hands up to his face and said it again. 

"I love you, Mike."

It was easier that time. Maybe it would get easier every time. 

"I love you, too."

His mouth crushed against hers, hot and sweet with whiskey, while his arms locked around her and held her to him. Not that she was trying to get away. 

She could feel the heady dizziness of surrender, not to him as much as whatever it was that connected her to him. The fear was still there, she could feel that too, lurking in the shadowed corners of her mind, but it was a conscious decision not to pay attention to it. Not to let it guide her decisions and rule her life any longer.

He said he loved her and she believed him. Whether it would last or whether he would feel differently one day didn't matter because she loved him right now and she was no longer willing to give that up for fear of what might happen one day.

She tore her lips away from his and looked into his eyes, a shaky laugh escaping her; the elation of being with him again rushing over her in waves. The corners of his mouth twitched up and he cocked his brow at her in a familiar expression of amusement.

"Something funny?"

"No, I was just wondering about your recovery time."

"Recovery time?" 

She let her gaze drift down over his body again and his expression of confusion cleared. His eyes narrowed and a smirk appeared as he took her hand and pressed it against the growing bulge in his pants.

"I'm ready when you are sweetheart."

"Oh, I'm always ready." 

"I better make sure of that."

He dropped to his knees in front of her and slid his hands up the back of her thighs. The hard pinch he gave her ass cheeks made her jump and her hips jerked toward him. 

"Take your dress off," he demanded as he slid her panties down her legs. She could feel the wetness from their earlier interlude in the stairwell starting to run out and had a brief moment of embarrassment as she pulled the dress up over her head and dropped it on the floor.




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 05



Then his tongue was sweeping inside her, barely brushing over her swollen clit to tease her dripping opening. He pulled one leg up and draped it over his shoulder before spearing his tongue deep inside her, dragging it out slowly as he licked her clean inside and out. 

Katie fell back against the door, her eyes rolling back in her head, all thoughts of embarrassment obliterated by the intense pleasure of his tongue moving inside her. Her leg tightened instinctively, pressing her foot against his smooth back, pulling him closer as she ground herself against his face. 

Just as the heavy weight of climax began filling her belly she was startled by a knock on the door behind her. She jumped and tried to move, but Mike grabbed her hips and held her in place, catching her eye and silently shushing her.

"Coming," he called out with a grin.

With his eyes locked on hers he brought his mouth back to her, taking her clit between his lips and giving it a quick nibble before sucking it hard into his mouth. A deep rumbling groan escaped him and the vibrations of it sent her hurtling into an instant orgasm so intense that she didn't even notice when the knock sounded again right next to her head. 

She bit her lips tight to keep from making noise as the pleasure washed over her in wave after wave, Mike's mouth still working her clit relentlessly. Finally she breathed again, her muscles beginning to relax and he released her, placing a tender kiss on her belly. 

He stood, one arm around her to make sure she was steady on her feet, and placed another quick kiss on her lips before reaching in his back pocket to pull his wallet. She stayed hidden behind the door as he opened it and said hello to the delivery guy.

"Sorry about the long wait, sir," the teenage boy said.

"No big deal, I already ate." He glanced over at Katie, his eyes sparkling blue with amusement, and she had to clap her hand over her mouth to hold in her giggles. Mike took the box and closed the door, tossed the pizza on the dining table and grabbed Katie's hand, all but dragging her down the hall to the bedroom.

Katie sat back against the pillows on his bed and watched through hooded eyes as he wrenched the fly open on his jeans and shoved them down. His erection sprang free, hard and throbbing under her gaze. She moved toward him as he climbed onto his knees on the bed, unable to resist taking the head of his cock between her lips.

The salty taste of him filled her mouth and something else that she recognized as the faint tang of herself. She sucked hard and took him deep into her throat, thrilling at the sound of his moan and the feel of his hand on the back of her head, pushing her down further. Her tongue lapped at the underside of his shaft as she pulled back and then slid back down.

"Fuck," Mike cursed from between clenched teeth. He pushed her onto her back and gripped her thighs, pulling her to him. Still on his knees, with her ass resting on the tops of his thighs, he positioned his aching head at her swollen opening and looked down into her eyes.

Katie reached out to him with both hands, wanting him close, wanting to feel his skin against hers, his weight pressing down on top of her. He took her hands and let her draw him down, sliding inside her as he went. 

Their fingers laced together and they clung to each other as he rocked against her, the slow, rhythmic motion lulling her, removing the sense of urgency from her desire. The angle kept him from penetrating all the way, but she could feel every inch of him as he slid in and out and every few strokes he'd lift his hips and press deep, taking her breath away.

His head was nestled in her neck and she could feel the sharp scrape of his teeth as he sucked hard. He kissed and nipped his way down over her collarbone and the gentle slope of her breast, each sharp bite followed by a jerk of her hips. With little warning he sucked her puckered nipple deep into his mouth.

"Mike," she gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist to try and pull him deeper inside. But his pace remained steady, teasing her with the promise of more as her hands clenched his tighter.

He released her nipple with a gentle scrape of his teeth and immediately moved his head to give the other one the same attention. 

"Mike, please."

"Tell me what you want, sweetheart."

"I want..." She trailed off, unsure what exactly she was begging for. A second later she realized what she was craving. "I want you to kiss me."

He stopped moving and looked up at her in surprise. In the next breath his head came up even with hers, his legs unfolding as he stretched out on top of her. She released his hands and he buried them in her hair. 

Katie moaned as he sank deep inside her and held himself there, unmoving, as he brushed his lips against hers. He teased her with soft kisses along her bottom lip until she lifted her head and captured his lips with hers. She could feel him smiling against her mouth before his tongue invaded, taking her breath away.

Once again she was swept away by his mouth, reminded of a time when every kiss from him did this to her. How could she have even thought about letting this go without a fight?

He pulled back and thrust into her hard, his hips keeping time with his tongue, setting a steadily increasing tempo. Her hips rose to meet him over and over; their grunts coming in unison and drowning out the sound of their bodies slapping against each other. 

Katie tore her mouth from his with a hoarse cry as the pleasure rolled over her in a pulsing crescendo. She threw her legs around him and held tight, grinding hard against him, drawing out her pleasure and pulling him along with her.

"Goddamn Katie," he growled as he exploded inside her for the second time that day. 

They lay there panting, limbs entwined, for what seemed like ages. Katie's mind felt sluggish and content as she trailed her fingers up and down the smooth skin of his back. She groaned her objection when he rolled to his side and slipped out of her, but he silenced her with a slow, languorous kiss. 

When he finally pulled away she opened her eyes to see him gazing at her with a strange mixture of emotions in his eyes. Foremost, as usual, was amusement. 

"Now that's what I call make up sex."

"Does that mean you forgive me?"

His smile faded. "Of course I forgive you. Hell, I forgave you before I even made it out of your building. That's not to say I was gonna come running back for more, but I wasn't mad anymore. Just...hurt. I guess."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to keep apologizing, sweetheart."

"Yes I do, I was awful to you. I've been awful to you. I was scared, Mike. I still am. But I'm going to try harder. I want to be the person you deserve-"

"Stop." He put his fingers on her lips to silence her. "I don't want to ever hear you say anything like that again. You already are the person I deserve. You already are the person I love. And you love me too. Everything else we'll just have to keep working on until we get it right."

She stared at him in wonder, thanking whoever was in charge of such things for being lucky enough to find him. He kissed her forehead and tucked her against his chest, resting his chin on her head while he twirled a long strand of her dark hair through his fingers.

"I wish I could be like you, Mike, I wish I could let go of the past. Just make the decision to not spend any more energy on being angry."

"Sweetheart, I'm guessing you have a lot more to be angry about than I ever did. There are some things you can't just decide to get over."

"Not even if a kitten tells you to?"

Mike propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her, a deep line of concern creasing his forehead. "Please tell me I never made you feel like I thought you should just get over what happened to you."

" You didn't, I don't think. I felt that way about myself, though. Hell, I thought I had gotten over it. I don't think I really had a clue how much I was still hanging on to it until you came along."

He brushed the strand of hair back off her face, palming her cheek. "Will you tell me?"

"Right now?" Katie's chest felt suddenly heavy, the fear spreading in creeping tendrils.

"If you can."

She took a deep breath and rested her forehead against his chest, absorbing the calm he'd so often brought her, his comforting presence giving her the strength to force the panic back.

"Yeah ...I can."

She opened her mouth a couple of times to start, but both times closed it before she said anything. He continued to gaze down at her, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her cheek.

"I'm sorry, it's like the words don't want to come out," she said quietly, unable to meet his eyes. "I've been having that problem a lot lately."

Mike sat up against the headboard and turned her around so she was sitting between his legs leaning back against his chest. He pulled the sheets up to cover them both and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Tell me."

This was easier, not looking at him. Knowing he wasn't watching her while she told him the story. She took a deep calming breath and began.

"After my mom died I went to live with my aunt. I was almost sixteen and my cousins Jared and Heather were right around my age. Jared was alright, just a few years younger so we didn't run in the same crowd. But Heather was kind of a bitch. We never got along even as kids and once we got to high school and she was all cheerleader-y and popular it just got worse. Needless to say I didn't hang out with her much and mom wasn't very close with my Aunt Meg so we didn't see them often. And then right before my mom died Aunt Meg remarried this guy Doug. So he was kind of my uncle, but I hadn't grown up with him and didn't really know him at all. I'm sorry, I'm rambling."

"It's alright."

"Okay, so I'd been there for about a month when I started getting this weird vibe from Doug. I'd catch him staring at me for no reason and he'd...he'd do things like walk into the bathroom right as I was getting out of the shower and then act surprised, like oh what? You shower naked? Who knew? And he was weird about my clothes; he was constantly checking to make sure my skirts weren't too short or my shirts weren't too low cut, pulling on them and straightening them and things like that."

"There was never anything overtly wrong about it so I didn't know who I could tell or what to tell them, but I knew I didn't like it. I got a job so I'd have an excuse not to be there. I started dressing in really baggy jeans and t-shirts, hiding out in my room any time I was at home, always locked the door when I went in the bathroom. I even asked Heather about it thinking maybe he did it to her too, but she told me it was just because I was a slut." 

She snorted at the memory and turned her head to look at him. "She was still pissed about me going out with Terry Campbell our sophmore year when I knew she had a crush on him." 

Katie turned back around and rested her head against his shoulder before continuing. "And then he started coming in my room. I'd wake up at night and he'd be standing there watching me. It freaked me out, but I just started locking the bedroom door. Then I came home from school one day, maybe four or five months after my mom died, and the lock didn't work. That night was when he started...doing things to me." 

She shook her head, took a deep breath and kept going before she lost her nerve. "I didn't know what to do, he told me if I said anything no one would believe me and Aunt Meg would kick me out. I was just so scared and confused and I didn't know where else I could go. And then after the first couple of times I felt like if I was going to say something I should have done it already so I just...I let it go on and tried to pretend it wasn't happening. But when he raped me I knew I had to make it stop. I couldn't let him do that again, it was..." She felt the tears start and tried to brush them away, but Mike's arms tightened around her. 

"It hurt...a lot. I tried to fight him, but he was really rough and he held me down and stuffed a sock in my mouth to keep me quiet. Shit." She shuddered and pushed his arms away, sitting up and dropping her head into her shaking hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice strained from holding back sobs.

"It's alright," he said, reaching out tentatively to touch her. When she didn't pull away he started gently rubbing her back. "Did you tell your aunt?"

She lifted her head and nodded, wiping her cheeks dry with the edge of the sheet. "Yeah, I told her," she said with a bitter tone. "Doug was right. She got really mad at me, said I was lying to get attention, trying to ruin their lives. God, I wanted my mom back so bad. It was like every good thing in my life had been taken away all at once and I was lost. I felt completely alone and helpless, but I knew I couldn't stay there. I packed up as much stuff as I could fit in my backpack the next day and just didn't go home after school."

"Where'd you go?"

"Different places. Sometimes I stayed at school. I'd hide in the bathroom or in the back of the library until everyone was gone. I showered in the gym, ate from the vending machines. But I couldn't do that on the weekends or nights I had work. I stayed with friends here and there, slept outside a couple of times before it got too cold. I got away with it longer than I thought I would; almost two months. Aunt Meg never told anyone I left; I guess she didn't want to have to explain why. It was only when all the other shit went down that anyone noticed something was going on with me."

She was silent long enough that he asked. "What happened?"

"He went after Heather. Apparently Aunt Meg didn't take as well to him raping her daughter as she did to him raping her niece. She grabbed his deer rifle and shot him while he sat in his recliner watching football. And I..." She put her hands over her face, her voice breaking. "I was so selfish all I could think was thank God it happened before Christmas break. I'd been so worried about what I was gonna do when the school closed down for three weeks. I didn't even spare a thought for what he'd done to Heather."

He pulled her against his chest and she buried her face, letting his body absorb her sobs. "That's not selfish sweetheart, that's survival. It doesn't make you a bad person."

"Oh, there's more." She pushed herself upright and sniffed, wiping her nose with her hand. "I refused to admit any of it. Heather told the police he'd done it to me too and they said Aunt Meg needed a statement from me for her defense, but I wouldn't do it. I couldn't sit there in front of those people I'd known all my life and tell them what he'd done to me while they thought God knows what about me and then went home and told everyone else in town all about it. I just couldn't do it." 

"That's understandable."

"Heather didn't think so. She came into work one night and let me have it. She thought I wanted Aunt Meg to stay in jail because I was mad at her; told me I was a selfish vindictive bitch and that my...my mom would be disgusted with me. And she would have been. Not for being vindictive, but for being such a coward."

"Katie-"

"No, I was. I was scared to death to talk about it. Shit, I still am. It took me ten years just to get to the point where I could talk to a therapist about it and...and you. I know I should have spoken up, and I'd like to think that if Aunt Meg's freedom had come down to me giving a statement I would have eventually done it, but I don't know. They let her go; said it was justifiable homicide or something like that, I don't really know. By that time I was sixteen. I took the money left from my mom's life insurance and ran."

"To where?"

"The nearest big town," she snorted. "Bowling Green. I waited tables and got my GED, took some classes at the community college and then applied to the nursing program at UT. It was where my mom had gone, so I thought...well I don't know what I thought, but it seemed like as good a place as any."

"Your mom would have been proud of you, Katie. And I think you should be proud of yourself, too. You are so strong and determined you were able to create a successful life for yourself all on your own. There aren't many people who could say that."

She nodded, gritting her teeth in an effort not to contradict his words. On some level she knew they were true and sometimes she was able to feel proud and strong, but there was still a part of her that was that scared little girl, running away from it all.

His hands framed her face and he waited until she looked at him before he spoke, his voice quiet and soothing. "I know you can make it on your own. So do you. I just want you to know that you don't have to. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Katie didn't know how to respond. His words triggered her tears again and all she could do was bury her face in his neck and cling to him while he stroked her hair and back. 

"I love you," he whispered to the top of her head.

"I love you, too."

EPILOGUE- About a Year Later

Katie swung her pack off one shoulder with a grunt and leaned it against a tree, rubbing her neck as she straightened and stretched her back. 

"Shit, I'm getting too old for this."

"If you're about to ask me to get you a Hoveround you better hope your medicare covers it."

"Now I'm free to see the world!" Katie sang with a laugh. "Get me some Depends and I'll be all set."

Mike grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close for a kiss, which didn't last long since she couldn't stop giggling. "You're pretty damn hot for an elderly lady. The hottest senior citizen I know, at any rate." 

"That's a dubious honor. Though I have met your grandpa and now that you mention it, he was pretty hot."

"That is so wrong on so many levels," he said, shaking his head in disgust. "Come on you perv, let's get set up so we can catch the sunset on the overlook."

They set up camp quickly, gathering a large pile of wood and setting up their new four person tent that more comfortably fit the two of them and their gear. Katie threw in their sleeping bags without unrolling them and grabbed the woven blanket she'd brought for sitting next to the fire.

"You ready?"

"Just a sec," he said, his voice muffled as he dug in his pack. "Okay, let's go." He straightened and strode over to her, taking the blanket from her arms.

They headed through the trees toward the cliffline, feeling the breeze pick up as they got closer to the open space. 

"Man, it's getting chilly already. I'm gonna be glad to have a nice big fire tonight."

"Yeah, fall is coming for sure." She groaned at the thought. "I should really be home packing this weekend."

"Nah, you've got plenty of time. You're completely done with work and classes don't start for two weeks."

"I still have to pack up my whole place and the unpacking is gonna take forever."

"I already started unpacking my stuff if it makes you feel any better."

"No, actually. That just means I have to go behind you and move everything to make room for my stuff."

A snicker escaped him and he looked up to catch her sly smile as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He threw an arm around her waist as they walked, leaning down to give her a quick peck on the cheek. 

"I'm kidding, but I do feel like there's so much I should be doing this weekend-"

His body was suddenly in front of hers, his head bent, lips pressing softly, halting her words.

"You promised," he whispered. "No talk of moving or grad school or anything. Stress-free weekend, remember?"

Katie sighed and nodded as his words soothed her and his hands rubbed warm grooves into the muscles of her back. "I'm sorry. You're right. Stress-free weekend."

He kissed her again, lingering for a long moment before he finally pulled away with a husky moan. "Let's go."




Breath of Fresh Air Ch. 05



They continued hand in hand, walking in silence until they finally broke through the tree line and froze as they caught sight of the view. The sun was close to setting and struck the slopes on one side of the valley at an angle, enhancing the deep reds, oranges, and golds while the slopes on the other sides were in cool shade as the sun slowly sank behind them. 

Mike shook the blanket out and stood behind her, wrapping them both up while they watched the shade chase the color up the sides of the mountains. The steady thump of his heart echoed through Katie's body and she relaxed against him, sighing in contentment.

She tried to lean her head back on his shoulder, but he shifted unexpectedly and dropped one side of the blanket. The chilly breeze snuck into their warm little cocoon and she grabbed the edge and quickly pulled it back up.

"Do you need to pee or something? Stop fidgeting."

"I can't help it, I'm nervous."

Katie snorted and tried to turn and look at him, but he tightened his arms around her and held her still. "I think we can manage to keep from falling over the edge, it's a good ten feet away."

"I'm not worried about falling. I'm nervous about this."

He hand poked up out of the blanket just as the sun dropped below the ridgeline and the last rays of sunshine glinted off the stone nestled in the white gold band, shooting tiny rainbows across his hand.

"I love you, Katie. I can't imagine the rest of my life without you. I don't even want to try."

It was a credit to the hard work they'd put in over the last year, the strength of their love, and probably Katie's continuing therapy that there was no hint of fear or hesitation in her mind. She was nodding before he even finished speaking. 

"I love you too, of course I'll marry you." She turned in his arms and wrapped her hands up around his neck, unable to keep herself from looking in his eyes any longer.

"How do you know that's what I was going to say?" He frowned, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Oh well," she said, feigning nonchalance. "It's obvious, I mean who wouldn't want to marry me."

Mark's straight face broke and he laughed, the sound warming her from the inside out. "I can't really argue with that."

Katie lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth and pressing her body along his. As usual his chest was radiating heat like her own personal furnace and she curled her body around him to absorb it.

Eventually she tore herself away and managed to speak. "I'm sorry I interrupted. Did you have something you wanted to ask me?"

To her surprise and mild embarrassment he immediately dropped to one knee and took her hand.

"Katie, will you marry me?"

She fell to her knees in front of him, nodding as he slipped the ring on her finger. His arms came around her waist and pulled her into his lap as he sat down. They stayed there, quietly sharing each other's space as the sky turned dark and the stars began to appear.

"We should go start the fire," Mike said, kissing her temple.

"Yeah, probably." Katie tightened her arms around him, warm in his embrace and not quite ready to let him go.

Eventually they made their way back to the campsite and got the fire lit. After eating their cup noodles and fruit Mike surprised her with a small bottle of champagne.

"It's warm, but it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"I don't care if it's warm, it's still champagne. Just don't tell Caleb, we have our hardcore backpacking rep to maintain."

"My lips are sealed," he said as he popped the cork and poured the bubbly liquid into their coffee mugs.

"Cheers."

Mike settled behind her on the blanket and she leaned back against him as they gazed at the fire and sipped their warm champagne.

"So how soon do you think your family would be able to make it here?"

"What?"

"Your mom and everyone, do you think they'd be able to get here some time in the next two weeks?"

"Do you...are you...." He stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "You mean for a wedding?"

"Yeah." She shrugged, half turning in his arms so she could look him in the eye. "Why wait? Let's do it before I start school."

"Are you sure? You don't want the whole big...thing?" He gestured in the air vaguely.

"I don't need all that. I don't have any family to invite, as long as your family and a couple of our friends are there it would be perfect. Plus I just got done planning a wedding and it was way more trouble than it was worth. Do you have any idea how much Caleb and Sarah spent on it? And that doesn't even count what Sarah's dad shelled out."

"Well, if you're sure I guess I can call my mom and find out when they can get here."

"If you want the big wedding we can do it. I don't want to veto it."

"No. Hell no, the sooner you're my wife the better." He hugged her tight and buried his face in her neck, chuckling softly. "My wife...I like that."

"Me too."