Giving In (Jack)

[REBECCA TAYLOR]

The soft sound of air slowly filling Jack's lungs and then quietly rattling out was the only sound in the room. He had long since fallen asleep, as had Rebecca, only unsettling dreams aroused her from her slumber prematurely. Very prematurely. The clock on her nightstand read 4:17 and the lack of light outside proved that meant a.m. She couldn't remember her dream now aside from strange flashes. Something involving swimming and her younger brother, Sam. It didn't matter, it was insignificant, but the loneliness and dread she felt was nothing she could forget. Those feeling had been pressing on her for weeks now, more than usual, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She knew it probably had to do with Jack and his disappointment in her. Valentine's Day didn't go as either had expected it to. Jack came over with chocolates and they had supper, drank a little and watched a movie as planned while eating chocolates. Then Jack dropped the bomb on her; he wanted to make things official. He wanted her to be his girlfriend. Thrown off guard she refused, of course, which started an argument. Needless to say things between them had been rocky since. Jack stayed the night but that was all he did; sleep over. In the morning he left and she didn't hear from him for a few days. Finally they ran into each other at the precinct and made small talk. She suggested grabbing lunch, which he refused but made plans for supper later in the week. That was tense as well. She'd hurt him, she knew she had, and now she was afraid of losing him.

Rebecca didn't realize how attached she'd grown to the man until he was too furious to even really look at her. It took two weeks for him to come over and spend the night with her again, and the sex wasn't as good as it used to be. It was still incredible, he was still Jack, the sex god, but something was amiss. He wouldn't ask again, and Rebecca feared the end might be near which upset her more than she cared to admit. He'd been patient, but she wasn't moving at the same pace he wanted to and part of Rebecca thought maybe it was in his best interest to move on. She could end things, but how long had it taken someone to show an inkling of real interest in her? How many more opportunities would she have? Did she really want to be alone forever?

The thoughts ran through her mind and it was making it impossible to find sleep. She carefully climbed out of bed, his undershirt encasing her thin frame, and made her way to the bathroom. She was sure to be quiet and when she finished she went to the kitchen for a glass of water. When she finally returned to her bedroom she stopped at the door, gazing at the sleeping man. She gripped the frame, her head gently leaning against the woodwork and simply stared at him. His chest was rising and falling, but otherwise he was completely still. The sheets were strewn haphazardly across his torso, covering his manhood, but the rippling muscles of his chest and his thick legs could still easily be seen. His shorter hair crowned his face and she could only see how incredibly beautiful he was, and how incredibly lucky she was to have him willingly wanting to spend time with her. Why was she so intent on screwing it up for herself.

After studying him for a long time she finally made her way back to the bed. It was 4:38 and she needed to try and get some shut eye, but when she laid down the man beside her stirred, turning a little and his face leaned in towards hers. He let out a long deep sigh and Rebecca froze, watching him with her bottom lip sucked into her mouth. He settled again and she let out her breath, again struck by how beautiful he was. She reached over gently, her finger gliding over the muscular chest and stomach of the cop laying beside her, her finger tracing the lines of his abs. Even when relaxed they were rock hard and she pressed her palm to his scorching skin. She didn't want to lose this.. she didn't want to lose him..

When she looked up at his face once more she was startled to see dark brown eyes gazing sleepily at her. She gulped, her eyes widening in the shock of seeing him aroused. "Sorry." She whispered softly. "I didn't mean to wake you.." She licked her lips and hesitated before curling her body close to his, nuzzling her head into the crook of his arm and sighing. She wasn't one to initiate cuddling. Ever. But somehow this felt right.. Being with him, like this, felt right.. and it was time she finally told him..

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Jack’s dreams were soothing for once. He was beside a river with Rebecca. It was so picturesque and the sound of the water lulled them both into a sense of security. They didn’t say a word but it felt like they were having the best conversation in the world. Considering how furious he had been with Rebecca lately, it was a surprising dream, but it felt right in his sleep. With Rebecca’s refusal to be his girlfriend, there had come a long few nights of heavy drinking and heartache. As Jack had proved time and time again, he was a patient man, but Rebecca’s reaction to his simple question had thrown him for a loop. She’d freaked out without even a thought of how deeply it would hurt him. He spent the next several days seriously considering if he wanted to continue pursuing Rebecca when it hurt this much. There had to be other women more willing to be in a serious relationship with him. They would be pretty too and carry less baggage and actually want to be with him…but they wouldn’t be Rebecca. That was always the catch. He could find other women, but the only one he really wanted in the end was Rebecca.

So they made up as best they could. It was tense, Jack still hesitant about opening up again and Rebecca obviously regretful for the way she’d reacted. He tried to act like everything was okay, but he knew it wasn’t. Rebecca would never want a serious relationship with him, so all of the work he’d put in to wooing her seemed pointless now. While he mulled over letting himself fall deeper for a woman who would never feel the same, he tried to resist taking her to bed. His desire won out in the end, but even when he was inside her he couldn’t forget the hurt. He could tell Rebecca was catching on but she didn’t say anything. How long could he stay so distant from her whenever they were together? When would he be okay with letting her in again and getting close to her again? He didn’t want to give up, but he couldn’t help feeling that it was a hopeless situation.

The fact he was having a happy dream about Rebecca eased some of the heartache. He wished they could be like that, just happy to be together even in silence, barely touching except where their arms crossed each other’s behind their backs as they leaned back on their hands. If only they could just enjoy doing something so mundane as watching a river’s flow on a beautiful day. Why did it have to be so difficult all the time? If this was possible, there was no way he could give up on her…especially not when it felt so perfect to have her so close. With a sigh he turned his head to lean against her temple, enjoying the smell of her and the warmth of her dark hair. She was the only one who could spark a deep need in him with just a light touch of her fingers, a spark that he felt now as she traced his abs. It was the feel of her palm against his skin that made him begin to distinguish between his dream and reality. Slowly his eyes opened, completely content from the peace of his dream and it took several blinks to realize this was the real Rebecca he was looking at, still wearing his undershirt. She was admiring him and he in turn silently admired her. In that moment he knew he would never find a woman who he thought was more beautiful than Rebecca.

He was still watching her silently when she finally looked up at him. Obviously she was surprised he was awake, but he didn’t react to her shock. He just wanted to be content in studying her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you…” Now a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth and he shook his head gently. “It’s alright,” he whispered back. It was his turn to be surprised when she curled into him, though, her face burying in the crook of his neck. His stomach clenched and he was initially hesitant to try reciprocating, as he often was these days, but the feeling didn’t last long. How could he be mad or uncertain now when the ever cool Rebecca Taylor was initiating such an affectionate gesture? With a heavy sigh, his arms came around her and held her closer, his nose burying in the hair on top of her head. His fingers combed through the long, dark strands lazily, admiring how smooth the soft waves were. This felt right. Holding her like this with such a deep sense of contentment…this was the way it should be. “Do you have any idea how much I care about you?” The question was softly spoken, just above a whisper and so genuine, more genuine than he’d felt in weeks. All he wanted was to care for her freely.

[REBECCA TAYLOR]

“It’s alright,” he whispered back, taking a moment to return her gesture. Rebecca had grown accustomed to Jack sliding his arms around her and she didn't mind, especially now that she had just put the offer out there on the table for him to take. She felt his heavy sigh heat up her scalp and she bit her bottom lip again, her eyes still wide open, not the least bit tired considering the time. “Do you have any idea how much I care about you?” His confession wasn't one she didn't know, but it still made her body tense lightly. She felt guilty for being unable to reciprocate the warmth in his words, but it didn't mean she didn't feel the same.

Rebecca was silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts before finally opening her mouth. "I don't know why." She said softly, her voice even and sounding almost loud in the still, quiet room. "All I do, all I've ever done is is push you away." She looked up at him and shook her head when he went to say something. "No, let me talk." She pleaded softly her gaze locked on his, something else she didn't necessarily like to do when talking about something private. It was so much easier talking to a wall than to a person. "You know, I never even got to have the woman talk with my mom?" She said out of nowhere, swallowing back any emotion she felt. "I didn't get my period until I was fourteen. A social worker had to teach me about pads and tampons.. a social worker." She let it sink in but she knew being a man he could never truly understand the implications of her words. Such a private thing shouldn't be talked about with a stranger, especially the way it had been done with Rebecca. "I'd had sex before I was mature enough to. Maxi filled in the holes for me later on, about all the girl things I should have known but didn't. The things my mom never got to tell me. I never went to a school dance. I could have, but I never had a dress and I didn't care enough to." She explained. "I didn't go to the movies or hang out at the mall. I didn't sneak boys into my room or try to sneak into theirs.." She looked up into his eyes knowing he'd probably been a good kid too, but her reasons were different than his.

"If my parents weren't killed I wouldn't be who I am. I don't.." She licked her lips, her throat clenching lightly at the raw emotions she was feeling, the emotions she kept safely guarded deep down where no one could ever see them, herself included. "I don't necessarily like what I've become, but this is who I am. I do care about you, Jack.. I don't show it and I don't know how, but I do and that scares the shit out of me, okay?" Her voice cracked and her lids pooled with tears. "I wish I could be different for you, and I swear I do try, but it's not easy." She felt him trying to comfort her with his body and it made her tense again, but she forced herself to try and relax into it. "I want to be your girlfriend." She finally said almost like it was a demand. "Whatever the fuck that means, I'll do it. I just.. I don't want to lose you?" It came out almost like a question and she gulped as a tear trickled down her cheek. "Okay?"

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Jack didn’t expect Rebecca to reciprocate his sentiment right away and wouldn’t have been surprised if she ignored it altogether. He could feel his stomach tighten again, readying for the brush-off and unsure how to react to the pain of that realization. “I don’t know why.” His eyes moved down to her head, surprised to hear her voice. Why? There were a million reasons why. “All I do, all I’ve ever done is push you away.” He gave her a puzzled look when she gazed up at him and he was about to retaliate when she shook her head. “No, let me talk.” It was so rare that she actually wanted to do that and he respected her wish by close his mouth again and watching her. “You know, I never even got to have the woman talk with my mom? I didn’t get my period until I was fourteen. A social worker had to teach me about pads and tampons…a social worker.” His heart sank, seeing the raw emotion in her eyes. He knew that feeling to a certain degree. His father should have been the one to have the man talk with him, but instead his mother had to improvise. Most of what he knew about what other men would do in situations he learned from friends or his uncle. That was the sweet life compared to Rebecca, though—at least they were people he knew and loved. “I’d had sex before I was mature enough to. Maxi filled in the holes for me later on, about all the girl things I should have known but didn’t. The things my mom never got to tell me. I never went to a school dance. I could have, but I never had a dress and I didn’t care enough to. I didn’t go to the movies or hang out at the mall. I didn’t sneak boys into my room or try to sneak into theirs…” She didn’t have a stereotypical teenager’s life or learn the lessons that all teenagers should. Her heart was broken but in all the wrong ways with no one there to heal them. Jack had always been able to empathize, but he couldn’t imagine not having all of those things that hormonal teenagers should have. He used to think it was hard growing up without a dad, but Rebecca blew his sob story out of the water. What would she have traded for a life like his?

“If my parents weren’t killed, I wouldn’t be who I am. I don’t…” He could hear her getting choked up as she spoke, but he remained still, afraid she would remember she was opening up and close herself off again. “I don’t necessarily like what I’ve become, but this is who I am. I do care about you, Jack…I don’t show it and I don’t know how, but I do and that scares the shit out of me, okay? I wish I could be different for you, and I swear I do try, but it’s not easy.” Seeing her eyes glistening in the dim light of her bedroom made his heart ache and he combed his fingers through her hair and ran a hand over her back to try and soothe her. She tensed, but he could see she was trying not to. How could he tell her he didn’t want her to change when that’s basically what he’d been asking? It was selfish and he felt ashamed of his pouting all of a sudden.

“I want to be your girlfriend.” That made his heart stop for a moment and his eyes widen. He must still be dreaming… “Whatever the fuck that means, I’ll do it. I just…I don’t want to lose you? Okay?” It was like the weight of the world suddenly fell off his shoulders and he was still recovering from the tremors of it crashing to the ground. She wanted to be his girlfriend. She didn’t want to lose him. Jack meant a hell of a lot to Rebecca if she was saying those things to him, and he knew she was telling the truth. She wouldn’t lie about that. His hand buried in her hair and he scooped her face forward so he could kiss her hard and sweet, his brow furrowed deeply. He could feel her damp cheeks as they pressed against his. He cupped her face with his free hand, smudging her tears to try and wipe away some of the pain. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers briefly before pulled her head down a little so he could kiss her forehead. Finally, finally they were an item. “Okay…” he said softly, looking in her eyes again. “Then you’re my girlfriend…because I don’t want to lose you either. I can’t have someone else stealing you away.” He gave a gentle smile before kissing her again, softly this time. When he pulled away, his head fell back to the pillow with a sigh, one hand combing through her hair as he looked up at his beautiful girlfriend, the other gliding over her back to keep her close. “Now it’s my turn to talk.” He gave another small smile before he gathered her up and rolled her beneath him, forcing her to look up into his serious face.

“I have wanted you to change. I can’t deny that anymore. I’ve wanted you to be more open with me, to let me in to that fortress you’ve got built up in there. I think I’ve been selfish in that since you agreed to sleep with me. Until tonight, I didn’t realize how hard you were trying and I’m sorry. I think I understand your reasons for keeping me at arm’s length now. I’m not saying I know what it feels like, just that I think I know where you’re coming from.” His voice was soft and even, his eyes simply gazing deep into hers. “But I do know how hard it is for you to talk about that stuff. You opening up to me…I can’t explain how good that makes me feel. That’s why I care about you, Becks. Every little way that you let me get closer, everything you say, I know it’s honest and you mean it. I’ve never really known anyone like you before. I come from a house where everyone talks out their emotions and there’s nothing hidden, so it’s easy for me to share my feelings with other people. You’re the exact opposite. You’re a puzzle I have to figure out, which is what interested me in the first place. But now…I like everything that I’ve found so far, even the bad stuff. You’re deeper than I think you give yourself credit for. And all of your flaws…” He smiled and cupped her face again. “They just make you that much more beautiful. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide them from me. I want to know you, Becca. I want to know everything. No matter how hard you push me away, that won’t change. Believe me, I know.” With another lopsided and boyish smile he leaned in and kissed her again, soft but passionate. His face stayed close when he pulled back and gazed down at her again. “Any of that too cheesy?” His smile was more genuine than it had been in a while, but as the realization that the girl of his dreams was his girlfriend sank in, he found he was floating on Cloud Nine.

[REBECCA TAYLOR]

Instead of a verbal answer, Jack brought his face closer to give her a kiss, his hands reaching up and cradling her face gently. When he pulled away she sniffled, her brows furrowed as his forehead met hers, resting there. His lips moved up to her forehead and she sighed at the gentle way they caressed the cool skin. “Okay…” he said softly, pulling back to look into her eyes once more, and she looked back bashfully, embarrassed that she had said so much to him. Not even Maxi had been privy to all of that. “Then you’re my girlfriend…because I don’t want to lose you either. I can’t have someone else stealing you away.” He smiled and she forced one on also, scoffing because they both knew no one would steal her away. It had been hard enough letting him in. His kiss was gentler this time and she let him do as he wished, trying not to tense or pull away. Finally he leaned away back onto the bed, a hand running through the now short hair. “Now it’s my turn to talk.” Though he smiled, her heart sank in fear. What could he have to say? Why did he need to speak?

Jack rolled over quickly, pushing her onto her back and forcing her to gaze up at him. Why was her heart pounding so fiercely? “I have wanted you to change. I can’t deny that anymore. I’ve wanted you to be more open with me, to let me in to that fortress you’ve got built up in there. I think I’ve been selfish in that since you agreed to sleep with me. Until tonight, I didn’t realize how hard you were trying and I’m sorry." His apology startled her. She wasn't expecting him to admit he'd been trying to make her change, to mold her into something he could call his own, but his admittance shocked her, but the apology did not. He went on to explain how he understood her reason's for keeping her distance and she slowly felt herself calming down. They'd grown up very differently. Rebecca had no one to confide in for a long time. Even with Maxi around she wasn't always there, and there were sometimes weeks where she spoke to no one about the turmoil inside. Jacks family was the opposite, talking everything out all the time. There were no secrets and there was trust and understanding all around.

"You’re a puzzle I have to figure out, which is what interested me in the first place. But now…I like everything that I’ve found so far, even the bad stuff. You’re deeper than I think you give yourself credit for. And all of your flaws…” She bit her lip at the mention of her flaws, “They just make you that much more beautiful. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide them from me. I want to know you, Becca. I want to know everything. No matter how hard you push me away, that won’t change. Believe me, I know.” Her heart was racing, wanting to believe him, and knowing deep down he was being honest, but still having that irrational fear that he would somehow hurt her, that she would screw it up, that he would use her past against her somehow. Jack wasn't like that, but people could change. Who was to say he would always be the man he was with her right now? Still, there was a part of her that deeply wanted to confide in someone, even though she was unwilling to talk about her past often. She didn't like reliving those hard years, and many were boring and uneventful.

His kiss pulled her from her thoughts and she gulped once more as she looked up at him, not realizing that her eyes had moistened once more. “Any of that too cheesy?” She gulped and a slight smile spread over her lips. "Yes." She told him honestly. "All of it." The smile grew a little and she looked from his lips to his eyes. "But it's okay. I'm used to your cheesiness already." She teased, her voice quivering slightly still from the raw emotions she was feeling. "Now get off." She gave him a playful shove until he was on his back once more and she rolled over to face him again, but quickly changed her mind, pushing up on her hands and moving to sit up on his stomach. Her knees bent around his solid frame, her posture relaxed as she sat on top of her boyfriend. Just thinking of it felt strange to her. She hadn't had a boyfriend since she was twelve, and it had meant something completely different then. "My dad would have liked you I think." She admitted, looking down at his chest instead of his face. Her fingers gently ran over the muscular pecs, gliding softly over the tiny, pink nipples. "He liked baseball.. but he also liked classical music. He got up early to jog with me, and though I got angry with him a lot he was probably one of my best friends." She bit her bottom lip and looked up into his eyes. "Sometimes your remind me of him a little. He liked to talk.. I wasn't much of a talker, though." Rebecca shrugged. "I wish I could go back and just have those stupid conversations with him, yah know?" She didn't know why she brought it up. Maybe because she had talked so much about the bad that she needed to remind herself there was good, and Jack was interested in knowing. She leaned down, folding her arms over his chest and resting her chin on them, looking down into his face from above. "You know.. you could talk about your family if you ever wanted too. Cause were doing this whole boyfriend, girlfriend, lovey dovey shit. Doesn't have to be just me, okay?"

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Jack could see the slight smile curving up Rebecca’s lips and he felt relieved. “Yes. All of it.” He grinned wider as she did, knowing she was teasing him. Here he was trying to have a moment and humor had to slip in…He’d invited it, though, and it lighted the mood. “But it’s okay. I’m used to your cheesiness already. Now get off.” He actually laughed at her playful shove, falling back to the bed and watching as she rolled over on top of him. Well, he’d never minded her on top. When she sat up and straddled his stomach, though, he couldn’t help the way his stomach clenched excitedly. His hands slid up his girlfriend’s thighs slowly and gently, enjoying her weight on him. Rebecca was really his girlfriend. He felt like taking a run through the woods in sheer joy. “My dad would have like you I think.” His eyes studied her face, surprised by the statement, but remained silent as her hands slid over his chest as if adoring him. He let his fingers glide down her thighs again before moving them back up. “He liked baseball…but he also liked classical music. He got up early to jog with me, and though I got angry with him a lot he was probably one of my best friends.” That sounded familiar. His eyes were warm as they looked up into hers in the darkness. “Sometimes you remind me of him a little. He liked to talk…I wasn’t much of a talker, though. I wish I could go back and just have those stupid conversations with him, yah know?” It was a compliment that he reminded her of her dad. She had loved and trusted her dad, so to be equated to him must have been special. With all of the bad stuff she’d told him about her past, it was nice to hear some of the good things.

Rebecca leaned down and Jack watched her with mildly hungry eyes, but it was obvious she was just making herself comfortable by the way she folded her arms over his chest and rested her chin there. Cute wasn’t a word he used to describe his girlfriend often, but that’s exactly what Rebecca was at the moment. Almost like a child. His hands moved to her sides and ran up and down them slowly, like he’d done with her thighs. “You know…you could talk about your family if you ever wanted to. ‘Cause we’re doing this whole boyfriend, girlfriend, lovey-dovey shit. Doesn’t have to be just me, okay?” He grinned at her, thinking again of how he could fall in love with this woman. “I’ve told you a little bit about them.” The defense was weak—it had been quite some time since he’d talked about his family, mostly because it had been a while since he’d seen them. He’d have to call his sisters and catch up this week…they’d be blown away that he actually had a girlfriend. “My dad was a really friendly guy. Wherever he went, he would make friends. He liked to whittle in his spare time. One of the figures I have at my house is one he made for me when I was young. His hands always smelled like wood and they were rough and calloused—I always remember that.” He glanced to her lips, remembering the smell of his father’s hands, how strong they felt lifting him up. “He was a big man too. My mom always looked so little compared to him. I remember when she told him she was pregnant with my little sister how he picked her up and spun her around like she weighed nothing. I don’t know why, but he used to listen to Led Zepplin when he was happy, and that day he had Zepplin records going all day.” He grinned wide remembering his father playing the air guitar in the living room and how he’d tried to copy him.

“He definitely would have liked you, Becks. He was a ball buster and loved to have it thrown back at him. My mom could return fire with the best of them. She’s a lot quieter now, but my mom used to be feisty and bossy. She was emotional but in a quiet sort of way; like you, I guess. She’d like you too. And my sisters. I guess now I have an excuse to introduce you to them.” The look she gave him made him laugh. “Not immediately. Just sometime in the future. They really would like you. Tell you embarrassing stories about me and bring pictures. Would you believe I had acne all through middle school and the first year of high school?”

[REBECCA TAYLOR]

"I've told you a little bit about them." he defended with a grin on his face, bu she gave a playfully scolding look in return. The feel of his fingers gently tickling her sides made chills run up and down her spine, and the whole sensation was surprisingly comforting and mildly sexual. "My dad was a really friendly guy. Wherever he went, he would make friends. He liked to whittle in his spare time. One of the figures I have at my house is one he made for me when I was young. His hands always smelled like wood and they were rough and calloused...I always remember that." her eyes were locked on his, devouring the information. Why was she suddenly so much more interested in where Jack came frome?

"He was a big man too. My mom always looked so little compared to him. I remember when she told him she was pregnant with my little sister how he picked her up and spun her around like she weighed nothing. I don't know why, but he used to listen to Led Zepplin when he was happy, and that day he had Zepplin records going all day." it was a sweet memory and a whisp of a smile creased her lips. She recalled the picture of Jack and his dad. They had been close and somehow that realization suddenly made Rebecca feel warm towards the man she was laying on. Would they have a child? Would he lift her and spin her around then listen to his favorite band all day? The thought of being the woman in that story was both nauseating and sweet.

"He definitely would have liked you, Becks." it suddenly occured to her that, like her father, she would never meet Jack's dad. Her eyes stayed focused on his, unsure how to feel at the realization. "He was a ball buster and loved to have it thrown back at him. My mom could return fire with the best of them. She's a lot quieter now, but my mom used to be feisty and bossy. She was emotional but in a quiet sort of way; like you, I guess. She'd like you too. And my sisters. I guess now I have an excuse to introduce you to them." she had been grinning until he mentioned introducing her to his family, which was when the small smile faded. Her stomach twisted anxiously not wanting to actually meet his mom and sisters. "Not immediately. Just sometime in the future. They really would like you. Tell you embarrassing stories about me and bring pictures. Would you believe I had acne all through middle school and the first year of high school? she still wasn't convinced this was a good idea, knowing women didn't typically like her and she wasn't sure she culd handle meeting the two women who knew Jack best. "I guess it wouldn't surprise me." She replied rolling her shoulders, anxious about him introducing her to his family. It was't fair.. He didn't have to meet her family. Then again, Jack probably would have actually wanted to.

Rebecca scooted up a little, planting a brief kiss on Jack's lips. "Let's wait a while for the whole meet the family thing, okay?" She pleaded softly. "Let me get used to this dating stuff. It still feels sort of weird." She admitted, a hand moving up to run through his hair. Her sea colored eyes watched the strands slip neatly back into place. "I think it might feel weird for a while still." Her words were spoken softly, wanting him to understand that she was still the same woman she was, with all the same fears and quirks, but she was his now, at least until they broke up. If they broke up. She reached her face down and kissed him again, the hand in his hair buried at the back of his head. The kiss was longer than before and gentle, her lips moving slowly over his in a mildly sensal manner. "Any questions before I pass out?" She asked semi playfully after pulling away from his lips. "It's after five in the morning."

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Rebecca rolled her shoulders nonchalantly. “I guess it wouldn’t surprise me.” It was the perfect opportunity for her to tease Jack, but since she hadn’t, he had to wonder if something was wrong. She still looked nervous and he was suspicious even as she scooted up and planted a kiss on his lips. “Let’s wait a while for the whole meet the family thing, okay? Let me get used to this dating stuff. It still feels sort of weird.” Her fingers combed through his hair and he smiled gently at her. He’d expected that response and he was in no hurry to introduce her to his two rambunctious sisters and a mother who would immediately start to envision a wedding. It made sense for both of them to get comfortable being official before he invited everyone to a nice lunch for introductions. The last thing he needed was for Rebecca to freak out about meeting his family and then back out completely. “I think it might feel weird for a while still.” That was expected too and it made him smile wider. “Of course. Take your time, Becks. I’m not in a hurry.” Her lips came down to his again, her fingers still curled in his hair. The way her lips slipped across his, her body weight pressing down on him, it was all mildly sensual and he could feel himself getting riled.

To his disappointment, she pulled away gently, causing him to open his eyes and look up at her with slight dismay. “Any questions before I pass out? It’s after five in the morning.” The playful tone in her voice encouraged a smirk to spread across his face. “Oh, you’re not going to sleep yet.” Both hands buried in her hair as he pulled her back down for another deeper kiss. Their lips moved together slowly and passionately, his hands keeping her mouth pressed to his. He wasn’t ready to let her sleep yet. His arms wrapped around her thin frame and held her tight as he rolled her back beneath him, smiling gently against her lips. One of his hands crept under his undershirt draped over her body and his fingers trailed over her stomach and down her hip. “I was having a pretty good dream about you before you went and woke me up.” His lips hovered close to hers as he spoke, smiling mischievously. “I think we were just about to get to this point.” Fingers moved higher over the ridges of her ribs before dragging back down again, teasing her but also reminiscent of how she’d been touching him when he woke.

He kissed her deeply again, the heat building up quickly. Soon his mouth was exploring her jaw and her neck, his tongue darting out occasionally to taste the salty hint of her flesh. His hand was taking in every inch of hot skin it could and his mouth hovered close to her ear. “I know you’re not big on compliments, but you should know you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. I mean that.” His lips trailed further down her neck, letting the desire between them simply build, not wanting to rush through making love to her. Slowly his hand moved up to her breast, his lips moving across her throat and down as it did so. He could adore her like this all night.