by Amy Wiseman
“Laura, do you need something?” Jason asked politely but with an edge, as he slipped his arm around Kara’s shoulder.
“Oh, um, no,” Laura stammered, “I mean, there’s another chart for you up at admitting,” Laura stumbled over her words and quickly retreated back in the direction she came.
Kara giggled and Jason smirked down at her. “And just what are you doing here?” he asked, his smile showing her how happy he was about her presence.
Instead of answering his question, she whispered, “Happy New Year,” and gave him a wide smile, which he returned before kissing her again.
“We’re minutes in and so far so good,” he murmured in her ear. Just then his name was paged over the intercom and Jason pulled away, giving the ceiling an annoyed look, and frowning at the interruption.
“I should go.” Kara gazed up at Jason, her body language saying she wanted to do anything but leave.
“You just got here,” Jason pouted, pulling her close again, but he knew he had to let Kara go and get back to work.
“You’re busy,” Kara tapped his nose with her finger, and pointed to the ceiling, referring to his last page, “and I just wanted to see you, and start the New Year out right. Now I should go. Jaime and Ryan are out in the van waiting for me.”
“I was wondering how you got here,” Jason gave her a teasing look, staring into her eyes, knowing full well she was well past the legal limit. He leaned down and kissed her again, giving her a tight squeeze before letting go. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
She stuffed her hand in the pocket of her jeans, pulled out a key, and handed it to him. Jason’s eyebrows shot up at the object in his palm.
“In case I fall asleep,” Kara explained, shyly. “It’s a spare, so you can keep it,” she finished, looking up at him through her lashes seductively.
Jason gave her his full dimpled grin, the one she’d told him made her swoon, and Kara blushed. He didn’t say a word as he put the key in his pocket and pulled her back in for another hug. “I’ll see you soon,” he whispered in her ear, earning him a shiver as his breath tickled her ear. He kissed her cheek and released her.
~*~
Kara pulled away gently, letting her hand trail down Jason’s arm all the way to his hand, holding on briefly before letting go. She may have fought the urge to skip out of the hospital, but she couldn’t resist a small wave to the curly headed brunette seething at the admitting desk as she passed by on her way out the doors.
~*~
Jaime, Ryan, and Kara were back at Kara’s apartment by twelve-thirty, ready to continue their small party.
Walking in the door, they found Evalyn and Eric sitting on the couch together smiling like fools before they yelled “Happy New Year!” and blew loudly into noise makers.
Kara stopped short and stared at her friends, then narrowed her eyes, “You had sex!” she cried out, pointing at Eva with an accusing finger.
Evalyn and Eric’s mouths dropped in unison, instantly. Eric looked baffled then chanced a glance at his wife and started laughing, seeing her shirt on inside out. “Way to blow our cover, babe!” he said, pulling on her inseam.
“Eva…tell me it wasn’t in my bed,” Kara pleaded, horrified at the thought.
“Okay, it wasn’t in your bed,” Evalyn smirked at her friend.
“OH, COME ON! Really? Did you really screw in my bed?”
“I told you no,” Evalyn laughed. “We did it on your bathroom counter.”
“Ew.” Kara shook her head at her friends, walked to the kitchen, and returned quickly with a container of wet wipes. She tossed it at Eric and pointed to the bathroom. He just laughed harder and got up to go sanitize the counter.
“Did you get your midnight kiss?” Evalyn changed the subject, walking over to grab Kara who was still glaring at her, pulling her into a hug and swaying her back and forth until she laughed.
“Hell, yeah,” Kara continued to laugh at her friend. “I see you did, too,” she joked as she lightly poked Eva in the ribs with her finger, and wiggled out of her grasp.
Evalyn laughed out loud, nodded, and gave her a high five before she walked into the kitchen to pour everyone another round of drinks.
~*~
When Jason arrived at Kara’s apartment a few hours later, all was quiet inside. He’d used his key for the first time, the entire situation making him feel warm and giddy. He made his way to her bedroom, quickly discarded his clothes, with only the thought of slipping in beside her to gather her up in his arms on his mind. So it was a shock to find Kara, Jaime, and Evalyn in a spoon train under the covers, Kara securely in the middle.
His startled cry alerted Kara, and Eva - Eva came up swinging, but Jaime just rolled over, yanking the covers with her. Jason stumbled backward, to avoid being hit by Evalyn’s wayward fist, and tripped over his discarded shoes, landing on his ass with a thump and a groan.
“Jason?” Kara called out, and from the floor he watched her crawl over Evalyn to find him still on the ground.
He waved to her, wincing as he shifted to stand.
Kara returned the wave half-heartedly, then took in her position on the bed and asked, “Why am I in bed with Eva and your sister?”
“I don’t know, but do you think we could kick them out?”
Kara snorted.
“Would you guys shut up?” Eva grumbled, as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
“Evalyn, where is your husband?” Kara asked her friend.
“Um, on the couch?” Evalyn squinted one eye and looked like she was thinking hard.
“You should go check on him,” Jason tried to sound concerned, but really he just wanted to lay down next to his girl and sleep.
“Nice try.” Evalyn glared at him and flopped back down.
Kara sighed, then finished her roll over Evalyn to get off the bed, earning her an “Oomph” and a “Can’t breathe…” from her friend.
“Come on, we’ll sleep on the futon in the office.” Kara grabbed Jason’s hand and helped to pull him from the floor. Once settled, Jason curled up behind Kara, pulling her to his chest to snuggle.
“Mmm, missed you,” Kara mumbled, sleepily.
“I missed you too, go back to sleep,” Jason whispered. He nuzzled his nose down into her neck and enjoyed the feeling of her warm body pressed against him. Laying there with her in his arms he thought back over the evening. He almost laughed out loud at the memory of Laura, stumbling upon them in the hallway at midnight. After Kara had gone, Jason took Melinda’s advice and made it very clear to everyone that his girlfriend had come to see him at work. He couldn’t help but go on and on about how amazing his girlfriend was, and how happy he was to be with her, giving a pointed look to Laura as he did so. He didn’t miss Laura’s eyes rolling at each mention of Kara, but Jason felt the point was made. If she didn’t take the hint this time, he’d just face palm her next time she approached him, and keep her out of his personal space.
~*~
Time flew by and mid-January found Kara waiting in her gynecologist’s office for her yearly appointment - and birth control refill. As she climbed onto the table and situated herself, the all too recent memory of being in this position when she was sick caused her face to flush. Thinking of Jason as her doctor, in between her legs, touching her, even in the utmost professional capacity, caused her heart to pound and her breath to pick up. How did I survive that encounter? Of course, she surmised, it helped she was in pain at the time. The contrast between how he was with her that night, and how he touched her now, was stark. She was lost in the thought comparison of Jason her lover vs. Jason the doctor, and the idea of possibly enjoying some role play in the near future, when her actual doctor entered the room. After exchanging polite hellos, Kara shut her eyes and chastised herself for her perverted thoughts. The appointment went quickly as expected, and soon Kara was out the door, new birth control pill prescription in hand. She smiled to herself, thinking about feeling Jason, all of Jason, in just seven days. She
went to the pharmacy immediately after her appointment to get her prescription filled.
~*~
Seven days. It had been seven days since Kara’s doctor appointment. Seven very long days. They’d both been busy, Kara at the bakery and Jason at the hospital, and couple that with Kara’s period, it had been a very torturous week. Being a doctor, Jason had no problem with having sex while Kara was bleeding, what he had trouble with was getting her to agree to it. Now, here he was, making dinner for them while waiting for Kara to arrive at his place. He couldn’t wait to see her, to hold her, and most of all, get her into his bed and ravish her good and proper. He scoffed at how ridiculous he was being; he’d gone a lot longer than seven days in the past, but that was before he began dating the most incredible woman he’d ever met. Jason set the table and finished up dinner; he glanced at the clock every few minutes, anxiously waiting to see her. He was just pulling the pork chops out of the oven when he heard a soft knock on his door. Gah! I meant to give her a key!
Two days after Kara had given him a key to her apartment on New Year’s Eve, Jason had made a special trip to the hardware store to get a key to his townhouse made for her. Just the image of having her at his home, waiting for him after work, brought a smile to his face and made his stomach drop in heady anticipation. He placed the pork chops on the stove top and took off the oven mitts, tossing them onto the counter. He practically jogged to the door, opened it as quickly as he could, and grinned as he saw Kara standing casually on the other side. He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly as she entered his home.
“Hey,” Kara giggled a little at his enthusiastic greeting, then hugged him back hard.
As Jason leaned in to kiss her chastely, Kara had other intentions and held him firmly, pulling him back down for a deeper, longer kiss.
He pulled back, smiling, letting his hands linger on her hips. “Perfect timing, dinner’s ready.”
Kara gazed at him with unbridled passion, her eyes hooded, “Good, I’m starving,” her innuendo was clear as she pulled him in for another deep kiss.
“Kara,” Jason started, motioning to the kitchen and the food that awaited them.
“Jason,” Kara replied as she pushed him slightly on the chest, moving him back a step as she kicked the door, which had remained open on her arrival, closed.
“The food will get cold,” Jason hesitated, uncertain.
“You have a microwave.” She maneuvered him to the couch and pushed him down, straddling his lap and attacking his mouth.
The woman had a good point. Jason gave in and responded eagerly as Kara began lifting his shirt up. He quickly discarded it, doing the same with Kara’s as their hands tangled together, trying to get the rest of their clothes off. Jason had never felt such a dire need in his whole life.
“I need you. Now, Jason, I need you,” Kara whimpered. Jason picked her up off his lap and flipped her over onto the couch, pulling her pants and underwear off in one motion, then dropping his own just as fast. Without hesitation he crawled on top of her as she lay spread and waiting for him. He slipped into her easily, both of them emitting a sharp gasp at the sensation. Kara clenched around him and pulled him deeper as he braced himself on top of her. The feel of her surrounding him had his eyes rolling back in his head while his body took over. He began to thrust breathlessly, his longing for her apparent in every move he made, as he lowered himself down to his elbows, encasing her in his arms and changing the direction of his motions. He felt and heard her gasp and hold him tighter. This wasn’t going to last long, this was pure need incarnate. He pressed his nose into her hair, and then began kissing her neck fervently, gently nipping and sucking, marking her lightly as his need increased.
“Jason,” Kara moaned, grasping at his back and clawing his shoulders lightly.
Jason pulled out swiftly and turned her over, re-entering her from behind and groaning as he completely sheathed himself once again. Kara began to cry out as he picked up his pace and pounded her over and over. He reached between her legs, putting pressure where she needed it as she clenched her legs together and began to shake.
“Yes!” she cried out, pounding her fist on the couch cushion above her head. Feeling her fall apart, Jason lost all control and thrust with abandon, losing himself quickly inside her. He collapsed on top of her back, sweaty and spent as he gasped for air. After a few moments of coming down from their pinnacle, Jason gently pulled himself away and stood up next to the couch. Without a word, he extended his hand to Kara, helping her off the couch.
After re-dressing, grinning the entire time, Kara smirked at Jason, “Now, you said something about dinner?”
~*~
After dinner Jason gave Kara the key he’d had made for her, telling her to use it as often as she liked; she was always welcome in his home. She made use of it several times as he had done with the key she had given him on New Year’s Eve. They seemed to settle into a routine, spending almost every night together and moving forward toward something neither of them really could comprehend.
It was February when the white envelope arrived in his mailbox. The envelope that would change everything and shatter the love bubble they’d been living in; the envelope nobody had expected, at least not for a while longer.
Chapter Sixteen
It was February twelfth, two days before Valentine’s Day, when Jason received acceptance into the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Seattle.
He sat on his couch and stared at the large white envelope, enrollment forms spilling out of the gaping opening, as it sat on the table. He stared at the contents, unsure of the feelings that overwhelmed him.
“Shit,” he said to the empty room.
~*~
Valentine’s Day was particularly busy at Edible Delectables. Mostly it was customers coming in to pick up orders they had placed, but there were always a few panicked people coming in at the last minute to see if they could arrange for some sort of “surprise.” Kara was always gracious and in the past had accommodated many of the last minute patrons, but this year she had to decline them. This year, Kara had a date on Valentine’s Day - her first Valentine’s date in a long time.
She was so excited she posted a “Closed at 6:00 p.m. on Valentine’s Day” sign on the door prior to the holiday. Thankfully, by six o’clock, all the cakes that were ordered in advance had been picked up. She had learned from years past that there would be plenty of last minute orders, so she had prepared a few extra generic cakes in advance, which also sold. At precisely six o’clock she closed up the shop and headed to Jason’s for the evening.
~*~
“Hey, beautiful,” Jason greeted her as Kara walked into the townhouse.
“Hi,” Kara replied. She tossed her purse onto the couch and met Jason halfway as he approached her for a hug.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Jason murmured, leaning in for a kiss. “How was your day?”
“Much better now,” Kara kissed him again, pulling his full lower lip between hers and sucking lightly, and releasing it with a loud smack. “Honestly, if I see one more pink cupcake, I may hurl.”
Jason snickered and kissed her forehead. “This is a baked goods free zone, I promise.”
They had discussed going out for the evening, but decided to stay in and rent a movie instead of dealing with crowded restaurants. After they prepared dinner together in the kitchen and it was safely in the oven, they settled down in the living room.
“What movie did you get?” Kara kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs up under her on the couch.
Jason walked to the entertainment center and pulled the movie from a bag, holding it up and showing it to her proudly.
Kara looked at the movie, then at Jason, and then back to the movie.
“Valentine?”
“Yeah, you know, for Valentine’s Day,” he answered, the smile on his face begging her for approval.
“Isn’t that a horror movie?”
Jason’s smile sta
rted to fade, “It has that guy from Buffy in it. You like that show.”
Seeing the look of excitement begin to die away from his eyes, Kara got up from the couch and slipped her arms around his neck. “I do like that show. David Boreanaz is hot.” She lifted up on her toes and kissed his chin, reaching out and grabbing the movie from his hands. Flipping it over she read the back and couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped. “Put it in,” she said, smiling as she handed it back to him.
She never would have expected it, but sitting on Jason’s couch, watching a campy horror flick and eating baked chicken, turned out to be the best Valentine’s Day she had ever had.
~*~
Two days after Valentine’s Day Jason was still ignoring the admission papers he’d stacked on his desk. He should have been excited about the acceptance, but he wasn’t. Instead, he was anxious. Not knowing what to do, Jason called his father and asked if they could meet for lunch, hoping his father could help him sort out his thoughts.
Jason got to the restaurant first and was seated at a table, head in his hands, deep in thought, when his father arrived.
“Jason,” Jeff greeted him as he pulled out a chair.
Jason looked up and smiled weakly at his dad, “Hey, thanks for coming.”
“And to what do I owe the pleasure?” Jeff asked, picking up his menu and looking it over.
“I got in,” Jason said quietly. “They usually don’t do selections until spring but I got the paperwork this week. I got into the fellowship program.”
“That’s fantastic, son, congratulations!” Jeff put his menu down and stood up to give him a hug, and Jason complied, but Jeff could see his reluctance.