Gerald woke up to a light rapping on the door. He closed his eyes tight and opened wide, helping his eyes adjust to the darkness. He knew who was on the other side of the door; it was the reason which was unknown. He turned his head to the clock - 3:45AM. What could she be doing up so late?

Kim gently opened his door, and saw his outline in the covers. “Ge?” She whispered. “Are you awake?” She walked into his room and saw him move. She walked closer, “Ge?” She whispered a little louder.

“He’s not conscious yet,” he answered.

Kim laughed and sat on the foot of his bed. “I couldn’t sleep.” She said.

Gerald adjusted himself so he was sitting up, back against the head board. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t help but think about last night.” She admitted, running her fingers over her arms. She could feel the cold breeze coming through his opened window.

“What do you keep thinking about?” He said, moving forward so he was now beside her.

He looked at her soft features and watched her eyes close. “I remember being in your arms,” she answered, smiling to herself. “I remember feeling your heart beat against your chest.” Kim could remember it so clearly, as if she was back there the night before. “I remember the warmth of your hands on my back,” she turned her head and opened her eyes to him. “I remember you kissing me. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were drunk. I didn’t know…”

She leaned in until their noses were barely touching, her eyes never leaving his gaze. His hand instinctively went to her back. He ran his hand along her thin tank top and felt that she was braless. Her lips light brushed against his, but enough to make him go crazy. “I’m not drunk,” she said, her voice breathy, spreading against lips, just as her kiss did.

Her palms settled on his cheek, feeling the growing stubble. It was his turn now to meet her half way, his kiss more intense than the original. It was true, all he could think about was her lips on his, her touch, her sighs against his neck. Gerald tilted his head, holding hers underneath her chin and maneuvering her head to get more of her.

Gerald pushed her down so her back was flat on the bed and his lips moved over the curve of her cheek, across her jaw and down her neck and shoulder. He paused and nuzzled at the sensitive area between her neck and shoulder, alternating soft bites and longer laps of his tongue. He could feel her shudder beneath him and moaned aloud.

Kim’s body grew more sensitive with each touch. She could feel his hands shift down to her bare stomach as he found her lips once again. He pulled her shirt up to a certain, just below her s. He pulled apart and looked at he face, not knowing if she was ready, however, he was more than ready and willing.

Kim opened her eyes and wondered what happened and why he stopped. She pulled him back down by the neckline of his T-shirt, and if he wasn’t going to do it, she would. Her hands found the bottom of the t-shirt and pulled it up his body, feeling every contour and ridge on his stone hard abs and muscular chest. He broke the kiss long enough to finish it off for her. Her next goal, she grabbed hold of his shoulders and pushed him over and down so they were in the opposite positions - her on top and him beneath her. She straddled his thighs and kissed him with more urgency now. Her hips gyrating against his, and him moving with her. Kim sat up and looked down at him. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since you told me you wanted to be the father of my baby.” Her hands went to the bottom of her shirt and she slowly raised it up, baring her silk body. “Ge, I want you,” she said, continuing to raise her shirt slowly, as if she was prolonging his need and desires.

Right when she was about to reveal everything, they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Gerald paused and looked at the door. Who could that have been? The door inched open and he saw Kim in her tank top and sweat pants. What!? He thought. He looked back in front of him and could only see black dots. His breath came out in short gasps and looked down at himself. He was spread across the bed with his t-shirt back on.

“Ge? Are you awake?” She asked.

Gerald didn’t understand. He sat up and looked around his room. He just realized that his eyes were still drowsy and he even felt a little drool on his chin. And that’s when he noticed that everything that just happened was a dream. Kim writhing and beneath him, her taking charge, the kisses that tantalized every part of his body; it was all a dream. He looked to the door and saw a confused look on her face.

“Are you okay? I heard you mumbling in your sleep.” She told him, hugging her body. “It’s freezing in here,” she looked at the window.

Gerald got up and slammed the window shut. “What time is it?”

She checked his clock on his nightstand, “3:45. Are you sure you’re okay?” Kim repeated.

He immediately felt embarrassed and completely aroused. “Yeah. I guess I was just dreaming.”

Kim smiled, “It must’ve been good. You wee smiling. What was it about?”

Gerald lied, “I don’t remember.”

She nodded. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned around.

“Kim!” He called out to her. “Actually, I’ll probably be gone by the time you wake up. I want to get a early start on some of the paperwork and do a couple of errands before dinner. So…”

“Oh. Alright, then…I’ll see you whenever you get home.” Her voice a little more disappointed than she intended. She shut the door and her head fell against it. Her breath came out in a sigh, knowing he was lying to her right then and there, knowing he needed to get away from her and it was killing her. She knew all of this, because she heard him saying her name over and over, but he couldn’t admit it. He wouldn’t admit it, and that was what was killing her. She already lost a huge part of her, and she knew that her relationship with Gerald would never be the same because of that kiss. She just wouldn’t be able to lose more of herself. There, she admitted it. Gerald was a part of her now, she was falling in love him.

Gerald collapsed on his bed, it quaking with his weight smashing onto it. How much he wished that dream was real. It felt so real. He could feel her kiss on his lips, feel her touch on his fingertips, feel her breath on his skin. He could just feel her, and he couldn’t wait to have made love to her right here, right now. Gerald was still getting aroused just thinking about it, his senses heightening. He couldn’t take it anymore, he needed a cold shower fast, and if things continued on like this, he’d be getting clean cold more than once a day.

It was late evening when Gerald arrived home. “Kim!” He called out as he read over the names on the mail. “Kim!” He yelled again when he didn’t get a response the first time.

“In the kitchen!” Her faceless voice answered. “I’m making dinner.”

His head shot up and chuckled. “Dinner?”

Her head popped out from the kitchen smiling, “Yes, dinner. You got a problem with that?” Gerald shook his head. “Okay then. There’s a beer on the table for you and a magazine about cars.” She motioned with her hands. “It’ll be ready in half an hour.” She said before sticking her head back in the kitchen and continuing on what she hoped would be an edible masterpiece.

He put the mail down on his desk, removed his jackets and shoes and sat on the couch opening his beer. He enjoyed this, coming home to someone, eating dinner with someone, enjoying their company. Most of all, he enjoyed that it was Kim.

There was a loud clanging coming from the kitchen which caused Gerald to turn his head. “No!” He heard Kim yell, but shrugged it off. It was just a couple of pots that fell, he rationalized. But when he flipped the page, another loud clanging, more than the first, occurred. “Damn it!” She whined.

“Kim?!” He called, putting the magazine down, disappointed that he only got to page three. “What happened?” He heard her footsteps approach.

Kim was soaked. “Gerald,” she said, “The garlic bread, I put it under the broiler and now I’m soaking wet!” She took the bottom of the shirt and tugged on it to free one arm. “It caught on fire, and so I grabbed the hose…thingy sprayer,” she freed the arm and watched him laugh at her. “Why are you laughing at me?” Her face serious.

Gerald covered his mouth and watch her eyes shoot daggers at his laughing eyes. “I’m not laughing at you,” he lied.

“I try to make you dinner and you think it’s funny,” she felt insulted.

“Well we can always order in, like the past month.” He told her, watching her as she struggled to get the sweater off her back.

“No, we can’t, because I gotta get out of these wet clothes.” She turned around, and with the sweater over head but not yet freeing her face, she was walking directly into the table with a glass lamp on it.

Gerald chuckled, and grabbed her waist, pulling her back. “Hold on a minute,” he tried to help her, pulling it up and over her head. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered.

“I know,” she said turning around and whipping her hair right onto her face. Her hair was sticking to her skin and she looked at Gerald who was giving her the stare that implied something more than just ‘I’m laughing at you.’ It was one of those intense stares that most people get uncomfortable with because it seems that they see right through you.

She wiped her hair off her face until his fingers met hers, and he finished doing it for her.

Gerald really just wanted to touch her again. After dreaming about her last night, he really wanted to feel her again, and seeing her wet and in a see-through camisole, she looked delicious. He dipped his head and sealed his lips over hers, catching her neck in time so she didn’t fall back.

Kim was caught off guard. Of course kissing Gerald was something she wanted to do over and over again, but she didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Her hands feel onto his tight stomach as their lips moved. He on her lower lip, but with just enough pressure that allowed him to enter.

Just a quick taste of her, he told himself and goodness did she taste sweet. He pulled apart, but his hands stayed around her neck, caressing her flawless skin. He took a step back and looked at her surprised expression.

“I’m not drunk,” she whispered, just like his dream. The only difference was that this wasn’t a dream.

One corner of his lip lifted, “I know.”

“It’s just, the last time I kissed you I was drunk. Or maybe we kissed, I’m not sure. You just stood there and let me. But I’m a little hazy on the details, except…except I just know that kissing you felt right. I mean, I’ve been wanting to kiss you for the longest time and I finally did…but I’m not drunk.” She stopped when she saw his face contort with confusion.

“Kim…” he breathed.

“No, I know,” she finally realized that this was all a mistake. “Maybe we should forget all of this happened. I agree,” she lied, walking away. “But it did,” Kim said, her lips, tasting him. “And I can’t.” Kim shrugged. “So now what do we do?”

Gerald walked to her, taken back by her reaction. He didn’t expect this, but neither did she. “I guess I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“I’m glad,” her answer rushed out. “I’m glad you think that we kissed, on oppose that you think I jumped you,” she chuckled, trying to light the air with her stupid jokes.

Gerald shook his head, “No, you’re really tiny.” He teased.

She chuckled, “You know what I mean.” It was silent for a moment. And for the first time since moving in, they’ve experienced those awkward silences. “Do you feel something for me?”

“Kim…”

“Ge, please, just answer me. Yes or no. Those past couple of days I’ve been torturing myself with these questions. I kissed him, what does he think? He didn’t tell me we kissed; does that mean he’s embarrassed? Should I be embarrassed? You say my name in the middle of the night and my stomach flutters.” She explained.

His eyes widened, “I say your name?”

“Last night,” she recalled. “When I caught you mumbling in the middle of the night. And you leave right in the morning; you come home later than usual. I just have no idea if that means anything. Does it? I mean, is it just physical attraction between the two of us? Because I’m definitely attracted to you,” Kim pointed at his body with her hands, “And maybe you’re attracted to me, I just…I don’t want to start hoping for something that could never happen; especially with everything that did happen already.” Gerald just watched her rant, not saying a word. “Or maybe it’s time for me to move out, before any of this gets anymore complicated.”

He started at her and took a step towards her. One hand taking hers, “Are you asking me if I want you?” Kim met his gaze afraid of his answer. He leaned in, and kissed her once more. “I want you.” He answered. “I want you to stay.” Gerald didn’t want to think about losing her. He’d grown used to her after such a long time that it he didn’t want to lose what was already happening between them.

They ordered dinner and sat on the floor of the apartment. Kim crossed her legs in front of her, eating off her chop sticks. “So what’d you dream last night?”

Gerald laughed, “I’m sure you’d like to know.”

“I would. Your sister said you had a thing for me. She said everyone saw it.” She chuckled. “It’s not every night that someone says my name when they’re sleeping.”

“You’ve been talking to my sister about this? Well then, I guess you’re not finding out,” he smiled.

Kim shrugged, “Than I’m taking some of your food,” she dug into his carton. “I’ll tell you what I dreamed about last night.” He gave her his attention. “I dreamed about Ysabelle and you and me. She um…it was her first day of school.” Her gaze left his for a moment a picture of her last sonogram that was on his mantle. “We dropped her off and she didn’t want to let go of your hand. Her grip was around your index finger and she didn’t want to let go.” She smiled. “We were a family.” Gerald’s touch dried her tears. “It was a happy dream.” Kim assured him.

And now he felt bad for what he was dreaming. While she dreamed of the family she lost, he dreamed of making love to the woman he wanted. Gerald cleared his throat, which cleared that thought. “I think about her all the time. When you were in that hospital bed, all I kept thinking was that I had imagined her whole first year of her life.” He laughed. “Holding her, feeding her, watch her crawl, her pulling herself up and standing. I had no idea how much I counted on it until it was gone. She’s something we share, Kim. I think that’s why this is happening now.” His legs encompassed hers, his hand resting against her cheek. “For those nine months, we were a family. I’ve watched change from this totally self-absorbed person,” she laughed. “Into this amazing, beautiful, y person.”

She relaxed against his hand. “You think I’m y?”

He laughed, “Ever since you got drunk and told me you wanted to kiss me. Also when you came into my room last night and enticed every aroused feeling known to man kind.”

Kim’s jaw dropped. He leaned in and thoroughly kissed her, learning and memorizing the taste of her. “Now that’s what I’ve wanted to do for the longest time.” He tried to lean in once again, but she stopped him.

“Look, I like you. I like you a lot. I just…I don’t want to rush things you know. We’ve both had a hard time lately, and in a long time it feels like things are getting better and it’s mostly because of you. And I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to lose what we had before this whole kissing fiasco. I just want to take it slow.”

Gerald smiled, “Slow is always better,” sealing his lips over hers once again.

Comments, please :D:D