Silver, Blue & Gold

Jake took her in as she stood in front of him. She was beautiful. Maybe not in a model-perfect way, but her face was so open, so friendly; and her eyes were such a clear blue. Ever since she had surprised him with that hug, he'd been more than a little anxious to try it again. The chance just hadn't presented itself. Until now.

"You're right," he said. "Let me make up for it." He took a step forward and pulled her to him, finding her lips with no trouble at all. When she gave a startled gasp, he took advantage and gently slipped his tongue against hers. Champagne, he thought, she tastes like champagne. With one hand at her waist, he slid his other around her neck and pressed her close.

Molly wrapped her arms around him almost involuntarily, then held tightly, afraid he would let go. She'd wished for so long now that he would do exactly this that she wanted it to last as long as possible. She ran the fingers of one hand through his hair and smiled to herself when he gave a small mmmmm of pleasure. Then his hand threaded into her hair and tugged gently so that she tilted her head back. It was her turn to sigh when he gently kissed her neck.

He found her lips again and slowly, reluctantly pulled away. He stepped back slightly but kept his arms around her. They stared at each other for a few moments, not sure what to say. Molly was afraid if she spoke she wouldn't stop and bit her lip to keep quiet. Jake thought that was somewhere between adorable and really sexy.

"I hope that wasn't, um, out of line," he said.

"Maybe a little out of left field," Molly said, almost shyly. He laughed and the tension dissolved. They stepped apart and after Molly found her keys, they left.

"I've wanted to do that for a while," Jake said as he started the car. "I just wasn't sure if I should."

"Why would you think you shouldn't?" Molly asked.

Jake shrugged. "I don't know where I am quite yet," he said. Molly felt her heart sink a little. "The whole thing with Chelsea really messed me up and I don't want to mess anyone else up."

"I can understand that," said Molly. "But... messing up is part of the risk of any relationship, isn't it?" She didn't want to pressure him, but she did hope to find out what he thought of her. Of them, maybe, if there was a them. There ought to be after that kiss, she thought to herself.

"Sure." Jake nodded. "It just seems like you should try to keep it to a minimum if you can. I feel like I'm in the maximum risk zone."

"I work in a hospital," Molly reminded him. "I see risk all the time."

"You do, don't you?" he mused.

She nodded. "It's never easy, but a lot of times it's worth it."

Jake was quiet for a bit as he drove. "I don't know if I'm worth any risk for you, Molly," he said seriously.

It was her turn to ponder an answer. "I think it's up to the person taking the risk to decide that, don't you?"

x-x-x-x

The game had all-star pitchers, amazing plays in the field, and several crowd-pleasing home runs. Jake barely noticed. Instead, he found himself concentrating on Molly. They teased each other as the teams traded the lead, made jibes when the managers brought in new pitchers. Jake was surprised to find out how much baseball trivia Molly knew. The few times he'd gotten Chelsea to a game, she'd made an effort to understand the rules, but not much more.

Molly was fun to watch, he decided. She tensed when the count was full, cheered for the acrobatic catches, and poked him when the Phillies scored their runs. Not just fun to watch, he thought, fun to be with. Being this close to Molly also had one unintended effect -- he kept looking for excuses to touch her. Nothing major, just a tap on the knee or shoulder to point something out. At one point he used a lame excuse about one of the outfield billboards as a reason to put an arm around her shoulder.

He wasn't sure he'd ever had quite these same feelings with Chelsea.

Had he enjoyed his time with Chelsea? He pondered that as he went to the concourse for some snacks between innings. He must have, he reasoned, or he wouldn't have stayed with her so long. They had had some enjoyable times -- he remembered movies they saw, parties with friends, and a few times they'd gone away for weekends.

Waiting for the pretzels and sodas, he gave it more thought. The movies, more often than not, he realized, had been Chelsea's choices. He hadn't minded, so he'd gone along. Rarely had Chelsea agreed with one of his suggestions. The parties had been mostly her friends -- Chelsea had never liked Cameron, which had always surprised Jake. Everyone liked Cam. Even the weekend trips had been at her convenience.

How had he let that happen? He shook his head at himself as he walked back to his seat. Why had he let everything he wanted be overruled by what she wanted so often? Surely, that wasn't healthy. Was he so afraid to be alone? Was she?

Molly's laugh drew his attention as he waited for a break in the action to return to his seat. She was chatting with another Phillies fan behind her. She's so friendly, Jake thought. He loved to see her smile, hear her laugh. He sighed and walked to his seat while the next batter stepped into the box. He knew what Cam would say if Jake brought it up. First, Cam would smack him on the back of the head, then point out the obvious -- Molly was sweet, she liked Jake, and Jake should get his head out of his ass and start dating her.

Thanks, Cam, Jake thought. You always did know the best way to phrase things.

"Oh, my brother cried for days when Schmidt retired," Molly was saying to her new friend. "My father finally told him, 'For God's sake, the man's retired, not dead.'" The man behind her roared with laughter. She turned her attention to Jake as he sat down.

"Hey, you're back!" She beamed and reached to take the drinks before they could spill. "You have good timing. Nothing happened on the last at bat, so you didn't miss anything."

"Cool," said Jake. "They must have been waiting for me so they can pull out the dramatic, come-from-behind win."

Molly laughed. "There's still an inning and a half left, and is it that dramatic when you're only one run behind?"

"I'll take what I can get," Jake said with a wink. He took his drink from her, letting his fingers brush over hers.

Molly felt herself blushing and bent her head, ostensibly to set a napkin on her lap so she could lay her soft pretzel on it. Jake was driving her crazy with all of his little touches. She didn't know what to think. Were they accidental? Was he just that kind of person, like Shirley at work? Shirley was always patting a shoulder or squeezing a hand. Or, Molly almost dared to hope, did it mean he wanted to touch her? Because she was sure she wanted him to.

x-x-x-x

"I think you should buy dinner," Jake said. "Your team won, after all."

"Loser buys," Molly said. "Remember, that was your idea." Just as they had entered the stadium, Jake had proposed a bet with dinner as the prize.

"It shouldn't count," he said with a grin. "I still had hope at that point. The game hadn't started. I was overwhelmed with the possibilities."

"Don't try to wiggle out of this one, Counselor," she said. "You won't find a technicality here."

"Don't be so sure," said Jake. "I'm a pretty good lawyer."

"Tell you what," said Molly. "How about we compromise? You pay, but we'll go to McDonald's or something."

Jake laughed, but part of him was touched. When had Chelsea ever compromised, even on something as silly as this? When had he tried for one, instead of simply going along with her?

"I can do better than Mickey D's," he said.

"Chipotle?" Molly suggested.

"No," said Jake, "I think I can afford a place with chairs that don't swivel."

"Good," said Molly with a relieved sigh. "Those kind of seats always make me feel queasy." Jake laughed again and found a diner called Spooner's that he and Cam had been to a few times. They had good food and quick service, and Molly was delighted with the 1940s theme.

"I love film noir," she said, looking at the pictures on the walls. "I have a bunch of DVDs but never have time to watch them."

"My aunt watched so many of those she got depressed," Jake said. "She switched over to romantic comedies for a while."

"I used to watch them with my grandmother," said Molly. "My mom has a list of about ten movies that she'll watch, and six of them need subtitles. My sister won't watch anything that doesn't involve Meg Ryan or Sandra Bullock."

"I've got a soft spot for old movies," Jake said. The server dropped off their orders and he picked up some ketchup for his fries. "I watched a lot in law school. Thank God for TCM. There isn't much on at three in the morning."

"I did the same thing in nursing school," Molly said with a smile. "After I was brain dead from studying, I'd find something to watch. Then I'd pull out my laptop and find out the title, since I was almost always in the middle of something."

"What's your favorite?" Jake asked.

"I really like Out of the Past, with Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum," Molly said, sliding the pickles off her sandwich. "Almost anything with Kirk Douglas, really."

"Can't go wrong there," Jake agreed. "I've never seen that one, though."

"Oh, you should come over sometime," Molly said reflexively. "We could watch it together."

"How about tonight?" he asked. "Unless you're too tired?"

"Oh." Molly stared at him in surprise. She'd never expected him take her up on it, at least not so quickly. Lost for a reply, she could only say, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Jake said, and Molly felt herself melt a little at the warmth in his voice.

"That'd be fine," she said. Then her nerves kicked in. "I don't have to work tomorrow so that should work, but I don't have much in the way of snacks or anything unless you want to stop by the store on the way back and --" Jake leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

"We'll be fine," he assured her.

x-x-x-x

Now this is the way to watch a movie, Jake thought. He sat on Molly's couch and she was curled up next to him. His arm was around her shoulders, and if he just leaned his head down a little, he could smell the light, airy scent of her shampoo. The lights were dimmed to make it easier to see the screen.

He hadn't really cared about the movie, he realized. He just didn't want to stop being with Molly. Everything about the day had just been so much better than he'd expected, he couldn't bear to see it end. It would have to, but he delayed it as much as he could.

Molly's apartment was much nicer than his, he had decided instantly. The furniture wasn't a matched set, but it went together nicely. It was comfortable, like Molly herself. Not like my apartment, he noted. Mine's like stepping into the model house in a new development. His apartment was cold, and he loved the warmth in Molly's.

The difference again between Molly and Chelsea, he observed to himself wryly. Molly had pictures of friends and family scattered throughout the living room in colorful, decorative frames. Chelsea had swept all of Jake's pictures away and into his extra bedroom, saying they cluttered up the space and collected dust.

There's just so much color here, he thought. Little throw pillows and blankets and knick-knacks made it almost festive. There was no beige, no neutral browns or grays. Just lots of little spots of color that lifted a person's spirits. He vowed right then to clean up and fix up his own place as soon as he could. Maybe Molly would even help...

She stirred and stretched. "Sorry," she said, looking up with sleepy eyes. "I guess I was a little more tired than I thought."

"That's okay." Jake stared down at her. Light from the TV shimmered over her, putting silver specks in her blue eyes. He ran one hand through her hair, watching the gold strands drift through his fingers. Then he kissed her.

He couldn't help it. Her lips looked so soft he had to feel them for himself. He slid his lips against hers gently, taking advantage of her small sigh to slip his tongue between her lips. She still tasted like champagne. Shifting on the couch, he pulled her up against him, moaning softly as her body pressed against his. Suddenly it was urgent that he discover exactly what her body felt like, to find out if it was as warm and responsive as he hoped it would be.

Molly was surprised by the kiss, but wasn't going to let the opportunity go. She hadn't realized just how much those little touches at the game had gotten to her until now. She let Jake pull her to him, almost sighing at the feel of his body against hers. One of her arms rested against Jake's chest, but the other was free and she laid it against his cheek, feeling the light stubble.

She stiffened in surprise as Jake pulled her shirt out of her waistband and slowly slid his hand under her shirt. He felt her tense and stopped, keeping his hand low on her back and gently stroking. His lips left hers, tracing a line of kisses to her ear.

"Is this all right?" he whispered, gently rubbing his cheek against hers. Molly shivered as his whiskers tickled her neck.

"It's wonderful," she said when she had her voice again. She moved so she could meet his eyes. "Please, touch me, Jake. Please."

He found her lips again and kissed her deeply, more insistently, and she responded in kind. Jake let the hand on her back move up slowly but was frustrated when he tried to slide his other hand down from her hair. The couch was too restrictive, unless he wanted to tumble them both onto the floor. Although that had its own appeal, he wanted more than that for Molly.

"Can we take this elsewhere?" he asked, reluctantly pulling his lips from hers.

Molly nodded as his green eyes blazed down at her. She didn't trust herself to talk, afraid she would spoil the mood if she did. This was one time she thought non-verbal communication might be her best option. She took Jake's hand to lead him to the bedroom.

Before they'd gone more than a few steps down the short hallway, Jake spun her back to him and took her lips once more, pressing her against the wall. Molly made no protest, only wrapped her arms more tightly around him as her tongue and body danced with his.

"You," said Jake as he nibbled at her neck, "are a siren. You're going to drive me crazy."

"You started it," Molly said weakly, and Jake gave a sly grin at the challenge.

"Guess I'd better finish it, then," he said, and pulled her into the bedroom.

Molly felt herself quickly losing control. All she wanted was for Jake to kiss her, to touch her. She wasn't sure she liked being so in thrall to the demands of her body, but neither did she want to fight it. When Jake's hands slid under her shirt again, this time with the intention of removing it, she knew she couldn't resist anyway.

As soon as Jake had Molly's shirt off, he stripped off his own and crushed her to him, dying to feel her skin against his. She felt cool and sleek and he loved the contrast with his body, which felt like it was on fire. He ran his lips over her skin hungrily, nipping at her neck and shoulder, and smiling to himself at the sounds she made.

Molly felt almost drunk, light-headed with the sensations Jake caused. She didn't think she'd ever been wanted or desired as much as she was at this moment. She ran her hands over his shoulders and back, exploring his body and wanting to touch more of it.

"You still have too many clothes on," Jake murmured. Before Molly could react, he unhooked her bra and slid it off, drinking in the sight of her body as he revealed it. He ran his hands over her pale skin, savoring the silky feeling. He raised his eyes to her face and found her biting her bottom lip again and blushing slightly. Smiling, he cupped her face. "You're beautiful," he said before kissing her again.

The compliment gave Molly new confidence, and she slowly lowered her own hands down his back and sides, running her fingers just inside the waist band of his jeans, teasing him. He growled slightly and Molly smiled against his lips. She gasped when he mirrored her movements, making her jump slightly. Jake pulled back slightly and gazed at her, green eyes dark with desire.

"That's enough teasing," he said in a rough voice. In what seemed like a blink, Molly found herself on the bed next to him and the rest of their clothes had disappeared. She stretched out next to him, trying to touch as much of him as she could. Jake wrapped one arm around her waist and tangled his other hand in her hair, pulling her as close as he could while his tongue explored her mouth. He couldn't get enough of that slightly sweet taste.

He rolled to his back and Molly took advantage to begin a more thorough exploration of his body. He groaned as she teased him with her fingers and lips; it felt like she left streaks of ice along his burning skin. When she rubbed her body against his, he dug his fingers into her hips to keep her close. She wriggled out of his grasp and kissed lower and lower until she had him, hard and hot, in her mouth.

Molly couldn't help smiling to herself as she felt him losing control too. His hands moved from her shoulders to her hair and back as though he couldn't decide where to put them. Then he surprised her by grabbing her arms and pulling her back up where he could kiss her. "Too much," was all he said before rolling so that she was underneath him.

"My turn," he told her. Jake felt like a starving man who had come upon a feast. He brushed his lips along her neck, down her chest, finally teasing a nipple with her tongue. Molly arched up against him as though offering more. He took it. His hand moved to her other breast, gently massaging until she was breathless. Before she could regain her breath, he slid his hand down slowly, teasing her. Then he found the warmth and wetness between her legs and it was such a contrast to the coolness of her body that he couldn't resist tasting her.

This time when Molly arched off the bed, she shook and let out a soft cry that might have been his name. He thought it was, and wanting to hear it again, he continued to use his tongue and drove her to another climax. Finally he heard her soft whispers asking him to stop. Resting his head on her stomach, he stroked her sides gently while she came back to herself.

"Do you want this?" he asked as he moved over her, resting on his arms. "Tell me now and I'll stop. I won't do anything you don't want, Molly."

She reached up and ran her fingers through his dark hair. He closed his eyes and bent his head closer so she could continue. She put a hand under his chin to make him look at her. "I want this, Jake," she said softly. "I want you." She rubbed her leg against his.

"God, I want you, too," he said. Then he slid inside and kissed her hard, his tongue mimicking the rhythm of his hips.

Molly let her head fall back and her eyes closed, floating on the sensations running through her body. Their bodies were perfectly matched, she thought distantly as she met each thrust. She hadn't had many lovers, but she knew it couldn't be better than this.

Jake whispered to her, not even sure what he was saying. He wanted to tell her how lovely she was, how amazing she felt, and hoped some of that came through. Not long enough, he thought as he fought back his climax. It was no use. Molly trembled around him, her body gripping his tightly as she came again in his arms. Jake lowered his head to her shoulder and gave in, groaning softly as the orgasm washed through him.

They said nothing, comfortable in the dark, in the silence. Jake pressed his lips gently to her forehead, stroking her arm. Molly drifted and drifted until she fell asleep.

Jake didn't think he'd ever had a night quite like this one. They would sleep, or at least doze, and then one of them would touch the other, softly at first. Then the desire would build and they'd make love again. Finally, a bit before dawn, they fell asleep and didn't wake until mid-morning.