Fire in the Night Ch. 12

Caitlin looked up at the knock on her hospital room door. It was nearly three a.m., and she doubted that it was a nurse checking in on her. She gave Jack a nervous glance. He was squeezed onto her hospital bed with her, holding her in an attempt to soothe her worries after the eventful evening.

He rubbed her arm reassuringly. "It's okay, baby, I'm here." To the visitor, he called, "Come in!"

The door swung open slowly. Shanna was standing there, her blue-green eyes looking down at the white, tiled floor. She was wearing red cotton pants with little white hearts scattered over them, a pair of white flipflops, and a white, spaghetti-strap, tight tank top. Her blonde hair was tousled and she wore no makeup; she'd clearly been roused from sleep. Jack actually thought she looked more attractive like this somehow -- more natural.

Shanna shuffled in, her eyes still on the floor. Caitlin held her breath, uncertain whether Shanna was angry, upset, or sad. Jack sat up and moved to the end of the bed, watching the two women uncertainly. He didn't want to interfere.

Shanna finally broke the silence with a whisper. "Cait, I am so, so sorry." She raised her head and Jack could see tears streaking down her flushed cheeks.

Caitlin opened her arms and Shanna rushed to her, throwing her arms around her stepsister and crying onto her shoulder. "Please, forgive me, Cait! I am so sorry I wasn't there for you! I should have stopped him," she moaned with misery.

Jack looked away, suddenly embarrassed to be witnessing this very personal moment between the sisters. He quietly got up and left the room, closing it gently behind him. He knew Caitlin would be grateful to him for allowing them some privacy.

*****

When Shanna had finally calmed enough to speak again, Caitlin gently pulled away.

"Shanna, please don't feel guilty," she said, her voice low. "You weren't even living at home at the time; there is no way you could have known what he did. I should have told you, or at least someone. I was just so scared and I didn't know what to do or who to trust." She shook her head bitterly. "I was just a kid, and you weren't much older, either. Neither of us should be feeling guilty for what he did."

Shanna nodded, sniffling slightly as she wiped her eyes with one small, delicate hand. "I know...I can hardly believe that he would ever hurt you like that. I just had no idea..." Her voice trailed off.

Caitlin's question was cautious. "How did you find out?"

Shanna sighed, raising her eyes to the ceiling in an attempt to hold back more tears. "Billy called me, I guess from the emergency room somehow." She shook her head thoughtfully. "He sounded so bizarre, so unlike himself. He said he deserves to pay for what he's done."

This was difficult for Caitlin to hear. "At least he acknowledges that, I suppose."

Shanna looked at her uncertainly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Caitlin's smile was sad, her eyes deep green with the pain of forgotten years, pain that shouldn't be relived. "I don't think so. I don't think it would help. One day I'll tell you the story, if you want to hear it. But right now, I just want to put it behind me."

Shanna nodded. "Of course, don't worry about it." She hesitated. "What are you going to do about Anne and Dad?"

Caitlin looked at Shanna with a serious expression. "Honestly? I want to leave in the morning before they get up."

In a thoughtful voice, Shanna responded, "Alright. I can distract them...unless you want to fly back home. I could go with you."

"Why don't you go back to the hotel and get some sleep?" Caitlin suggested. "Get up early, before they do. Leave them a note, and meet Jack and me at the airport, around seven-thirty. I think I can check out by seven. Anne and Stanley can get their own flight back home -- I don't want to deal with seeing them."

Shanna agreed. "Alright, I'll go get Jack." She leaned forward and gave her sister another hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours, hon. Try to get some rest."

Caitlin hugged her sister back, grateful for her understanding and support. "I will. I love you."

With a smile, Shanna answered, "I love you, too, Cait."

A final wave and Shanna left the room. Jack returned, turning off the lamp and curling up with Caitlin on the hospital bed.

In a quiet voice, Caitlin said, "We're flying back to California in the morning."

A silence followed her announcement. In the dark hospital room, Jack worried about his future with Caitlin. His voice hesitant, he asked, "Would you like me to come with you, Caitlin?"

He was relieved to hear her laugh. "Of course, silly! I meant 'we,' as in you, me, and Shanna!" She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek with tenderness. A hesitation and then, her tone nervous, she added, "I thought maybe we could get my things from San Francisco and ship them to your place in Long Beach...? Just until I find my own apartment, that is. After all, I'll be starting school in L.A. in a couple months."

He was thoughtful. "I don't know what's going to happen with the RV, but I can have my things shipped back to California. The insurance company should take care of the rest."

Her heart beating quickly, she asked, "Is that a yes?"

He gently touched her chin, moving her lips toward his in a soft kiss. "Of course, Caitlin. I love you. All I want is to be with you." He held his breath as he waited for her response.

Green eyes flashed with happiness in the darkness as she whispered, "I love you, too, Jack."

Their lips met in a passionate struggle to display their feelings for each other. In spite of himself, he found he was unable to hold back his arousal. His tongue dipped gently into her mouth, tasting the hot sweetness she possessed. He felt her breath catch as she quietly moaned, slipping her arms around his neck to pull him closer. His hands ran down her back, sliding under the tank top she had changed into for bed. She shivered, pleasant chills running down her spine as his fingers brushed her bare skin. He traced around her waist, stroking her taut stomach with gentle touches.

When his hand crept upward, she gasped softly. "Jack! We can't do that here!"

His chuckle was low and sexy in her ear, his breath tickling her pleasantly. "We can if we're quiet enough, little one. Can you control..." His hand stroked the underside of her left breast and she sucked in her breath. "...yourself?" he finished, one finger flicking her nipple.

Caitlin bit her lip, her eyes shining with the excitement and naughtiness of his proposition. "I can try," she whispered, her heart racing.

Delighted, he moved his hand out from under her shirt, running it up to her neck, trailing his fingers across her collarbone, shifting to move on top of her, leaving soft kisses from her ear down her neck. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back and trying to control her breathing.

Jack sucked lightly at her collarbone, and then moved his tongue down to tease the neckline of her tank top. He slid his hand under the top of her shirt, cupping her breast gently and pulling it free from its cotton enclosure. She sighed softly, her hands moving to his shoulders, kneading and massaging them gently in encouragement. His tongue drew a line down across her breast, circling around her nipple, teasing her. A quiet whimper escaped her when he took her nipple between his lips, sucking on it and flicking it with his tongue. His hand moving to her other breast, he pulled it up and out of her top, his thumb and forefinger pinching and stroking it lightly.

He moved his lips away from one nipple and murmured, "How quiet can you be, baby? Can you be quiet when I make you cum?" He felt her hands tighten on his shoulders, and he sucked on her nipple a bit harder, nipping it with his teeth. He heard her gasp, and renewed his ministrations, sucking and nibbling one nipple while pinching and caressing the other. He felt her hips begin to undulate beneath him, and recognized this as her signal that she was about to cum. 'God, she's so fucking hot,' he thought as he relentlessly pursued her orgasm. Her hips began to buck and he felt her fingernails indenting little half-moons into his shoulders.

"Oh fuck, oh shit, oh Jack, oh GOD" she hissed, somehow managing to keep her voice in a whisper as she climaxed, stars bursting behind her tightly closed eyelids.

Not giving her any time to rest, he shifted downward on the bed, yanking her cotton pants and panties to her ankles and forcefully spreading her legs, settling between them. A low moan sounded from above him as he breathed softly onto her soft, wet folds. He could see the moisture glistening from her arousal, her soft thighs damp with excitement. Her hands moved from clutching his shoulders to fisting the sheets into tight knots.

"Baby, you smell so delicious," he muttered. He heard her gasp, her hips shifting under him.

"Please..." she begged him quietly, her voice strained with tension.

He gave a slow, leisurely lick that ran up her slit, tasting her juices. She jerked as if burned by the heat of his tongue. "Please what, baby?"

She groaned, unsure if she could answer him without screaming her pleasure.

He slid one finger inside of her slowly, moaning himself at the fierce heat within. She was sopping wet, and he found that erotically intoxicating. He took her clit into his mouth, sucking and licking at her, earning a gasp from her. With skilled expertise, he caressed and tongued her right up to the edge of climax, and then stopped.

"Jack!" The plea was soft but urgent.

His tongue circled her clit. "You don't cum again until I do, baby," he whispered.

She groaned quietly with frustration. "Are you kidding me?"

He gave a low laugh. "Just making it interesting, little one." He stood up, taking his time to strip his clothes off and leaving his boxers on in case a nurse did decide to peak in. Grabbing a condom from his jeans, he pulled his already hard cock free from the boxers and slipped the condom on, moving on top of his love.

He leaned forward, brushing his lips over hers with a feather-light touch. "Spread your legs for me, baby. I want you to feel how much I want you." She gave a soft whimper as his erotic words sent a throb of arousal throughout her body. She spread her legs, her ankles held close together by her pants and panties.

"How quiet can you be?" he breathed, his tongue running along her lower lip. She shivered, holding her breath and biting her lip as he slowly began to sink into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, and heard him whisper, "No, no, little one, look at me." Her green eyes wide, she stared into his bright blue ones.

Jack watched her expression change from pleasure to ecstasy as he slowly slipped deeper within her. Her eyes began to take on a glazed look when he thrust as far as he could go and held it there, staying very still to give her some time to adjust. When her eyes focused on his again, he began rotating his hips in small circles, rubbing against every inch inside of her. She gasped softly, her eyes opening even wider with surprise.

"Oh my god, that feels...amazing," she whispered. He chuckled at the astonishment in her voice.

"I'm going to enjoy introducing you to every..." he thrust harder, earning a whimper, "...sexual..." another thrust, another whimper, "possibility." His thrusts quickened, pushing as far inside of her as he could, and then pulling out until only his head remained inside of her. He watched her small, white teeth nibble on her soft pink lower lip in an attempt to remain as quiet as possible. Her breaths came hard and fast, filling the silence in the hospital room.

Her cheeks flushed, Caitlin hissed, "Jack...you feel so good inside me...so hard..."

A small groan escaped him to hear her talk this way. "You feel so good wrapped around my cock, baby...so wet and tight, so hot..." She gasped, and her hips started to buck against his with firm, excited twitches. "Wait for me," he hissed breathlessly.

A groan as she tossed her head back and forth, panting. "I can't, I can't wait," she whispered urgently.

"Don't cum until I tell you to," he instructed with gritted teeth, moving his hands down to her hips to pull her up against him, shoving his pulsing dick into her with long, powerful thrusts. Her moans became impossible to control, and out of sheer desperation, she leaned forward and bit his shoulder in an attempt to muffle her cries.

"Oh fuck, now, baby, now!" he groaned, his balls tightening as he quickly reached his climax. Her hips began to jerk uncontrollably beneath him and he ducked his head, wrapping his lips around as much of her right breast as he could, moaning and gasping simultaneously against her skin as his cock twitched two, three times inside of her. He was nearly dizzy with exertion, the obscenities Caitlin spat sounding as if they came from a distance. He could taste her sweat on her breast and he sucked it off of her nipple as she shuddered beneath him.

Several minutes later, he somehow summoned the strength to pull out and away from her, rolling onto his back next to her and gasping to regain his breath. Dazed, he realized that she was panting as well.

"That was so unbelievably hot, Jack," she whispered breathlessly.

He gave a low laugh. "Yes, my little one, that was extremely hot...and sweaty."

Caitlin turned and gave him a giddy smile. "You know what I mean, silly!"

Jack gave her a soft kiss, and gently tucked her breasts back inside of her tank top. Surprised, she realized that they had made love with her pajamas still on, and she hastily yanked her pants and panties back up to her waist. He disposed of the condom and dressed quickly, not wanting to push their luck with the nurses giving them privacy.

Falling next to her in bed, he took her into his arms, and she entwined her legs within his to cuddle as close to him as possible.

He was nearly dozing when he heard a tentative whisper. "Jack?"

"Yes, baby," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Once we get back to California...things will still be good between us, right?"

He smiled and drowsily kissed her forehead. "Of course they'll be good. Don't you worry about a thing," he muttered. Happy and content, he was asleep before hearing a response.

A hopeful smile passing over her face, Caitlin began to drift off as well. "I love you, Jack," she whispered. The words felt good upon her lips.

*****

Shanna left Caitlin's hospital room in much better shape than when she'd arrived. Trying not to think about what fate awaited her younger brother, she instead focused on the fact that her stepsister was safe and sound. 'And happy,' she thought ruefully, remembering the look in Caitlin's eyes when she gazed at Jack.

She punched the down button for the elevator, and stepped in when the doors opened. Her teeth nervously chewed on her lower lip as she tried to avoid thinking about telling her father and stepmother what had happened tonight. She had no idea how they would react, but she doubted that it would be a happy conversation.

The elevator doors opened into the lobby, and she stepped out, staring reluctantly at the lobby doors. There was no strong desire within her to head back to the hotel just yet. Her adrenalin was still running high from this eventful evening, and she could really use some distraction. She moved her gaze from the lobby doors to Doug, the hospital security guard still standing watch.

Shanna approached him with the confidence of a woman who has done this a thousand times. Putting her hand on his arm to get his attention, she caught his eyes with her blue-green stare.

"Shanna, hi!" he said, his voice high with surprise.

A coquettish smile met his gaze. "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me earlier. Everything is okay with my stepsister, and I'm feeling much better."

He returned her smile uncertainly. "Of course, it was no problem at all," he answered.

Alright, so he's not the greatest at picking up signals. No matter.

Pitching her voice low and sultry, Shanna murmured, "I was wondering if you had a break coming up soon...? Maybe we could go for another ride in the elevator."

Brown eyes opened wide as he returned her heated stare, but Doug was no dummy. "G-give me five minutes," he stuttered. His shyness was quite adorable.

She had one last concern. "You won't miss a call from your girlfriend while you're gone, will you?" She refused to ever coerce a man to cheat on his woman -- she'd seen far too much of that from her dear stepmother.

He shook his head quickly. "No girlfriend."

Shanna gave him a thousand-watt smile. "I'll meet you at the elevator doors, cutie."

Turning with a confident toss of her bright blonde hair over her shoulders, Shanna strode off toward the elevators.

*****

Thank you so much to all of you who have enjoyed Jack and Caitlin's story. I'm hoping to follow up with a history of Shanna's experiences. I welcome all feedback and constructive criticism, so feel free to send it!