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Neal opened the door to his apartment and followed Christa into the kitchen. He placed the bag of takeout Chinese on the counter as Christa divested herself of her coat and scarf. She stood at the island counter fingering the scarf she had draped over the back of the stool with her coat.
Neal kept glancing her way as he opened the takeout containers. “You’re quiet.” He commented. “What are you thinking about?” Christa had barely said two words beyond her food preferences since they left the hospital.
Christa took the chopsticks and container of Kung Pao Chicken that Neal handed her. She took a few bites before setting it down on the counter. “Neal, “she started slowly and took a deep breath. The rest of her thoughts came out in a rush, “I feel like you have some unresolved feelings where Grace is concerned and I wonder if you are regretting now the whole disclosure to HR and, well, this.” She motioned between them.
Neal stared at her across the counter, stunned, with a slightly puzzled look on his face. Christa grimaced, “Sorry, it was a really long day, we don’t have to talk about this now. I just…” she trailed off, because she really didn’t know what to say, and began to fiddle with the chopsticks.
“No, we should talk” Neal finally said, his food forgotten on the counter. He looked at her and nodded, “You’re right.”
Christa’s eyes went wide, “I am?” she said, swallowing. Her heart sunk a little, and she placed the chopsticks carefully on the counter and stood bracing herself, for she was not sure where Neal was going with this, and she had hoped she was wrong. Her throat felt a little tight, but she tried to school her features and not let the swirling thoughts in her mind show on her face.
Neal noticed the way her eyes shuttered and her lips became tense and realized how he must have come across. “It would seem that I’m still a bit angry with her and I’m trying to figure out how not to be.” He tried to explain.
Christa was confused, she didn’t understand what Neal was trying to say. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “Neal, “she said gently. “It’s okay to be confused, I get it. What I am assuming is a painful part of your past has showed up and is right there in front of you.” Christa sat down on the bar stool, placing her elbows on the counter and resting her chin in her hands, and gazed at Neal standing across the counter from her. “I want you to know that I’m not insecure…but maybe a little jealous.” Christa gave him a wry smile and sat up a little straighter. “I know that you care about me, I don’t doubt that. But I think you care for her too. “She sat up straighter and tilted her head to the side a bit. “ Do you think you need time to figure things out? Because I really need you to be sure before I fall any deeper.” Christa kept a brave face on, but her heart was pounding and her eyes blurred as she tried to hold back her emotions. She didn’t want to fall apart, she knew despite what she had just said, she was already in deep.
Neal looked down for a moment then lifted his head to meet her eyes. She could tell that he was thinking, Neal rarely spoke without careful consideration to his words, it was one of the things she loved about him, and a trait she wish she had a little of, as she tended to let emotion get the best of her and her words.
Neal pushed away from the counter, and walked around it until he was standing beside her. He swivelled the stool so that she was facing him, her knees tucked between his slightly spread legs, and he ran his hands down her arms until he could grab her hands. Christa thought he looked a little nervous, or maybe just uncomfortable with the conversation, so she waited patiently for him to speak, enjoying the calming sensation of his thumbs running back and forth over her knuckles.
Neal cleared his throat. “Today I went to check on Rosaline, and I overheard Campbell ask Grace out to a concert.” Christa raised an eyebrow at Neal, wondering where he was going with this. “I was concerned, because you know he’s an ass – but I wasn’t jealous. “ His grip tightened on her hands. “You and I were not even together and I was bloody jealous when Mario would flirt with you.” He grinned, and Christa gave a watery grin back.
“I’m sorry if I’ve seemed a little off since she came back. I won’t lie, it was unsettling, and I can tell that you are uncomfortable too. I think a part of her thought she could come back and try to pick up where she left things. I’m trying to find a way to be her friend and not be angry about the past, because that is exactly what it is –the past, and we are both very different people now then we were a year ago. The last thing I want is to have you doubt how I feel about you.“ He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead gently and tucked it behind her ear giving her a pained look, “so to answer your questions, no I don’t need time to think about anything, and I don’t have any regrets. I’m exactly where I want to be.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “Well maybe not exactly where I want to be.” With that, he hauled her up against his body and kissed her soundly, Christa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He walked her backwards until the back of her legs hit the bed, and they tumbled down onto the king size bed that dominated one end of his bachelor style loft.
Christa scooted herself backwards on the bed, and Neal followed, crawling overtop of her. He paused and stared down at her, her hair was spread out over the bedspread and she smiled up at him.
“You’re beautiful” he whispered. She answered with a bigger smile and pulled his head down to meet hers in a searing kiss. He sat up, straddling her waist, and pulled his shirt off over his head. Christa ran her hands over his abs and hummed in pleasure. Neal slowly undid the buttons that ran down the front of her shirt, exposing her chest and a lovely lacy black bra. He pushed the shirt to the sides, and leaned down to press soft kisses to her neck, clavicle and all the way down to her stomach, Christa ran her hands through his soft hair. He lifted his head and glanced up at her “You have entirely too much clothing on.”
“I could say the same about you” she retorted with a laugh.
“Let’s fix that shall we?” His eyes bored into hers with such heat that she nearly shivered in anticipation. He stood up at the end of the bed, and slipped off the remainder of his clothes, while she sat up and hurriedly divested herself of her bra. She clumsily tried to shimmy out of her jeans. Laughing together, he tugged them off of her, leaving her sprawled on the bed in just her lacy black panties. “Stunning”, he said as his slowly kissed his way up her legs until he reached the juncture of her thighs and pressed light kisses to the lace covering her sex. Christa groaned and arched up, whimpering as he continued on to press kisses to the slight swell of her stomach and the faint silvery stretch marks that decorated the skin of her abdomen. He continued his gentle ministrations up her body until he reached her breasts and sucked one nipple into his mouth. Christa cried out in pleasure as she shifted his attention to the other. He kissed her lips so sweetly, and Christa held his face in her hands. He pulled away and stared into her eyes for a moment “I need you” he said with a slight rasp. Christa smiled, “I need you too” she answered, understanding that he meant more than just in that moment. He leaned down and kissed her again deeply, pouring everything he felt into that one kiss. Christa let out a moan as he reached down between them and ran his fingers over the soaked fabric of her panties, nudging them aside to slip a finger between her folds. She was so wet and ready, Neal groaned and rested his forehead against hers. Christa let out a light laugh and a gasp at the pleasurable sensations. Neal pushed himself up and stripped off her panties quickly. He climbed back up over her and slowly slid inside her. They moaned together as he slid slowly in and out, his face buried in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her. A sweet flowery scent that reminded him of peonies and that had driven him crazy since the first time he had smelled it as he had leaned over her shoulder while showing her a procedure.
They were wrapped tightly around each other, unable to get any closer, kissing each other franticly as they both neared their peak. Christa broke their kiss and called out his name as he thrust once more deeply and they both exploded with pleasure. They were both breathing heavily as Neal rolled onto his back, pulling Christa along, sprawling her on top of him. His fingers drew patterns on her bare back as their breathing evened out, and Christa raised her head from where is rested on his chest and gazed up at him with a contented smile. “I’m hungry” she stated. He let out a laugh, “already?” he said back with a smirk. She playfully smacked him on the chest, “for food silly.”
She scrambled off the bed, and hurried naked across the room to the kitchen, Neal watching her with an amused expression on his face. She returned with their Chinese food, and climbed up into the bed beside him, handing him a container. “It’s cold,’” she shrugged, chewing a mouthful of food. “We’re used to that though.” His smiled, he loved to watch her. Her eyes were so expressive, they said a thousand words when her lips were silent.
“What?” she questioned with a smile when she noticed him staring at her, he was laying on the bed with his head held up on his hand. He reached a hand up to run it down her cheek, and stared intently into her eyes.
“I am, without a doubt, exactly where I want to be.” He stated in a voice thick with emotion.
Christa smiled so wide and bit her bottom lip, “me too.” She leaned down to kiss him sweetly on the lips.
Fin