Jon pulled into a parking slot and shut off the motor before turning to Kate with a smile. They had stopped briefly at the deli for additional snack items and beverages before heading out for their picnic. "Ready to enjoy the great outdoors Katy?"
"Anything that doesn't smell like antiseptic is just about perfect as far as I'm concerned." She tucked a strand of hair back into her braid. "I can't even remember the last time I actually enjoyed a day off." She leaned into him. "And I get to have a day with you? Look at all the bonuses, Sugar."
He leaned over and pressed a quick but firm kiss to her lips. "Babe, the bonuses are all for me, gorgeous gal to spend the day with who actually has a few brain cells, AND good food? Happy Italian boy here."
"Brain cells huh?" She got out of the car and flipped the seat forward to get to the blanket in the back. "Just what kind of people are you hanging with, Jon? I can blame mine on the meth-heads and coke addicts trying to score."
He pulled the basket from the back seat and straightened, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Well I can blame some of mine on idiots, although I’m sure there’s a few of those coke addicts in there somewhere."
"Ah, life on the road." She reached for the six pack of beer they'd also brought. Certainly didn't need to worry about a cooler today, she thought. "Is there something I should know, Sugar?"
He moved closer to wrap his arm around her waist. "Yeah, I happen to have the sexiest doctor in the world here with me today."
She fought back a grin. "You know that wasn't the question I was asking, Mr. Smooth." She fiddled with his scarf. "Do I need to worry about you landing on a slab one day?" She'd always avoided this question. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her, but the number of overdoses that were coming into her ER lately was downright scary.
He smiled and flicked her nose with his thumb, "Baby I couldn't do what I do every night if my body wasn't healthy. Sure I drink, but hard stuff? I won't put shit into my body that affects my performance."
She met his eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze to the silly striped scarf stuffed into his leather jacket. She wasn't aware of the worry until it melted away. "I told myself not to ask." Bouncing the handle of the beer around the curve of her palm she cursed her twitchy behavior. "The things I see sometimes..." she trailed off.
"would turn both our hair white if we let it. I kinda like the fact you care enough to worry bout that, its good someone does." He pulled her closer as they walked along the pathway. "I'd rather you ask than worry babe, ok?"
She motioned to a little patch of grass and put down the six pack. "Yeah well, when you mostly see the bad in people for 36 hour shifts, you can't help yourself." She snapped out the battered quilt she used when she came to the park, then settled a heavy blanket over it so they wouldn't freeze.
He sat the basket down before flopping down on the blanket and throwing arms wide. "Damn this is nice, come on join me here." His eyes gleamed as he took her in, from braids to battered jeans. "Ain't nothing like a pretty day and a pretty girl to fix whatever ails ya."
Pushing aside her gloomy thoughts about work, she kneeled down. "You know how many times I get called pretty?" She bit her lip and looked up at the sky. "I think I can count 'em on one hand and they were probably all said by you, stud." Pressing her palms into the blanket
His arm flashed out and pulled her down on top of him, "I calls 'em like I sees 'em babe. Pretty don’t even begin to describe what I see in ya."
"And here I thought it was all for my mind." She laughed, "What was I thinking?"
He wrapped her braid around his hand and pulled her face down to his, "Its more than your mind, its your independence, your don't take prisoners mentality. Baby its all about your strength and dedication. There's just something about a strong independent woman that sits right with me. That you're gorgeous to boot is pure icing on the cake."
Suddenly uncomfortable, she looked away. "Yeah, well...um, thanks." Mercy, she didn't know what to say. He sprung that stuff on her and her belly got all stupid and twitchy. The last time she'd been intimate with a man, it had been between exams. They didn't have time to be in love. They'd had time to get naked to break the tension of ungodly stress. She didn't know how to do this.
His hand soothed along her back as he watched the flickering of her eyes. "Why's it scare ya babe?"
"What?" Startled that she'd said something aloud she shouldn't have she gave him a big smile. "I'm not afraid of anything."
He didn't know why he knew, he just knew that she felt unsettled about how he talked at times. It worried him that he felt more of a connection than she did, or at least that she'd admit too. HE had to do something about it, but what? She'd been hurt in the past that had to be it, for her to not even accept the idea of someone actually loving her or caring. "Babe, every time I compliment ya, or mention all you are that means so much to me you get the fidgits. It bothers ya. Now I might be from Jersey, but that don’t make me dumb ya know."
She looked down at his lips, it seemed safer somehow than looking into those staggering blue eyes that saw way too much sometimes. She didn't know how to deal with a man like Jon. Part of her wanted him to be the soulless rock star that was just looking for a good time.
She knew how to deal with that guy. This one? The one that kept saying he cared about her woke up places inside of her that she'd thought were long dead. She traced the line of his bottom lip then forced herself to face him. Meeting his eyes she sighed. "I never thought you were stupid. I just don't know what to say. What to--" she cut herself off. There was no reason not to believe him, but the lies had been given so freely before. He's not James. She closed her eyes. She wanted to believe him. "How to give you what you need," she finished on a whisper.
His lips brushed over hers as his fingers trailed along her sides. "All I ask is you be yourself, the rest just comes. You'll learn to trust me Katy, and I'll be here the whole time waiting." He closed his eyes a moment before opening them and smiling, "I gotta admit its scary, deep feelings always are, but if they're worth having, their worth working for, and you happen to be worth the work and the wait."
Not knowing what else to say she pressed her lips to his, her fingertips brushing along the stubble of his cheek as she did the only thing she knew how to. She showed him what his words meant. Showed him that she'd heard him. Hopefully that would be enough for now.
As the kiss lingered and deepened, she slid her fingers into his hair. The hair she made fun of, but secretly adored. She eased away slowly, letting the kiss turn into several small ones until she settled her butt back on her ankles. "You're a dangerous man," she said and traced her forefinger through the cleft of his chin. "A good man, but a dangerous one."
He pulled himself up to a sitting position. "ahh whats life without a little bit of danger Katy? It would be all boring like Richie gonna be, Happy land all the way. Danger adds the spice dontcha think?"
He tilted his head, "Besides baby, if its the kinda danger i think, then its all good, a lil insanity about a relationship keeps it interesting."
"Well you're definitely interesting," she chuckled. "If you got any more interesting, I'd have to start myself on heart meds."
His fingers slid to her waist as he tickled her for a moment, "you and me both babe." He glanced over to the basket as his stomach gave a growl. "So how about feeding me? I’m still a growing boy dontcha know."
She placed her hand over his zipper, "I see that." She cupped the semi-hard on he was sporting with a grin.
"Ya keep that up woman and we're gonna be under the blanket not on it." Jon grinned and reached for the basket. "Definitely on the menu for today though."
