Chapter Ten

When you've already waited forever, there's no need to rush.

She pulls up behind him and he is suddenly scared. She hesitates for a moment after putting the car in park, steadies herself before she opens the door and meets him on the sidewalk.

He gazes down at her and she smiles widely.

And all at once he knows it will all be ok.

He reaches for her hand again and she takes his without hesitation.

At the door to his house he pauses slightly, hoping they would be alone. He realizes then it is still pretty early. Mark won't be home for a while.

"Are you?" He begins.

"Yes." She nods, her voice soft but certain.

He's not convinced. "Because we can…"

"Stop. Jim. I'm through waiting. I've waited too long already." She replies with a shake of her head.

But maybe he hasn't. She suddenly thinks.

She looks up at him, unsure. "I mean - if you're sure you want…"

Was she kidding? He reaches out and slides a hand over her hair, his thumb running along the line of her jaw.

"Oh yeah. I want."

She blows out a breath. "OK. Then let's…"

He nods and swallows audibly. His hands shake as he turns the key in the lock.

"Yeah. Let's..."

She has pictured this moment forever, but never quite like this.

They stand in the living room for what seemed like hours.

At last, she moves, calmly shrugging her raincoat off. It falls to the floor with a swoosh.

He stares deeply into her eyes as he drops his briefcase.

She smiles slightly and leans a hand on the edge of the couch, kicking off her heels so she is suddenly two inches shorter.

"C'mere." He whispers as he reaches for her hand.

She walks towards him, a smile tugging at her lips, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Pam. We don't have to…" He says softly as she stands just inches away.

She shakes her head and threads her fingers in his hair, dragging his mouth down to meet hers.

"Yeah. We do…"

He'd never thought of his bedroom as anything special. It was simply a place to sleep.

"Pam." He breathes as he watches her.

She tugs the clip from her hair and lets it fall about her shoulders. She walks past him and sits on the edge of the bed.

He eases his shoes off and moves towards her, stopping in front of her and kneeling so he's looking right into her eyes. Her fingers tentatively reach out to brush a lock of his hair off his forehead.

"Jim…"

He leans forward slightly, now just millimeters away. "I just…"

She touches a finger to his lips as her hand fists in his shirt and pulls him closer. "It's OK…"

His mouth brushes hers. "I don't want…"

"Well I do want..." She tightens her hold. "Actually. I need you to…"

It's all he needs to hear. He closes the distance between them and whispers. "OK…"

"OK." She replies as she sighs into his mouth.

Just when you think everything's going according to plan…

His fingers fumble with the buttons on her blouse, her hands tremble as she pulls his shirttails from his waistband. He moves over her, onto her and she shifts beneath him.

He tries to shrug his shirt off but it catches on his wrist. He braces himself on his elbow and only succeeds in trapping her hair under his arm.

"Ouch." She winces.

"Hold on…" He says, exasperated.

She gazes up at him, watching as his brow furrows in concentration.

"Do you need help?" She giggles as she watches him.

"I got it." He sits up and shakes his arm violently.

"Are you sure? Doesn't look like it." She replies, still laughing.

"I got it." He mutters, clenching his teeth.

"Uh huh." She pulls herself up to rest on her elbows and smiles.

He finally frees himself and stares down at her. "Are you mocking me, Beesly?"

"Never." She tries to keep a straight face.

He grins as he eases back down, her laugh silenced by his lips.

Her head falls back onto his pillow, her body becomes lax under his.

His hands are suddenly…everywhere.

"Why…" She breathes as she lifts her hips to help him slip her skirt off. She clumisly reaches for his belt as she sighs deeply.

"What?" He murmurs against her neck.

She can't remember what she just asked him for a few long seconds."…why…umm…did we wait so long?"

He eases back slightly and gazes into her eyes. "Wasn't…time…yet."

When you finally get what you want, most times you're also disappointed.

This wasn't one of those times.

There's nothing else.

Just her.

Just him.

The taste of her skin, the feel of his hands. Lips skimming, hands sliding, limbs tangling.

At last.

As they move together their eyes lock and they think it should be funny.

It's Pam.

It's Jim.

But it's not. And in a split second they now know that everything has changed forever.

Strangely enough, the world hasn't ended.

The sheets tangle, the quilt slips to the end of the bed and onto the floor. He's holding her as she shivers beneath him.

He rolls onto his side, taking her with him. Her head fits perfectly beneath his chin. Her body fits perfectly next to his. It's almost as if she's always been with him. Those years, those days they lived apart seem to have never even exisited.

The sun sets. The room darkens. Shadows are cast on their faces, a tear slips from her eye and he bends his head to kiss it away.

It's finally over. It's finally beginning. It's everything they've ever imagined and more.

Just…more.

There's a place between dreams and reality where they were both sure they now resided.

They drift in and out of consciousness. She's acutely aware of everything around her.

The lumpy mattress, the sheets that smell of spring, the sharpness of his hipbones…

He can't see or feel anything but her. The way her hair is just like silk and smells just like summer. There's a sound she makes, deep in her throat when his mouth skims close to her ear…

There's no doubt this has changed things. There's no doubt nothing will ever be the same.

There's no place else either one of them would rather be.

She curls into him, his arms tighten.

She wants to climb right into his skin.

He wants to let her.

Despite their worst fears, there's absolutely no doubt that this is how it should be.

None at all.