Skeletons in the Closet (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Chapter Five

The cold invading the bed woke Jack up. The blankets were pushed aside. He glanced around, and caught a glimpse of her leaving the room wearing only his shirt. He imagined she headed for the washroom. The room was chilly. He got up. Embers glowed in the fireplace. He added a log hoping it would burn. Small flames started licking the log. He smiled, the evening replaying in his mind.

The fire was dying when he carried her to bed. He threw a few logs in and soon flames were casting dancing shadows on the walls. But the fire building in the fireplace was only a weak imitation of the one burning inside them as they slowly discovered each other. The room grew warmer, so did their passion and desire until it smouldered them alive... the memory awakening his hunger for her.

He listened for her light steps indicating she was coming back to him. He heard the floor creaked downstairs, and something crashing down. He went down two steps at a time, his heart sinking when he heard her scream. He called her name knowing she couldn't understand. Sign of struggles were coming from inside a closet in the hallway. The door was stuck. He pounded and kicked on it, fuelled by her muffled scream. The door opened and she fell in his arms, scared and disoriented. She fought him. He held her tight, forcing her eyes to focus on him.

"It's okay, sweetheart." He felt her surrender to his touch. His eyes searched the closet. The moonlight shone inside, exposing buckets, brushes and mops, lying all over the floor.

"What happened?" she murmured, fear dilating her pupils. "Why was I locked inside?"

He carried her back to bed, cold shiver running down his spine. The room had warmed up nicely but it took a while before she stopped shaking. He kept her body moulded against him, his arms wrapped securely around her. Gradually she relaxed, her hands wandering aimlessly over his body. He ran his fingers in her hair, showering her forehead with light kisses. She lifted her head, her lips sensuously brushing his. The tip of his tongue peeked out to follow the contour of her lips. She imitated him, their tongues dancing intricately together. He never realised his shirt had that many buttons until tonight.

"I was cold," she whispered when she felt the shirt slip along her arms.

"You can have it back in the morning," he promised, the reflection of the fire sparkling in his eyes. "I will keep you warm."

He covered her body with his.

"I love you, Jack." Closing her eyes, she surrendered to the sensations he unveiled for the second time tonight.

***

"Good morning sleeping beauty," Jack murmured when Sue opened her eyes on him.

"Good morning." She stretched lazily before cuddling to him, and was rewarded with a lingering morning kiss. "I could get used to that, you know," she teased him.

"Only that?" he asked, his hands roaming her bare skin. It amazed him that he could make her blush so easily even after the night they spent together. "What happened last night, Sue?"

"You don't remember?" She arched her brow mischievously, not quite ready to deal with her strange experience.

"You know which part I mean." He studied her as she sighed. "What were you doing in the closet, sweetheart?"

"Looking for the door," she replied instinctively, frowning as she did. "I... It was like a dream." Her eyes lost focus as she recalled the incident. "I was cold... needed to close the door." When she shivered, he pulled her closer to him. "I don't know, Jack. Something hit my shoulder and I screamed. And it was like I woke up. I was trapped, I couldn't get out." She tried shaking the memory while searching his expression. "Am I crazy?"