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No Matter the Time, II...an Alternate Love Story

When they brought the jeep to the apartment the next day, Daniel decided to see how much would fit in the back. He folded down the back seats and started shoving boxes in. Having learned how to pack everything needed for an archaeological dig as carefully as possible, he was able to fit everything into the jeep. There was enough room for their duffel bags, and they would be easily assessable when they stopped for the night.

Casey stood looking at the fully loaded jeep. It suddenly hit her that she was leaving everything and everyone that she knew. She was going halfway across the country with a man she’d known for a total of nine days, and only five of those days had been spent together. Her heart was doing flip-flops, her stomach was turning over, and she was beginning to feel lightheaded. What was she doing?

Daniel came into the apartment after loading the last of the boxes. He took one look at her pale cheeks and started to panic. "Casey? Are you okay? No second thoughts?" Please god, don’t let her change her mind, I can’t live without her now.

She looked up into blue eyes that reflected love…as well as worry, and a bit of fear. "I’m not sure," she said softly. She saw the flash of panic in his eyes. She put her arms around his neck. "Hold me until I’m not so scared, please?"

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I love you, Casey. I can’t live without you. If you stay here, so do I."

His embrace, and his words, comforted her. "I love you, too, Daniel. I guess…I guess it finally hit me that I’m really leaving. I’m ready to go now. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be."

He gave a silent sigh of relief, kissed her deeply. "Do you want to leave now, or wait until tomorrow?"

"We might as well go, there’s no reason to stay. We can stop by the office and tell Kelley goodbye. It might be easier to do it that way. She’ll have work to keep her busy for awhile."

"Okay. Anybody else you want to say goodbye to?"

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Kells is the closest friend I have, and we sort of stick together. I said good-bye to Ricky yesterday…Gretchen lives in Bellingham, I called her Sunday to say good-bye. I know a lot of people, I’m just not close to them."

He nodded. "Let’s go, then," he said. He watched her as she looked around the apartment one final time. She took the key off of her key ring and laid it on the table.

They stopped at the hotel to grab their duffels and check out. It was almost one p.m. when she said goodbye to Kelley, and by two-thirty they were on I-5, heading south.  Once they reached Portland, they'd take I-84, and go east. She watched the familiar scenery rush by, her heart still pounding in her chest. When Daniel reached over and took her hand, raised it to his lips and gently kissed her fingers, the apprehension she had been feeling left her. She smiled at him, loaded Poison into the cd player, and sat back in the seat.

Daniel smiled as he listened to her sing, glanced at her as she bounced and danced in the seat. They stopped for gas in a small mini-mart/gas station where Casey insisted on buying munchies, and changing drivers. However overwhelmed she was feeling about having a new vehicle to call her own, driving it was a blast. She shifted gears and had them flying down the interstate.

"So have you thought about what you want the wedding to be like?" he asked as he watched the state of Washington zip by his window.

"A little bit," she admitted. "I was afraid to think too much about it."

"Why?"

She glanced over at him. "No sense counting your chickens before they’re hatched, Grandma Rose always said," she replied softly.

"You didn’t think I was coming back, did you?" he asked, his own voice soft.

"I was hoping…but there was the chance that it was just too good to be true."

"I was afraid that you wouldn’t move to Colorado to be with me, and you wouldn’t want me to come back to Tacoma."

"I wanted you to come back before you were even on the plane," she told him.

He reached across the car and let his finger trail down her cheek. She leaned her head toward his hand. "Love you, Casey."

"Love you, Daniel," she replied.

"Now, about the wedding," he said, grinning.

She giggled. "Well, I know I want small. Kelley is going to fly out to be my maid-of-honor. Do you have someone to stand up as your best man?"

Daniel frowned. "Two actually. Both very good friends."

She pulled her lip between her teeth. "Do you suppose your friend Sam would be interested in being a bridesmaid?"

He shrugged. "Probably. You can ask her. Are you going to have anybody walk you down the aisle?"

She shook her head. "I never really thought about it. I…I guess I always thought that Dad would. Now…" she sighed.

Daniel was frowning. He wondered if General Hammond would be willing to do the job. He would wait until she met the man, then make the suggestion. "Any other details that you have worked out?"

"To be honest, Daniel, I thought more about you…and…um…being…um…in bed…with you, than anything else," she confessed, her cheeks blazing.

He grinned, felt his ego swell. "Really? I dreamed about you, and being in your arms," he told her.

She glanced at him again. "Dreamed about me? Wow."

Daniel glanced at his watch. It was nearly nine p.m. "Babe, let’s find a place to get something to eat and a room for the night."

She smiled. "You’re the navigator, so navigate already," she teased.

"You’re a smart aleck," he teased back.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway," she replied.

"Yeah, I do. With all my heart," he said softly.

A   A   A   A   A   A

They didn’t even notice the name of the small town, it was nothing more than a wide spot in the road. But it had an all-night truck stop café, and a small, old but clean motel.

The half dozen truck drivers sitting at the counter of the café took notice of the slender blonde that walked through the door. She was holding onto some geeky looking guy with glasses, the love in her eyes so bright that no one could miss it.

"Hi there," the waitress said, smiling as they sat down and turned over the coffee cups that were already sitting on the table. She was pouring coffee when she noticed Casey’s ring. "Wow, that’s beautiful! May I?" she asked, reaching for the young blonde’s hand.

Casey smiled, blushed, and let the waitress take a closer look at her engagement ring.

The waitress grinned and winked at her. "He’s a keeper, honey. Any man who will pop for a rock like that can’t have any faults too bad to put up with," she said with a wink.

She giggled. "Haven’t found any yet," she said teasingly.

Daniel blushed. "You just haven’t looked hard enough," he replied.

The two women laughed. "You folks take your time looking at the menu. When you’re ready, just let me know," the older woman said. She went back around the counter and filled coffee cups.

Casey leaned against him lightly. "So what sounds good to you?"

He smiled at her. "Well, usually I’d go for an omelet in place like this, but since having yours, I doubt that it would be as good. So I think I’ll get a stack of waffles."

She blushed, felt her heart soar at his compliment. "I was thinking about a BLT, myself," she said.

"Whatever you want, babe. Hang on," he said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket, where it had begun vibrating. "Hello? Hey, Jack…To be honest Jack, calling you was the last thing on my mind when I got in." He looked at her and winked. She blushed again and giggled softly. "Well, we had to get a car…no, hers just wouldn’t have made it…Jeep…yeah, just like the one I was looking at, only red…exactly, here, there, what does it matter?…Somewhere in Oregon. We’re at a truck stop, getting something to eat, already have a room in the motel across the road. Yeah, well it’s nine-thirty local time…we probably could, but I know she’s tired." He blushed brightly, but grinned. "Yeah, well there’s that, too…probably sometime Friday…Thanks, Jack, I appreciate it. Okay, see you Monday…Right. Later." He folded the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

"He cares about you a great deal," she said softly. "He’s a good friend."

Daniel looked at her, nodded. Her perceptions seemed to go along with her…gift. She didn’t know enough about the relationship he had with Jack to form any sort of opinion, yet she seemed to sense how deep their friendship was. "Yeah, he is."

The waitress came back, took their order, warmed up their coffee.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, he moved to put his arm around her. They sat contentedly for several moments. He glanced at her when she sighed softly. "Tired, babe?"

"A little," she replied. "Mostly I just need to touch you." Her cheeks were tinged pink again.

His soul took flight. "I know exactly what you mean," he said, before taking a sip of coffee.

She looked up at him, her eyes dancing. "You need to touch you, too?"

He nearly spit the coffee across the table, managed to get it swallowed before he started laughing. "You’re a smart aleck, you know that, don’t you?"

She giggled. "So I keep getting told."

"You know what I meant," he said, still grinning. "But I’ll say it anyway. I need to touch you. You’re like an…addiction…an obsession. I like it a lot," he added softly. He leaned over and kissed her gently.

"Oops, sorry folks, but your food is here," the waitress said, a smile on her face as she sat two plates in front of them. "Can I get you anything else?"

Daniel glanced at Casey, she shook her head. "Guess not, thanks," he replied, smiling up at the woman.

"Well, if you change your minds, let me know," she said, putting the check on the table.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey was standing in the shower…alone, letting the water pour over her weary body. She wasn’t so tired physically as she was mentally and emotionally worn out. It had been difficult to say goodbye to Kelley. That woman had been an almost constant companion since the two had met in college, assigned to the same room in the dorm. The friendship between them was strong, and Casey already missed her best friend. Leaving everything she knew, her entire life, heading into the virtual unknown was unnerving at best, terrifying at worst. She closed her eyes. As long as Daniel was with her, she would be all right, she assured herself.

"Hey, save some hot water for me," a familiar voice said from the other side of the heavy curtain.

She jumped, having been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even heard him come in. Nor was she sure how long she had been standing beneath the flow of water. "Oh, sorry, I’ll be right out," she said softly.

He frowned. There was something wrong, he could sense it. Something in her voice…"Babe, are you okay?"

She smiled. He already knew her so well. The concern she heard in his voice wrapped itself around her and eased her discomforts. "I’m fine, Sweetheart. Just a little…drained…from the day."

"I understand," he replied. It couldn’t be easy leaving her life, her friends, everything she had known, to go to a strange place with a man she really didn’t know. What she was doing took courage…and faith…and love. As much as he wanted to make love to her, needed to feel her, he wouldn’t push himself on her tonight.

She shut off the water, reached out for the towel. She wrapped it around herself before she opened the shower curtain.

Was she suddenly shy because she was so far from home…with no one nearby to protect her? He smiled, trying to reassure her.

She looked at him, her breath catching in her throat. He was wearing nothing but his jeans, even his feet were bare, and he was so sexy it hurt! Her body was suddenly alive with need, desire…love. "You know, I could just stay here for a few more minutes, in case you need your back scrubbed," she said.

She was smiling at him, it was both shy and seductive at the same time. How the hell did she manage that? It was a look that had him hard and aching to protect her all at the same time. "You know, I think I just might take you up on that offer." His jeans and boxers hit the floor.

She gasped, the sight of his aroused body made her ache. "Oh, Daniel, you are so damned beautiful," she sighed.

He stepped closer, took the towel and tossed it to the floor. "So are you, babe," he said softly, stepping into the wet bathtub beside her. He took her chin in his hand, lifted her face for his kiss. "Love you."

"Love you."

His lips went back to her mouth, his hands to her breasts. He groaned when her fingers wrapped around his throbbing shaft. He slid one hand between her thighs, caressed her, made her ready for him.

Her heart was racing, she sighed when she felt him slip a finger inside her. His touch was what she needed, wanted, lived for. In this moment there was only him, he was everything she desired, craved. It was a feeling she was becoming accustomed to, a feeling she welcomed with all that she was.

He gently turned her around, put her hands against the wall so that she was leaning forward slightly, then slid his erection into her warm, welcoming well. Like a glove, he thought, she fits like a glove. One hand continued to caress her breasts, moving from one to the other, teasing, tugging at her nipples. The other went around her hip to find that swelling nub, to give her the pleasure she wanted, needed, deserved.

Her hips pushed back against him with every thrust. He felt so good…so right. His hands were taking her higher, making her body sing with pleasure and anticipation. Never before in her life had there been a man with who had touched her heart, her soul like he did. She hadn’t realized until meeting Daniel that she had needed that touch before her body could follow. Daniel filled her heart, soothed it, caressed her soul with his love as surely as his hands caressed her body.

He hissed a sigh of contentment as her sweet ass pushed back against him. He lowered his mouth and kissed the back of her neck, nibbled at her shoulder. He could feel her body starting to tremble. He slid his thigh between hers, spread her legs open farther, pushed deeper into her. He could feel the quiver against his leg, smiled when the whimper filled her throat. "That’s it, babe," he whispered in her ear. "Give it to me. Come for me."

She pushed back against him, and cried out, her body sailing over the abyss into sweet, sweet release.

He grabbed her hips with both hands, began to drive into her, hard and fast and deep. So good, so damned good! He could lose his mind feeling this way. She pushed back against him again, and he was lost, falling headfirst into oblivion as his climax overtook him.

She stood, leaning against the wall, trying to catch her breath. She smiled when she felt his hands moving over her back and hips, a gentle caress meant to soothe. She reached down and turned the water back on. They washed each other gently, sharing kisses and quiet laughter as they bathed one another.

"What time do you want to get up?" he asked, pulling the blankets back while she finished drying her hair.

"We should get an early start, shouldn’t we? I mean, you have to go to work on Monday, and I want you to at least have Sunday to relax," she said.

He smiled at her loving concern. "Okay, we’ll get up at six, grab breakfast across the road at the café, and hopefully be on the road by seven-thirty."

She nodded her agreement.

He called the front desk and requested a wake-up call, then crawled into bed. He settled on his side, asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

She smiled, climbed into the bed behind him, cuddled as close as she could. Sleep overtook her quickly as well.

He woke up, not sure what had disturbed him. He could hear the trucks across the road, the faint sounds of voices. Light crisscrossed the ceiling, coming in around the edges of the closed curtains. He was cold, well, sort of. He had the blankets over him, but…the warmth he had been feeling…the warmth of her body…was missing. He rolled over, found her on the other side of the bed, wrapped himself around her, and went back to sleep.

She woke up, the light was dim, but she could sense that it was near dawn. Daniel was wrapped around her; his chest pressed against her back, one arm draped over her waist, his hips against hers, his leg thrown over both of hers, his face against the back of her neck. She smiled. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to roll to her back. She pulled his head against her shoulder. Just when sleep was about to reclaim her, she felt his hand moving over her breasts. The touch was light, soft, gentle. She looked down at him, but couldn’t tell if he was awake or not. His fingers stopped moving, but never left her breast. Her smile widened. He was still asleep, not even aware of what he was doing. She closed her eyes and settled back into sleep.

The ringing of the telephone brought them rudely from the land of slumber. Daniel opened his eyes, reached for the phone, accepted the wake up call. He rolled back to where he had been, his head on her shoulder, his hand on her breast, his hips pushed against her.

She was rubbing her eyes with one hand. She giggled when she felt his fingers moving against her body.

"What’s so funny?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"You do that, awake or asleep," she said, giggling more. "I take it your mother wasn’t very successful in weaning you from the breast?"

He chuckled. "Wouldn’t know about that. I only know that I am in love with your beautiful, perfect breasts," he replied. He kissed each pink nipple.

"They’re hardly perfect," she replied drolly.

"Says who? I’ve seen a few breasts in my time," he said, "and trust me, these are perfect." He kissed each nipple again. "Beautiful." More kisses. "Succulent." More kisses. "Exquisite." Kisses. "Delightful." Kisses. "Delectable." Kisses.

"What are you, a thesaurus?" she giggled. Her body was responding to the attention her nipples had been receiving.

He looked up at her, his eyes dancing. "Just trying to get my point across," he said.

She moved her hip against him, reached down and caressed him. "That’s not the only point you have this morning," she told him. "Okay, so it’s not really pointed, but you know what I mean," she added, her fingers moving up and down his swollen shaft.

He laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s your fault," he added.

"My fault?"

"Yep. I can’t sleep without touching you now, and when I touch you, it excites me," he explained. His fingers were still moving over her breasts.

"I fail to understand how your needs are my fault," she replied, her eyes full of laughter.

"It’s your fault," he sighed dramatically, "because I didn’t have this problem before you started sleeping with me."

She giggled. "We can fix that you know. Twin beds."

"Oh, I don’t think so!" he declared in mock horror.

"Why not? You could always make a conjugal visits," she retorted. "All you’d have to do is fill out a request and submit it no later than…um…the morning of the night you want to visit my twin bed."

"Not gonna happen, babe. You’re gonna be laying right beside me every night when I go to sleep, and be there in the morning when I wake up."

"Uh huh. And just where the hell am I gonna be between you going to sleep and waking up? In my own little twin bed. Where you can make a conjugal visit. With permission, of course, obtained in advance."

He rolled to his back laughing. He took her arm, pulled at her until she was laying across his chest. "Love the way you make me laugh," he said softly.

She smiled. "I like making you laugh. I like the way your eyes light up. You’re so handsome anyway, but when you laugh…you’re…beautiful," she said softly.

His hand moved up and down her back. "You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Casey," he said quietly.

"You’re the best thing that ever happened to me," she replied. "You’re the first man to touch me, not just my body, but my heart, my soul. I’ve been waiting for your touch my whole life."

"I’m glad I’m that man, babe. I’ll try to be worthy of you."

"You already are." Her eyes began to dance again. "You’re poking me with that thing."

He laughed again. "I can’t help it. It has a mind of its own. I get near you, and it just…reaches for you."

She giggled. "Guess I’d better tame it, huh?" She tossed the covers back, slid down and took him into her mouth.

"Oh, god…that’s good…so good," he moaned.

She loved the way he smelled, the way he felt in her mouth, the way his skin tasted, the saltiness of his pre-cum. She loved teasing him, loving him, giving him pleasure. Her hand moved over the base of his cock as she sucked and licked him.

Before she could send him to paradise, he pulled away from her, rolled her to her back and entered her in one swift thrust. He threw his head back at the sensations she was causing, nearly cried out when he felt those muscles begin to work around his throbbing flesh. He pulled her legs from his waist, pushed them against her shoulders, held them tight, and began to pound into her body, grinding against her with each stroke.

The position was new to her, and opened her completely to his thrusts. The friction of his body was stimulating her aching clit. She couldn’t put her arms around him laying this way…her hands found their way to her breasts, squeezing them, pulling at her nipples, the added sensations driving her toward her climax.

He looked down, saw what she was doing, felt himself get harder. "That’s right babe, make it good."

His words urged her on, her hips were moving against him as much as her position allowed. She could feel that wonderful, familiar feeling growing, getting hotter, moving from her belly to that aching place between her legs. Her thighs began to quiver, she began to whimper. "I’m gonna come…" she whispered.

"Give it to me. Come for me," he said, panting, his own release only seconds away.

She cried out, her back arching, her toes curling. The spasms were still rocking her when she began to whisper to him. "Fill me, Daniel. Fill me with your love. Please, Daniel, love me."

Her sweet whispers sent him over the edge. He cried out her name, his cock pulsing and throbbing with pleasure. He let go of her legs, dropped down on top of her until he could catch his breath. "Love you, babe."

"Love you, too, sweetheart."

He reluctantly got to his feet. "Let’s get cleaned up, so we can get going." He held out his hand, helped her to her feet, followed her into the bathroom.

Forty minutes later they were sitting in the diner, drinking coffee, debating on what they wanted for breakfast.

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