Chapter 16

 

 

He took her breath away, and her ability to speak. Standing there, looking so handsome and classically dressed that he could have graced the cover of GQ, he held a gardenia in his hand and smiled.

"How lovely you are," he paused for a moment of appreciation. "Simply exquisite."

"Jack," she quickly recovered. "You look so… handsome." She stepped back from the door and smiled. "Come in."

"Mairie, you are more lovely than this blossom. Truly." He returned her smile. "Even it fades before your beauty," he added, handing her the corsage and closing the door behind him.

"Thank you, Jack." Feeling a blush of pleasure rise to her cheeks, she looked down to the fragile blossom and whispered, "How did you know this is one of my favorite flowers?" She grazed the soft petals across her lips and took in the scent.

Mairie stepped back into the room and he followed her. She sensed his presence like an irresistible attraction she was helpless to fight any longer. Standing before the window, she turned to him.

"Would you help me put it on?"

"Certainly, Mairie, I would be honored."

He didn't take his eyes off her as he joined her. Mairie found herself following the way his body moved, the elegant way he carried off the sophisticated suit, how his hair was pulled back, making him appear contemporary. He looked so… so different, almost altered, yet preciously familiar. It was as though she had always known him, yet was now recognizing him for the first time.

As she extended the flower, his hand gently wrapped around her fingers and lingered for an instant. He drew the stem from her hand and removed the stick pin. She felt him tremble slightly when he placed his fingers beneath the thin material at her neckline, and she shivered deep inside with the intimate contact of skin to skin.

"Ouch!" Feeling the stick of the pin, she flinched and then laughed.

"Oh, Mar. I do apologize… it's been quite some time since I—"

"It's all right, Jack." She looked back up into his eyes. "You didn't hurt me."

"I would never hurt you, Mairie." As soon as he returned her gaze the intensity came back with a powerful merging. "You're my partner. I… respect you."

It was as if nothing else in the room existed at that moment, except his vision penetrating every barrier of doubt or resistance she ever had in her life. It was as though he could see beyond all of it, into her mind, her heart, her very soul. She felt a tug from the center of her breasts as she fell into his soul-filled eyes.

"I trust you, Jack."

His smile was tender. His expression held a hint of something she was almost afraid to identify, in case she only imagined it.

"You are safe, Mairie," he said in a low, rough whisper.

It was a moment frozen in time as the words from the postcard seemed to whisper through her mind.

Go beyond reason to love. It is safe. The only safety.

Could this be happening? Could the messages she was receiving be true? She only knew for certain that she had never wanted another as she wanted this incredible man who stood before her.

He reached up and his fingers gently, ever so gently, caressed her face in a silent, urgent plea. "Say something… please."

It was so clear for her now, and her answer was so simple.

"Yes."

His eyes searched hers, as though wanting to make sure, and Mairie did something that could only have been intuition. Slowly, with purpose, she reached up and glided her hands around the base of his head. Her fingers entered his hair and she heard his quick intake of breath. Gently, imploring consent with each fraction of motion she applied, she brought his face closer to hers. The magnetism between them grew stronger as they neared, like two powerful forces on a course that must be traveled, no matter the outcome. She felt something so intense, so compelling rushing through her body that she knew this moment was privileged, that nothing in her life had ever come close to comparing.

His eyes never broke contact as his face barely touched hers. She could feel his breath upon her skin while they stared into the depths of each other's souls.

Oh, what she saw nearly stopped the beating of her heart!

It was as though she had waited her entire life for this moment, this recognition.

"I want you, Mairie Callahan." He whispered the words into her mouth. "I want you so much I've got to tell you even though it may scare you and end this. I have never desired another woman as I thirst for you." His eyes held a look of wonder.

Her breath left her body in a rush that was almost surrender. She knew deep within her that if she proceeded, her life was again going to alter. A part of her held back, a tiny wave of uncertainty. Where she was about to travel was the unknown, for this was beyond anything she had ever known existed. This was undefinable. It could only be experienced. The uncertainty increased along with the intensity as he continued to hold her gaze, and she wondered how to trust the unknown.

Suddenly she remembered she had jumped from a plane, been thrown back in time, survived, and made it back somehow to her own time. It went beyond comprehension. She couldn't understand it or explain it to anyone else. She had done it.

Inhaling him, she closed her eyes and barely grazed the corner of his lips with her own. "Go beyond reason to love," she softly breathed against his skin, as she moved her lips over his mouth, along his nose, under his cheekbone, feeling the electricity between them build even more. "It is safe. The only safety."

He moaned in response. "Oh, precious lady… you are safe."

It started out as a gentle greeting of lips, a hesitant tasting, but soon it became a mutual supplication, a surrender, a homecoming. Jack quickly demanded a response and she gladly gave it—clinging to him, her heart singing with joy. She bonded to him, relishing the feel of his chest against her breasts, his hard thighs pressing hers, as his arms encircled her with a restrained strength.

Mairie was astonished by the ripples of pleasure that seemed to pulse from deep within her and race along her skin. Jack moaned again, as if he also felt this stunning sensation. The kiss became fast and hard, as if each couldn't get enough of the other, and when they broke away and again stared into each other's eyes, they were gasping for breath.

Without words they again came together, this time demanding more. His hands traveled over her back and into her hair, pressing her closer. Her body melted into his as her fingers clutched the fabric at his chest. They were hungry, starved for each other, and whatever barriers remained were dissolving.

It was frantic, and clothes became impediments that must be removed. She unbuttoned his jacket and pulled it over his shoulders and down his arms. Trapped for a moment, she lured him to her and kissed him again with a ravenous passion she never knew existed within her.

She stripped the jacket from his arms and threw it to the chair. He immediately reached for the buttons on her dress. "Help me, love, for I want you so desperately right now I might tear this from your body."

Her fingers fumbled along with his and the only sound in the room was their heavy breathing. When enough were unbuttoned, he slid his hands under the edges of the material and eased it off her shoulders. She brought her fingers to the middle of her chest, unhooked her bra, and allowed him to remove it. Mairie closed her eyes, threw her head back, and inhaled through her teeth as his hands produced currents of pleasure along every nerve ending he touched. It was a slice of heaven… the feel of his touch… slowly, torturously slow, grazing only the tiny hairs of her skin with his warm hands along her sides and exploring the small of her back and hips. She shivered but gave no resistance and withdrew her limbs. The dress fell to the floor and Jack exhaled with a deep moan as he gazed at her body.

"Come with me, Mairie," he said in a low voice. "Come let me love you."

She only had to smile her consent. He picked her up, stepped over her dress and laid her gently on her bed. "What about dinner?" she whispered with a giggle.

"Do you care?" he answered with a sexy grin, as he stripped off his beautiful new clothes, threw them to the chair, and untied his hair.

Dear God, he was magnificent, she thought, shaking her head as his mouth captured hers once again and demanded her surrender.

This time she gladly gave it.

The setting sun cast fiery reflections across the room, as their lovemaking became feverish and hands became instruments of discovery and pleasure.

She felt the heat of his breath as he grazed down her torso with his lips. Like a cat he brushed his head and face back and forth across her. Her body became an altar, as his long hair caressed her skin and she arched her back in pleasure, offering herself to him. There wasn't a centimeter of her he did not worship and tears ran down her cheeks as she experienced an orgasmic flight beyond the limits of her body.

"You are exquisite," he whispered, gliding up the length of her body. The wonder on his face was now replaced with awe.

He slid his fingers firmly between hers and pressed her hands to the sheets, while gently covering her body with his. His lips found hers once more and Mairie thought surely this was heaven on earth, to be loved, joined, with another so gracefully. When he entered her body, her back again arched to receive him and the ancient, sacred ritual began, slow and deliberate, as Jack held her hands and captured her gaze.

"Beautiful, so beautiful," he whispered, his expression of wonder still bathing her with passion. "Thank you… thank you… thank you."

Tears filled her eyes, tears of gratitude to experience this divine union. "This is so beautiful, Jack."

Her body moved in rhythmic answer to his inviting thrusts. It was a primal dance, earthy and sacred, and they were willing participants, yielding to, each other's movements.

The moon rose, basking the entwined lovers in iridescent white shadows. Time faded with the moment of merging, receding like the desert sun as Mairie and Jack released a passion kept too long under control. It was timeless and Mairie reveled as Jack threw back his head, filling the room with a primitive cry.

"Mairie…!"

Power filled her, a feminine power of mutual giving and receiving, and her mind, body, and soul took flight along with him… anywhere he was, she would follow.

And he took her to a height she had never known.

Paradise…

She felt Jack's entire body relax against hers as he rested his head on her shoulder. Their bodies rhythmically twingeing from climactic pleasure as they descended from their admission.

Mairie lovingly stroked Jack's hair as he caressed her sides and slid his hands behind her shoulders and held her closer. His body slowly and naturally withdrew from hers and they lay in silence, the beating of their hearts in unison the only sound filling their senses.

Mairie stroked his back with the lightest touch and softly whispered, "I love you, Jack."

He lifted his head and gazed at her. She sensed absolute adoration in his eyes as he slowly, tenderly kissed her lips. A kiss that defined she was cherished. She knew she had never been so loved before. It was as if he were the one she had been talking to all those years in the secret recesses of her heart. The one. The one she believed existed, but resigned herself to thinking was a myth, never to be found in this lifetime. But here he was, with her… now.

This was the confirmation for why she had traveled back in time. She went beyond reason to find love. And it was safe. Safe.

Love was safe!

He rose slowly from the bed. "Come with me, Mairie… I want to adore you completely." He took her by the hands. She stood before him on shaky legs and he embraced her once again. Laying her head against his chest, she felt the vibrations of his deep voice. "Come bathe with me. I shall anoint you with oils and perfumes."

He led her gracefully by hand to the bathroom. She followed willingly.

He filled the tub and she stood behind him, encircling his body with her arms, as they waited. Words were unnecessary. They were communicating now on another level that needed nothing beyond touch.

Steam filled the air as she lay with her back against his chest and hot water covered their bodies like a blanket. He was massaging her shoulders with the sponge and scented gel she had purchased for bathing. Their bodies slid together and she ran her hands down his legs, memorizing each muscle, each endearing mole or scar that made him unique.

Peace descended upon them, so tenderly sensuous, until they both could feel the exquisite tension building again, coming over them in a wave that couldn't be held back. Turning to him in the water, Mairie slid over his body and captured his mouth.

"I'm hungry," she whispered, stroking his damp hair off his forehead. She reached for the phone and ordered room service. "Wait till you taste a pizza," she said, after hanging up and slipping back into his embrace with a giggle.

"I'm hungry only for you."

Their mouths met in an intimate mating. The hunger in their bodies was forgotten as the hunger in their minds and senses demanded attention. The scent of the soap, the heat of the water, the slippery texture of skin were enhancements that banished all thoughts of food.

She smiled down to him before kissing him again. "I want you," she murmured into his mouth, as his hand slid over her back in a wet caress.

His lips touched hers and lifted into a smile. "You have me," he answered. "I think, dear lady, you always have…"

It was an insatiable passion.

 

"All these people! So many in one place!" He stood in the middle of McCarran airport and seemed frozen in awe. "Why, it's like a city itself."

Mairie giggled as she pulled on the sleeve of his sweater and pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. "Come on, Jack. We've got to find our gate." She led him through the throng of traveling passengers to the departing flight monitors. Her eyes scanned down the list. "Okay, there we are. Gate fourteen. Follow me, we have to pass through security now."

They stood in line and Mairie could sense Jack's tension as their turn arrived. "Just place the bag on the belt and then walk through the metal detector. It's okay, Jack, if you have any change in your pockets, put it in the dish they offer."

"Why? Do I have to pay them to go through?"

She smiled. "No, you'll get it back."

"Sir?" They both turned to the security agent.

She watched as Jack placed the new canvas bag they had purchased onto the belt. He took out his change and placed it into the dish and then took a deep breath before walking through the detector. Thank God they didn't have anything to declare, for Jack looked so unwary and suspicious that she saw they spent time examining the contents of their bag.

The security agent handed him back his change and Mairie walked through. Picking up the bag, she handed it to Jack and said, "Well done. Now all we have to do is check in at the gate and get our seat assignments. Then we're on our way."

Even wearing sunglasses, he looked pale and nauseated, she thought. And he hadn't yet gotten on the plane. She reassuringly threaded her arm through his as they walked past gates announcing departures and lines of arriving passengers who impatiently wove their way to baggage claim.

"You'll be fine, Jack. I promise. Look at all these people. They've just done it and they look fine."

"They don't look fine, Mairie. They look grim."

She giggled as she adjusted her ponytail out the back of the baseball cap she wore as part of her disguise. "That's only because some have to make connecting flights, and others just want to get home."

A short loud beep startled them, and Jack jumped to the side as a courtesy electric cart carried an elderly couple along the terminal. Mairie bit the inside of her cheek not to laugh. She figured if the situation were reversed, she wouldn't want some future being to think she was so amusing in her naïveté. But it wasn't easy.

"Come on, it's okay, Jack," she quietly said, once more taking his arm and leading him down the terminal. "Once you get on the plane you'll be fine. This… this is just the frantic processing of passengers. Look, we're almost there. Gate twelve. Two more."

She could feel his muscles under her fingers tense even more.

"I'm fine," he muttered. He didn't look it.

They walked in silence the rest of the way. When they arrived at their gate, there were passengers in line and they got in the short queue. Mairie opened her purse and took out the tickets.

Jack stood at her side as she handed the tickets across the counter and said, "We need our seat assignments, please."

The airline employee smiled back at her and glanced shyly at Jack. The woman studied their tickets and started typing on the computer. She looked up at them and asked, "May I see some identification, Mr. and Mrs. Delaney?"

It was the first time someone addressed her by her fake name, and she experienced a moment of surprise before she slid a plastic card across the formica counter top, along with a piece of paper, and held her breath. The young woman looked at Mairie's new Pennsylvania license and Jack's new birth certificate, then glanced up at Jack. "Do you have any photo identification, Mr. Delaney?"

Blinking at the airline attendant, Jack began to stutter. "Ahh—"

"His wallet was stolen while we were vacationing here in Las Vegas." Mairie broke in. "We're pretty upset. We could only get this copy of his birth certificate and had to have it FedExed to our hotel just so we could get back home. The authorities assured us this would be acceptable. Is there a problem?"

"Well, no, it's just that we're supposed to get a photo ID. But the birth certificate will be fine. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience here in Las Vegas." The attendant slid the paper back to Jack. "Have you any bags to check?"

"No, we only have the carry-on." Mairie breathed a silent sigh of relief and looked at Jack. She was glad she'd learned to think quickly on her feet. It was a sales thing.

"Very good. Would you like a window or aisle seat?"

Exhaling, Mairie smiled. "Window would be great. Do you have the emergency exit row available? My… my husband would love the added leg room."

The clerk smiled prettily at Jack and then glanced at her computer screen. "Let me see what I can do."

Within two minutes they were thanking the woman and walking away. They had done it! It was clear sailing now, Mairie thought as she followed Jack to the large window.

Looking out as the plane was prepared, Jack touched his fingers to the glass and whispered, "Tell me again that something this big will stay up in the air."

She slid her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Oh, Jack… do you think I would ever let anything happen to you now? I'm your partner, remember? I've got your back… and you're safe."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I couldn't ask for a better partner, Mrs. Delaney."

She smiled and looked up at him. His eyes held an expression of love. Even though he hadn't said the words, Mairie knew he loved her. Nothing had ever felt this real, this true, in her life. She didn't care any longer about being his teacher. He would have lots of teachers now. She wanted to share his life, wherever they wound up.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? No one questioned that we're married. Especially here, where there are wedding chapels on every corner. It could have happened."

"Yes," he whispered, looking back to the plane. "It could have."

Mairie was shocked to realize that she wished it were true. She was glad when they called out the boarding, though Jack once more became nervous. "All you have to do is follow me," she said, as they got in line and handed over their boarding passes.

In the jetway, Jack kept breathing heavily, as if preparing himself for battle, and Mairie wanted to hug him. Instead, she entwined her fingers through his and said, "This is like a portable bridge from the terminal to the plane. See? You can make out the side of the airplane now. We just step into it and find our seats. That's all there is to it, Jack."

"Right," he mumbled, as he cautiously ducked through the door hatch. "I'm going to fly."

She laughed. "No love, the plane's going to fly. You're going to sit back and enjoy it."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Welcome," the lovely attendant said, with a bright smile for Jack.

"Thank you," he said, and bowed his head slightly.

Mairie tugged on his hand. Really… the way every female reacted to him was ridiculous, yet she wouldn't change a hair on his head. Especially his hair, she thought with a grin, as they walked through first class and entered the coach section.

Jack moved stiffly, following Mairie down the narrow aisle. He could feel his heart slamming into his ribs and his stomach muscles clenched in fear. His brain was telling him that it must be safe for all these many people to do it daily, yet his belly was shouting at him that people were meant to stay on the ground. He didn't care how Mairie described it. It didn't matter if the plane flew or he did… how could something this big stay in the air?

"Here we are," Mairie announced in her continually cheerful voice. She took the cloth satchel from his hand and deposited it in a small compartment over the seats. He knew she was trying to ease his fears, yet her blithe manner was beginning to grate on his already raw nerves. Of course he wouldn't tell her for fear of hurting her, and he'd vowed never to do that to this amazing woman. She was his gift.

After a life without, he knew how to treasure such a rare gift. Even if it meant following her onto this bizarre machine and entrusting his life to it. Mairie had assured him the parachute would work. It did. So, in a sense, he'd already flown. Okay, he was seating himself in a metal contraption and flying across the country.

"Now, these are the seat belts, Jack. We need to buckle up."

He held the gadget in his hands and placed them together as he had seen her do. Nothing happened, and the straps fell to his lap.

"No, here," she said, and reached over to slide the flat piece into the larger one.

He felt like a child. "Thank you," he answered, and looked out the small window. He could see the long expanse of white metal wing along with men who were working somewhere under the belly of the plane. Hearing thumps, he turned to Mairie and said, "What is that? What is happening?"

She shook her head and grinned. "They're just loading the luggage and cargo into the bottom of the plane. It's nothing, Jack. Relax."

"Hmm." He watched the other passengers take their seats. No one else seemed frightened, not even the children, who, he noticed, buckled their seat belts quite easily. Perhaps his nervousness was not necessary, he thought, and leaned his back against the cushion behind him. After all, if children could travel through the air without fear, he surely could.

He watched everything… the pretty women in uniform who walked up and down the aisle like train conductors, closing the compartments by the ceiling, talking to passengers, checking those seat belts. He showed his when the woman looked at him. Why did Mairie roll her gaze upward? Wasn't he supposed to show it?

He heard a male voice suddenly start speaking and looked around him in fright.

"It's the pilot," Mairie whispered and patted his arm. "Just listen."

He did. The man said they would be departing shortly, that they would be traveling at an altitude of thirty-one thousand feet and their traveling time would be five hours and forty-three minutes. The weather in Philadelphia was cool and clear and sixty-two degrees.

He leaned over and whispered to Mairie. "Surely, I didn't hear correctly. He said thirty-one thousand feet. In the air?"

She nodded. "That's right, Jack. We'll be above the clouds."

"But the planes we saw in the desert were not that high!" Nothing could fly above the clouds.

"Those were coming in for a landing. We're taking off…" She pointed her finger up and grinned. "Just relax. Everybody knows what they're doing."

"Everybody but me," he muttered and looked out the window as the plane started backing away from the gate. His stomach again began twisting.

The pretty woman in uniform stood in the aisle and demonstrated how to fasten the seat belts, adjust masks, and identify exits. He immediately picked up from the seat pocket in front of him a copy of the safety features she mentioned and started reading.

He wasn't pleased by what he read.

"All right, what is this about a water landing? Why would they say this unless a crash were possible? This seat is a flo-ta-tion device. Explain this, Mairie. And please be honest."

He could see she was struggling to answer him.

"Just tell me. Are these instructions in case we crash?"

"Oh, Jack. You above all should know there are no guarantees in life. The chance of that happening are so slim you shouldn't even worry about it. They just have to provide those cards in the event—"

"So it is not safe?"

The pilot's voice came back into the cabin. "We're next for takeoff, ladies and gentleman. Enjoy your flight and thank you for flying with us."

"Jack, please. You must try and relax. Everything is going to be fine." Mairie took the card from his hands and slid it back into the pocket and looked at him carefully. "Please, love. Relax."

Jack stared at her wide eyed, still pondering his instructions. "The lady says I may have to operate this door. Mairie, I don't know if—"

"Don't worry about the door, Jack. If it's necessary, I'll open it. But it won't be necessary." Mairie's words faded as the engine's roar overwhelmed his hearing.

"Dear God," he moaned, as he braced himself against the reverberations.

"Those are the engines I was telling—" Mairie stopped herself short as she watched the look of absolute panic on Jack's face.

He stared straight ahead and gnashed his teeth as the engines' thrust propelled them forward. He was moving at a speed he had never encountered in his life. How does a human being travel like this and survive? His knuckles were turning white, gripping the chair arms as he felt the lift of the airplane's nose.

"Oh… shit," he groaned, when the sensation of gravity pushed him even deeper into his seat.

Although she had a concerned look on her face, Mairie seemed calm. "Jack? Honey, are you going to be all right? You look as though you're going to—"

"Fine… Mairie. I'm… fine." He forced the words beyond his clenched jaw.

She reached over to his rigid hand and began to massage it. With her arm atop his, she began to hum a song. Her voice was barely audible over the engine's blast. He didn't want to look out the window. It would be better to concentrate on Mairie's pretty voice, he thought. Music does soothe the savage breast. She must know that also.

"Thank you, Mairie," he said, still staring ahead.

"Jack, it will be fine. I promise. You jumped off a mountain using a parachute. Believe me, this is not so bad." Her smile was supposed to be reassuring.

"I've already thought that. It doesn't help."

Suddenly he heard a grinding noise from under the floor of the cabin and jolted in his seat. "What's that?"

She laughed. "It's the landing gear. The wheels are going up, that's all."

"That's all," he repeated, and glanced out the window. Everything seemed so far away, even the mountains. He was mesmerized, staring out to the desert. He could even see small towns scattered and those vehicles traveling on the roads. So tiny.

The plane banked and Jack gripped the arm of the chair again. It felt like the thing was falling. "Mairie … we're going to crash."

"We're turning, Jack. It's okay."

He let out his breath and felt a sweat break out over his body.

Nothing would be okay until his feet were on the ground again.

 

Five hours later he stared at the skyline of Philadelphia in awe. As they had neared the city, he kept seeing all the towns so close to one another they appeared attached. Was there no open land any longer on the eastern coast of the country, just small patches of green? How could so many people live so close, in such congestion? No wonder the newspaper stories told of violence. His body felt as though something heavy were settling upon it. Mairie told him it was the pressure in the plane as it descended, yet Jack knew it was something more. The last time he had been in Pennsylvania, he had been at war. Mostly with himself. An uneasiness haunted him, and he glanced at the woman at his side.

Mairie was excited to be heading back to Pennsylvania, to meet with her brother, and he didn't need to burden her with the ghosts that were starting to creep back into his soul as he neared the place where he'd thought he had slain them. It didn't matter that it was over a hundred years ago. They were ghosts that knew nothing of time.

He heard the grinding beneath him and merely nodded as Mairie informed him it was the wheels being lowered for landing.

"Don't be afraid, Jack. Sometimes it can be a bumpy landing, but it's clear and sunny today, so it should be smooth."

Her smile was endearing. How she had catered to him on this fantastic ride, even when it became quite boring to be looking out the window at the clouds so far below. Then she had told him stories of her childhood, of Bryan, and then of Marc. He still didn't understand completely the bond between her brother and his friend, but he was coming to the conclusion that although it was unusual, he had known of others. Then he had been highly suspicious, but Mairie informed him that such associations were quite common and becoming more accepted. He didn't know that he could accept it himself, but for Mairie's sake he would try. So much had changed in the last century. This was just one more thing he must attempt to understand.

He didn't look out the window after seeing they were over the Delaware River as the plane approached the runway, as Mairie called it. Runway. He didn't care for the sound of that, nor the fact that the plane was so low the water rippled with the close proximity. He looked at the large card in the pocket of the seat before him and tried to remember everything about the flo-ta-tion cushion.

Mairie held his arm, leaned her head on his shoulder, and again began humming softly to ease his fears. What a treasure she was, he thought, and couldn't help himself from glancing from the corner of his eye to the window. They were speeding past buildings where other planes were docked. How would they ever stop at this speed that was pushing him back against the seat? Impossible!

"Umph." He couldn't control a grunt as he heard and felt a bump, then another and the plane leveled out, but it was still moving at a tremendous speed.

Then it happened.

A screeching noise assaulted his ears and he was thrust forward. Glad to be wearing the seatbelt, Jack held his breath in moments of fear until he felt the plane begin to slow down.

"You did it!" Mairie announced with a giggle and a kiss to his cheek. "You just experienced your first plane flight. Congratulations!"

He let out his breath and allowed himself a smile of accomplishment.

"There. It wasn't so bad, was it, Jack?"

"I'll let you know after we've gotten out of this flying contraption." He began trying to undo his belt when Mairie stopped him.

"You have to wait until we get to the terminal and the plane stops. I know you must be terribly sore and need to stretch." Her voice sounded sympathetic. "You didn't move the entire flight."

He rested his head on the cushion behind him, closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"I need a convenience. Quickly."

"I told you there were small ones on the plane. If you had just listened to me and—"

"Mrs. Delaney…" he interrupted, before she could finish her I told you so speech, "to use a current expression I heard recently… shut up and kiss me."

He loved to make her laugh, to see that sparkle in her eyes, as much as he loved the taste of her lips against his own.

"Gladly," she whispered, staring into his eyes, her mouth inches from his. "The kiss you shall receive. But that won't ever shut me up, buster. You'd miss the fun of me being right."

It was his turn to laugh and he could, now that they were on the ground and pulling into the terminal. "You enjoy tormenting me, don't you?"

"Because I haven't kissed you yet, or that you have to use the bathroom and I'm making you laugh?"

"Both."

Her grin widened, until she looked like a young girl. "Yeah," she whispered, and kissed him soundly.

How he adored this woman.