Scenes From a Life Not Lived: Passion
by Trekker

The adrenaline was still running through her veins in cold rivulets an hour later, and nothing stopped the shaking, not the blanket she had wrapped around herself, not the cup of tea she cradled in her hands, not even the yellow warmth of every light in the place--she’d turned them all on first thing after shutting and locking the door.

She froze at the sound of a key rasping in the lock, half of herself wanting to run, the other half, the logical half, telling her that even if Angel did know where she lived, which he didn’t, he’d never been invited in and would be unable to enter.

Of course, it was Rupert. He threw the door open and plunged into her small apartment like a questing knight.

“Jenny!”

Like the threat was still present, like he was ready to spring to arms to defend her, even though, if she hadn’t been so damn lucky, he would have already been way, way too late.

The light flashed on his glasses as he pushed the door shut behind him, the key ring jingling in his hand. She watched the fight flow out of him as he saw her and came to her. His shoulders slumped a bit, his stride shortened, his voice dropped to a low, intimate rumble.

“Are you all right?” he said, going to his knees in front of her where she sat, cross-legged on her couch.

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah. Just a bit shaken.”

He took the mug from her hands, set it behind him on the coffee table, and then leaned up and caught her face in his hands. She closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss.

“Oh, Jenny,” he whispered.

She opened her eyes again as he pulled back a little and snatched his glasses off, tossing them behind himself next to her mug. Without the glass shielding them, she could see the raw emotion in his eyes: fear, a little anger, relief... love.

Silently, she unfolded her legs and stood, letting the blanket drift off her shoulders unnoticed, her gaze never leaving his. Entreating him only with a gentle tug of her hand, she led him back to the bedroom.

Late that night, deep inside her, he was warm as sunlight, and she thought she would never be cold again.

The End
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