I hope you feel better soon, Kav!

Thank you again for this perfect Christmas story!



gracie

Had to come back and quote this part---it was especially beautifully written. Very poetic!

Forget swooning! I'd be in a dead

How do you do it? How in the world do you write so well when you feel so icky?

I agree. I think after that, I would be beyond swooning and would have fainted right there....

Kav, I hope you start to feel better, but if this is the kind of posts we're going to get when you're sick, I hope you take a long time in your recovery.

Of course she's a swooner !!! That was unfair tactic, Jack !!!

sorry to hear you are unwell

cath

Oh, my Lord -- that was . . . . . I can't find the words . . . . except maybe, beautiful, wonderous, awesome? and WOW!!!

well if she wouldn't have swooned then this whole board would do it for here, we all are like a puddle. i don't knwo how you do it....even when your sick and not feeling well you write this......you brilliant.

Beautiful post

Hope you feel batter soon

Ornella

oh, wow.

I sure hope you're feeling better, because I know that was hot... and with a fever, Kav, that could have been lethal!

*contented sigh* .. And you wrote this when you were ill? Your talent amazes me over and over again Kav.

How come you know all these signs? I love how you describe them in your posts, if I recall correctly you do it more often. I really enjoy that.

Okay - so I've been back through the entire story and I'm all nice and tingly and almost in the mood to put up my tree. I am wondering about a couple of things:

1. What did Jack whisper to Santa? Was it that he wanted a bell for Sue...or was it something different? (I guess I'm showing my cluelessness here - but I prefer to call it being hopelessly romantic because I have my ideas....)

2. Did Jack buy Sue another bell? Did Mrs. C help him find the one that Sue's mother tossed?

I think it's time for another post. How about it? Are you feeling up to it?????? I'm afraid if we leave Jack and Sue unatteneded for too long at the apartment, they'll burn the building down. If that happens - I at least want to read all about it!

I do hope you are feeling much better!

OOOH! Kav! I woke up to snow this morning but baby... it's ain't cold in here!

nice work...


**glances around gleefully**

On the sixth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me: 6 hours of Tara's rainbow grilling, 5 minutes of rambling from Howie, 4 bran muffins from Myles, 3 Jack Hudson searing kisses, 2 Bobby Manning dimples and a facesmooshedinthewindow smilie.

**Thank you... thank you very much!**

Mop and bucket needed on aisle 3!!!

Brilliant posts Kav, definately looking forward to more!

Oh my....what a heated post!

You have me drooling for more Kav!

Please post more soon!

BLT

Hello again! This is Paula's neighbor, you may remember me from one of Cath's stories. I heard a loud crash from what I take was a result from some heavy swooning and now she's in yet another puddle on the floor. She asked me to reply for her (or at least I think that was what she said, it all sounds like incoherent babbling... almost like gargling...).

Forget Sue....... It's me doing the swooning....... *just by readint that post!!*

Her body trembled beneath his touch. His slow drugging kisses chasing any other reality but him from her mind. He was by turns gentle then rough, his lips alternately soothing and devouring while his hands glided over her body, stirring up heat wherever they touched. An inferno began to churn at the core of her being and she moved restlessly against him, opening her mouth to the temptation of his lips.

She groaned his name into his warmth and his grip tightened, dragging her millimeters closer, his desire so intense he could barely think at all. He wanted to take his time, soothing her into this new facet of their relationship with gentle tenderness. Instead he was in an agony of need from the way her body fit his; every soft curve complimenting his rigid angles. His hands settled on the flare of her hips, nicely rounded, softly muscled, his fingers scoring her flesh beneath the waistband of her dress pants and she whispered a breathy, urgent plea against his lips. It was that soft sound – his name, a whispered breath caressing his cheek and jaw that sent him over the edge. But was she pleading with him to continue or to stop? Jack tightened his grip on her just in case it was the latter as he buried his face in the silky curtain of her hair.

His labored breathing fanned her cheek hotly and her body moved against his, instinctively seeking the piercing pleasure of his mouth once more. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she brushed her mouth over his lower lip, coaxing at it playfully before teasingly running her tongue along the seam. She was impossible to resist and he truthfully, he didn’t want to. His lips parted and he drank her in, the magic starting all over again.

He tried to be gentle as he lowered her to the floor, but she was driving him insane, his need pushing away what little coherent thought he had left. She sprawled out beneath him on the living room carpet, her arms opened invitingly. With agonizing slowness he lowered his body over hers as he sought her welcoming mouth. Their breath mingled, heat fueled the embers already burning, scorching him from the inside out. If you’re lucky you’ll keep an ember buried somewhere in there and with luck it will stay steady and true, ready for the right spark to fan it to life again…She was his spark, the one he had been waiting for. She stirred him to life in a way no other woman ever had…or ever could.

He propped himself on his elbows; afraid of crushing her with his weight in an intimate embrace she wasn’t ready for. The taste of her innocence tempered his passion but his desire raged on. They needed a proper bed so he could do this right, so he could make love to her the way he wanted to – the way she deserved. Her first time had to be perfect – their first time together a precious memory with no regrets.

He groaned desperately grasping at the fragmented pieces of his self-control and deliberately gentled the kiss, savoring the moment – memorizing the taste and feel and scent of her before reluctantly drawing away. He stretched out on his side next to her, propping himself up on his elbow so that he could observe this beautiful and extraordinary woman who belonged to him.

Her eyes were closed, her lips parted as she struggled to control her ragged breathing. A fine web of golden silk covered her cheek and he carefully brushed it away, rubbing the strands back and forth between his fingers.

He had often resisted the urge to touch her hair though sorely tempted by the richness of texture and colour. He loved it when she wore it long best – when the wind played hairdresser, leaving her looking sexily rumpled…the way he imagined she would look after he ran his fingers through her hair. It was the way she looked now – more perfect than his imagination could have ever conjured up.

He surveyed his handiwork with supreme satisfaction. Tangled tendrils spilled out across the floor, creating a wildly abandoned look. The sun had set and in its place a full moon glided low in the sky, the gentle light outlining her face in a silver aura. She looked ethereal. Magical.

Magic. Wide eyes imploring him to believe, beaming their approval when he was converted.

The vision vanished when her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with so much love and trust that he was humbled anew at his good fortune. This was indeed magic, for what else could possibly explain the miracle before him?

Wow!!!!! I think some of the snow outside just melted, too! Beautiful writing.

*tries unsuccessfully to wipe away the drool*

(It only took me about five tries to type that - and about seven tries to type this one)


Wow.

I am a drooling, swoony, grinny, quite happy little puddle.

And I don't intend to solidfy until absolutely necessary

*I will not be able to type a reply..... Sorry!!*

uhhh......welll..... i just ahh....... can i say..... ....yep i'm a puddle

Hot dog! That was gggrrreeeeeaaaaaatttttttttttttt! I bet when Sue and Jack finally manage to get up there will be an outline of their bodies scorched into the carpet!!!! (See? I knew it wasn't a good idea to leave them alone too long.....we would have had to call the fire department. It's a good thing Sue and Lucy don't have a sprinkler system...it would have gone off!)

I loved it, kav. I hope this is the result of you feeling better - not you burning up with fever...(although if this is how you write burning up with fever, um, well.........)

Intoxicating and wonderful.

o my!

There is definitely magic in the air....

Ditto!

Again Kav you amaze me!

Excatly.....OMG.....

~laura michelle~

After catching up on more than twenty posts I've swooned many times.. especially the last post

Yep. I'm gonna hafta agree. Wow...

My english isn't that good so when I read post like that, the best thing to resume what I think is

Is it too much to ask for another post tonight?

hope your feeling better now Kav

WOW Lin

I think I'm going to join the rest of the board and remain in my liquified state until further notice...

Great job Kav!

Can't wait for more!

BLT

Magic in deed! Wow!

Kim

The weatherman said we would have 70 degree temperatures down here in Texas for the next couple of days, but with all the heat radiating from me right now I'm thinking its going to be around the 110's till Christmas!



(5 just isn't enough...)

I am trying to think of something accurate and and not tragically lame to describe that post and all I can come up with is WOW! One thing that struck me- apart from the was that in that whole post they barely said a word. I think said his name twice and that was it. It was all well, action. Has anyone told you lately?

Hope you're feeling better

Wrapped up as they were in each other they missed dinner all together and barely managed to scramble into a semblance of propriety before Lucy led Myles into the apartment.

“What are they doing here?” Sue hissed, her heart pounding frantically as she tried to smooth the wrinkles out of her shirt.

Jack reached over to fix her lopsided buttoning job and he couldn’t help but grin. “I invited them for the tree decorating part of the evening,” he admitted ruefully. “Bobby and Tara should be here any minute as well. D is going to try to drop by with the kids, but Tanya has basketball.”

“You invited them all on our date?” There was incredulous hysteria in her voice as she raked her fingers through her hopelessly knotted hair.

Jack’s hands brushed hers away and he tunneled his own fingers through her hair, smoothing it out, massaging her scalp, bending close to brush his mouth across hers. He drew away and winked. “I kind of didn’t trust myself to last the whole night,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Are we interrupting anything?” The booming voice had Jack spinning to face the door with Sue in his arms. The expression on Myles’ face could only be described as a smirk. It didn’t take his Quantico training to notice the subtle details that told a story of their own. Jack’s tie snaked half way under the couch, his jacket folded like a pillow on the carpeted floor, Sue’s flushed face and disheveled appearance, Jack’s boastful stance and knowing grin. And then there was the untouched congealed food in the kitchen.

For a brief second Myles was consumed by jealousy. It wasn’t that he had ever considered Sue as a potential romantic interest. He had always known she was Jack’s. But he felt like she belonged to him somehow as well – the one person in his life who could vanquish the darkness when it grew too bleak for him to bear and now Jack stood in the way of that. But he only had to look at the glow emanating from Sue for his negative feelings to slip away as quickly as they had come. He could never begrudge her this -- the fulfillment of dreams that she so richly deserved.

“Bit early, aren’t you?” Jack asked gruffly, keeping Sue anchored by his side when she would have discreetly put some distance between them.

“Ten minutes late, actually. Service at Pauni’s was slow tonight,” Myles said with another casual look into the kitchen and a knowing glance towards Bobby and Tara who had just walked in. “Great pizza tonight, wasn’t it, Manning? We almost brought a doggie bag for Levi, but I ate it. Didn’t realize that you were starving him or I would have showed some restraint.” Myles pointed to the golden retriever who was belly creeping in from the kitchen, his empty bowl in his jaws. He clattered it onto the floor in front of Lucy looking as dejected as only a hungry dog can look.

“Poor Levi! Did Sue forget all about your hungry tummy?” she crooned, casting a mischievous glance at her best friend who was looking appropriately mortified.

“I don’t know what came over me!” Sue gasped and was drowned out by uproarious laughter from the men.

“I’d say that would be Jack,” Myles managed to gasp enjoying the brilliant flush of scarlet that flooded Sue’s face.

Funny. You. she signed, shaking her head at the men in her life before retrieving Levi’s bowl and heading for the kitchen.

They ordered pizza and teased Jack and Sue unmercifully as they wolfed it down. Lucy put on Christmas music and they began to decorate the tree, taking care to place the unbreakable ornaments on the bottom.

“Say, Sue, did you see this package from your mom?” Lucy asked when things finally settled down and they were gathered round the Christmas tree. The lights were off, the room lit up only by the white starlights that dotted the tree. Lucy scrunched herself onto the couch next to Sue who was obliged to practically climb into Jack’s lap to make room for her. “I bet it’s an ornament. Perfect timing.” Lucy looked around the room. “Sue’s mother always sends Sue one to add to her collection. Go on, open it.”

Sue accepted the lumpy envelope and pried it open carefully. Snowflake dotted stationary sported her mother’s familiar scrawl. Bold, broad strokes, the penmanship impeccable though it slanted upwards.

Darling,

You’ll never believe what your father found when he replaced the flooring in you old room. I’ve been after him to do it since you left for DC so you can blame the delay on him. You remember that bit that pulled away from the baseboard – right under your bed? Well we found a veritable treasure trove when we pulled up the floorboards – including this. Thought it was the perfect ornament to send you this year. You always loved it so.

Merry Christmas, sweetie.
We love you and miss you.
Mom (and Dad)

“What is it?” Jack asked curiously, unabashedly reading the letter over Sue’s shoulder. After all, they were practically his in-laws.

“I don’t know. It’s wrapped.” Sue tore at the holly stamped tissue paper, unwinding the layers round and round until the a small silver ball fell into her lap.

It was a bell. About the size of a child’s fist. Worn and rough in places and marked with strange etchings that were as familiar to her now as they had been when she was eight. “It’s my bell!” she cried joyously.

That bell ought to bring back some memories!!! Probably good thinking, Jack.

Darn Jack for thinking ahead!

And I love that the bell has been found!!!!!

Now even more magic can occur.........

Is Santa going to make an appearance? Because I love Santa. He's one of my favorite guys!

So happy her mom didn't throw it out after all!! That just elevated Mrs. Thomas a few notches, in my opinion!

This is such a fun story, Kav!

I can't tell you how much this made me laugh. I can totally see that happening.

Oh, Kav, this is fantastic!!

THE BELL *sarah's roomate looks over at her confused*

I have read both posts from today and all I can say is....

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

The bell! One more piece to the magic!

Kim

two wonderful posts to catch up on

i totally melted with the first and chuckled at theteasing in the second

glad the bell is found, more memories and magic

cath