This is a work of fiction, using characters from the film, “Proof of Life”.  No insult or invasion of privacy or infringement of copyright is intended. The story is for readers over the age of 18 only, and contains adult language. The writer is not responsible for any "discomfort" caused to the reader by this language and these situations.

Be Near Me

By: Sue

© 09/2005

She took a deep breath before she entered the plush offices of Global Securities.  In her mind she recited over and over the mantra, “You can do this.  You’ve got the qualifications. You can do this.”  This was the first real job she’d applied for and although she wasn’t certain about getting it, the interview would be good practice for getting her nerves under control.  In the past she’d done lots of menial jobs and countless stints temping in offices, slowly building her experience and confidence. 

But her confidence was slowly crumbling as she sat and waited for her appointment.  More so when an extremely efficient looking woman and a drop dead gorgeous man came out of a nearby office.

“Thank you, Ms Cartwright.  I have a few more interviews to conduct but I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”  They shook hands and he returned to his office, letting the door slam loudly shut.  Katie gulped and started her mantra over again.  She was concentrating so hard she almost missed the receptionist call her name.

Terry was in a foul temper.  He hated conducting personnel interviews.  He’d be glad once he found a new assistant and they could take over the job.  He read through the file in front of him, the last one for the day.  She had the right qualifications, they all had.  The dates made him frown, and he flicked through the file and checked her age again. 

His door opening made him look up.  “Hey, Rita,” she smiled at his greeting.  “Would you get me and Miss,” he glanced at the file again, “Williams a coffee?”

“Sure Boss, coming right up.”

He looked at the woman standing before him.  His sweeping gaze took everything in.  She was small but with long legs for her stature, a trim but curvy figure, full breasts and topped with a mass of deep auburn hair.  He focused on her face and realised her soft grey eyes were glinting with amusement even as her eyebrow arched questioningly.  He was spared explaining his inspection when Rita returned with the coffee.  “Please take a seat, Miss Williams.”  He watched as she smoothed down her skirt and sat carefully, he half hoped she would be competent.  That fact that she was easy on the eyes and didn’t come across as being a battleaxe or a bloody feminist had her high up on his choice list before they started.

“So, Miss Williams, or may I call you Katherine?”

His obvious appraisal of her had done nothing for her nerves, but she replied, “Katherine, Kate, Katie, which ever you prefer, is fine by me.”  She smiled, trying to appear friendly and composed, while inside she felt neither. 

He returned her smile, his earlier temper slowly dissipating.  “I’ll stick to Katherine for today. I’ve looked through the application you sent in, it’s very comprehensive, you are very well qualified but the one thing strikes me as odd is how recent your qualifications are.”

Her smile faded a little.  “I suppose I’ll have to be honest about that.  I wasted a lot of time at school and left with nothing.  I’ve spent the last few years finishing my education.”

“That’s nothing to hide, Katherine.  At least you had the guts to start again and do something about it.  And from these qualifications, you did extremely well at making up for lost time.”  Her smile was more genuine this time as she slowly relaxed; things were going better than she’d expected.  “I see this would be your first permanent position in this role?”

“Yes, but I think my CV shows I’m adaptable to any type of work and I believe I can do this.”

“I want to believe it too,” he thought.  Aloud he said, “I’ll be honest, your lack of experience does concern me.  However, I’m going to put you on my short list.  My partner is back tomorrow and we intend reviewing the applicants then.”

The rest of the interview went smoothly from both points of view.  Terry was impressed with how hard she’d worked to make up for her youthful mistakes and by the time he brought their meeting to a close he’d marked her file as his preferred choice for the position.

“Thank you Mr Thorne, you won’t regret giving me a chance.” She gave him a dazzling smile that made him fleetingly wonder if having her working for him was a good idea. 

She left on cloud nine.  Making the short list was a result in her book.

The following day Terry and Dino went through Terry’s list of finalists.  Terry gave his comments on each one.

“Okay, pal.  What’s wrong with this one?”

“On paper, nothing.  But Christ! Dino, she made me feel like I was ten years old and needed caning.”

Dino howled with laughter.  “Okay, she goes to the back.  What about this one?”

“He’s very, uh, effem… efficient.”

Dino couldn’t contain his smirk.  “Okay, he can join the dragon.”  Dino picked up the next file.  “No derogatory notes on this one.”

Terry smiled.  Dino noticed but for once didn’t comment.  “I think she could do it but she has very little experience.”

“Yeah and I suppose she’s a looker too, eh?”

“I hardly noticed,” he replied, but couldn’t stop himself from grinning.

“Bullshit!  Honest opinion, get your mind off her body.  D’ya really believe she can do the job?”

Terry considered carefully.  “Yeah, she’s enthusiastic and she has guts.  She put herself back though school after fucking up when she was a kid.  And her looking good doesn’t do anyone any harm, especially me.”

They both laughed.  “Hell, I’m never opposed to some pleasant scenery around this place.  Okay, tell the lady she has the job on probation.”

Katie sat and looked at the letter from Global Securities for over an hour before taking a deep breath and opening it.  When she finally did, she couldn’t believe her eyes.  She had gotten the job.  She let out a whoop of delight and hugged herself hard.  Things were finally going right for her.

It was Katie’s second week, things had been going well.  The job was pretty straight forward and so far Terry had been fairly easily to work for, if a little demanding.  He had a low tolerance for stupid mistakes but was always quick to praise a job done well.  Up to now he’d had little cause to complain, in fact, she’d overheard him remark to Dino that she was almost as efficient as he was.  The comment made Dino laugh and reply, “My God, don’t tell me Mr Precision has met his match.”   Terry laughed in reply but she didn’t catch his comment.

So, she was surprised when a few days later he came out of his office with a grim face.

“I need a quick word in my office,” he ordered quietly before turning towards the office, leaving no doubt he expected her to comply instantly. She followed him, a bad feeling growing with each step.  He sat and motioned for her to sit, before pulling out a file.  He pushed it forward so she could see it had her name on it. 

“Because of the nature of our business we have to do quick background checks on all employees.”

Her stomach turned, so much for a new life.  “That’s a quick check? I’d hate to see you being thorough.”  His look told her to shut it.  Clamping her mouth closed, she reached for the file.

He stopped her before she could open it.  “It started as a quick check,” he said tersely and released the file.

It didn’t take her long to skim the pages; she knew it all first hand.  She just wondered how much he had.  She digested the copies of reports, forcing back the tears, refusing to let him know how much it bothered her.  Her eyes were cold when she finally faced him.  “So, does this mean I lose my job?”

He couldn’t hide the contempt in his eyes.  Right then she hated him; no one had ever made her feel so cheap with just a look before.  “That depends. You aren’t a thief, I’ll give you that much, but the rest…”

She glared at him trying to hold her ground, but it was a battle of wills she had no chance of winning.  She was the first to look away.  Her shoulders dropped and she quietly asked, “So, what do you want - my life story?”

He half nodded at the file. “An explanation.”

She stood. This wasn’t a story she could sit and tell.  He sat forward in the chair waiting; she didn’t know if she could do this, or even if it was worth it. He’d made his opinion of her plain, but once she started she couldn’t stop…

Everything was good when we were kids, by ‘we’ I mean my twin brother and I. We didn’t have much money but Mam and Dad tried to make sure we went without as little as possible. 

She smiled at the memory.

We had had a good childhood right up until it stopped.

I’m sure everything would have been different if Dad hadn’t lost control of the car one night and wrapped it around a tree.  The first we knew was when the cops knocked at the door to tell us our parents were dead.  Helluva shock to the system when you’re fourteen.  My brother took it hard; he was always the sensitive one.  I guess that made it easier for me, I had him to look after.

It was manageable at first, we were together at the home but then they started talking about splitting us up.  They said he was too dependent on me.  It was the worst thing they could’ve done and he lost it big time.  There wasn’t a lot of option after that, so we ran away.  We hitched a ride and hid in the city.  We managed to find a room and I got a job in a bar.  I lied about my age but with a bit of make up I passed for twenty.  Of course, the money I made wasn’t enough, he wanted to help but I insisted he went to school because one of us had to.  I got a day job too, and kept up with his school work as best I could, figuring I needed some education, even a second hand one.

Then the piece of shit running the building hiked the rent.  He came round one morning, he must have known the day I started a bit later, he told me how I could make up the shortfall on the rent.  I was shaking when he laughed; I had until rent day to make my mind up.  I tried to find a new place but where we were was just about the cheapest place in town already.

By next rent day I knew there wasn’t much option.

She leant back against the wall with her eyes closed as she relived it in her mind, her audience forgotten as the horror and disgust of it all overwhelmed her.  Terry watched her closely; she was lost in reliving the memories and it was clear from her expressions that none of them were good.

I tried not to fight, I really did but it was the first time anyone had touched me like that.  Not that he cared; being able to slap me around a bit seemed to make it better for him.  As he left he threw some money on the bed, saying as he’d had my cherry he’d give me extra this time. I don’t know how long I spent in the shower trying to scrub him off me.

Every week, I thought I couldn’t do it again but until I could find a better job I was trapped.  Then Joey passed all his exams; he wanted to go on with his studies, he wanted to be a doctor.  That made up for so much, especially that I’d managed to keep everything from him.

We struggled on for a couple of years, never quite having enough money to find a better place.  Joey got the grades he needed for college and I knew I had to find a way of making more money because no way could a bar job keep us going.  I was talking to one of the girls in the bar; I don’t know why I told her about the landlord.  Her reaction shocked me; she asked, “Why the hell was I giving it away when I was sitting on a goldmine!” 

So I started my new career.

I hated every minute of it, but it paid all the bills and let us move onto somewhere that didn’t have peeling walls and roaches crawling out of every hole.  I learned, eventually, that your mind doesn’t have to stay where your body is.  It can fly free as long as you automatically give the responses they want.

I became quite popular and had a decent set of regulars, and then I had to meet someone and fall for him.  I lied about my job, about my whole life. What else could I do - tell the truth? Joey was almost through med school and had met a nice girl and they were talking about getting married. I relaxed a little, I didn’t need to work so much, and in fact I was close to getting out. One more party the girls said, work with a big pay.  Like a fool, I said yes. I almost bailed out at the last moment as I hadn’t been feeling well, nasty case of morning sickness.

We got raided; the cops hauled us out and took us all in.  I got lucky, I’d already dumped my cash; they had no concrete evidence so I didn’t get charged, but of course everyone found out. My guy dropped me like a hot potato and disappeared faster than Houdini, I found out later he already had a wife and kids, he didn’t need the publicity.  My brother became cold and distant, more so when I found out I was pregnant.  No one believed I knew who the father was.  With my line of work they thought how could I? He told me to get out and never come back.  That hurt, he was the only family I had and I’d done everything for him.

In hindsight, it was probably for the best when I lost the baby.  How would I have taken care of it?

She sighed, no matter that it had been for the best. The loss still caused an ache.  Feeling the first movements inside, then suddenly it’d all gone. Leaving her more alone than ever.

So I went looking for a new life, but it never works like that.  This isn’t the first time my past has caught up with me. I tried moving to new cities but that didn’t work, I thought a different country would…

She was breathing hard and forcing away the memories, she slowly opened her eyes.  His expression had changed, she couldn’t say what he thought, but the contempt had gone.  She took a deep breath hoping to stop the tremors in her voice.

“So, I’ll ask again, does this mean I lose my job?”

He was silent for a while, he’d watched her body language and he’d seen how much it’d cost her to tell him everything.  He tried to visualise how it’d been for her but couldn’t imagine the horror she endured as she was raped every week and then to go on to sell herself.  “Katherine.”  Her heart sank, the friendly Katie of the last few days had gone and they were back to Katherine, she thought she may as well go and pack her desk and save them both any more embarrassment. He continued, “I can’t even come close to imagining what you went through and I won’t insult you by saying I can.  The only saving grace out of all this is that you don’t have a record…”  She started to protest but he silenced her.  “So, I’m going to take chance.  Yes, you can keep your job and no one will find out about any of this from me.”

She almost cried with relief, him knowing was bad enough she couldn’t stand anyone else finding out.  “Thank you, T-t… Mr Thorne.” He felt a little bereft when she called him Mr Thorne, he realised the relationship they’d started to build had just changed dramatically.  As she returned to her desk they both wondered how long she would stay working for him.

Over the next few weeks they found a way of maintaining a working relationship but the previous friendliness had gone.  As a compromise he’d started calling her Kate and she’d had no option but to return to calling him Terry.  They both believed that the change between them would go unnoticed by anyone else in the office.

Of course everyone did notice and gossip ran rife though the office. The other girls tried to draw Katie out about how she and Terry got on.  She maintained her stance that he was a good boss and fine to work for.  It was the truth; if it hadn’t been for her past creating a gulf between them, she believed this would be her perfect job.  It was demanding and interesting, as was he.

Dino had also noticed the changes, but he also noticed how she looked at Terry when no one was watching.  He wondered exactly what had happened between his friend and Katie.  He hoped he hadn’t slept with her.  Knowing he’d never admit it out right if he had, Dino waited until the office was empty one lunch break and checked Terry’s files to see if he could find anything that would give him a clue as to what was going on.  He found nothing to indicate Terry and Katie had been involved, but what he did find surprised him.  He waited impatiently for Terry to return.

Terry was surprised at finding Dino in his office.  Then he saw her file on his desk.  “You had no right to read that,” he said quietly.

“You should’ve told me.  Dammit, Terry, this could’ve caused us problems.”

“Like what?  She has no record.  She just made mistakes.”

“Mistakes, she was a hooker, for Christ’s sake and…” Dino stopped abruptly, Terry turned to see Katie standing in his office doorway.

“You promised,” she whispered.  He couldn’t stand the look of hurt in her eyes.  She turned and instead of going to her desk, she grabbed her bag and kept on walking.

“Kate!” he shouted.  She kept on going, he followed after her.  “Kate, stop, dammit.”  He caught up with her in the elevator. He jabbed the stop button and the car ground to a halt.  She crowded into the corner, wanting to be as far away from him as she could.  “It wasn’t the way you think.  I didn’t tell him, he found the file.  I’m sorry, I really am.”  She didn’t answer.  Her body was rigid against the wall and she refused to look at him.  He stepped closer.  He had to make her believe him, he didn’t want her to leave.  “Katie, please?”  Her head lifted and she looked at him.  Her eyes were filled with hurt and confusion.  Instinctively, his hand lifted and he brushed a lock of hair away from her face.

“Don’t touch me,” she hissed and his hand dropped away.  “What do you want, Terry?  How can I stay here now?”

“Nothing’s changed.  Dino won’t say anything.”

“Yeah, right! It’d be easier for everyone if I just left.”

“I never figured you for a quitter,” he replied quietly, attempting to goad her.

Her eyes blazed with fury and she responded to his bait.  “I’m not!” she spat at him.

“Then prove it,” he demanded.  She pushed past him and stabbed at the elevator button to take them back up to the office’s floor.

Over the next few weeks, they formed an uneasy truce.  Dino still wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t going to be trouble.  More so, since Terry started looking at her the way he was.  It was almost as though the colder and more distanced she was, the more his friend was attracted to her.

Katie would have been blind not to notice Terry’s changing attitude and she was terrified.  She couldn’t risk getting involved with him, no matter how much she liked him.  And she had to admit to herself that she did, she’d fought it for weeks, but there was an attraction between them that wouldn’t go away.  In a desperate attempt to widen the gap between them, Katie accepted a date from a guy she met in a bar.

It was a couple of weeks before Christmas; she’d gone for drink with the girls from the office.  Everyone had teased her about how he was looking at her, and that she should go and say ‘hi’.  She hadn’t, but he had sent her a drink which she accepted.  A little later, Terry and Dino arrived. Katie left the table on the pretext of needing the ladies’ room.  On the way back, the guy at the bar stopped her and they started talking.  She gradually relaxed.  He seemed nice and she agreed to meet him for a drink the following Saturday.

The drink went fine, Josh turned out to be lots of fun.  On the basis that everything had gone so well, Katie agreed to meet him again the following weekend.

Terry’s demeanour was frosty for a few days.  Then an urgent job came in and he had to leave for Geneva.  All conflicts were set aside as they both worked to ensure he had all the necessary documentation for the job.  Before he left, Terry asked Dino to keep an eye on her.

“She’s a big girl, Terry. She can look after herself.”

Terry couldn’t explain why he felt that despite her life, Katie was quite naïve.  “Just let her know if she has any problems, she can call you.”

“Okay, I’ll do that for you.  But when you get back you need to work this out!”

“I will, I just don’t need to be worrying about her while I’m so far away.”

Dino stared at him for the longest time.  “Terry, please don’t tell me you’re falling for her.”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.  “Mate, I don’t know what I feel for her.  But I do need to work it out.  This is no good for either of us.”

“Yeah, you’re right.  Go and do the job, I’ll keep my eye on the Ice Princess.”

Terry started laughing.  “The Ice Princess?”

“You really have to ask?  Any man gets inside her comfort zone and she freezes their ass off.”

Terry shook his head ruefully.  “She never seems like that to me.”

“I know, pal,” laughed Dino.  “C’mon, let’s have a drink before you leave.”

Katie felt a little lost while Terry was away; she hadn’t realised how big a part of her life he’d become, she had to keep reminding herself that she had a date with someone else on Saturday.

She met Josh in the bar.  They had a few drinks and chatted, he kept moving closer but it made her feel uncomfortable and she kept moving away.  He hadn’t been so tactile on the previous date. Eventually he suggested they have dinner.  Katie protested, “It’s okay, Josh. I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“That’s okay.  I’d like to buy you dinner.”  Katie didn’t want to feel obliged to him in anyway so as a compromise she suggested they get some take out.  “Hey, that’s a great idea.  I live near here, we can go back and eat there.”  Not wanting to make a fuss, she agreed.

As soon as the door to his apartment closed, she realised she’d made a mistake.  “I can’t stay too long, Josh.  I’m waiting on an important phone call.” 

“Best we make it quick, then.” He caught her and pinned her against the wall.  “I’ve been wondering all night what’s on underneath here.”  He had to release one hand to drag up her skirt; she used the movement to slash her nails across his face.  He responded with a slap that sent her crashing hard against the wall.  “I like to play rough,” he laughed as he approached her once more.  She went for his eyes again, but he grasped her wrists pushing them back against the wall.  He used one knee to force her legs apart.  She surprised him by suddenly allowing her legs to open.  He grinned and relaxed slightly.  It gave her a chance to slam her knee into his balls.  He released his grip, groaning as he held his tender groin.  She made it to the door and frantically tried to open it.  As it swung open, he grabbed her ankle bringing her crashing to the floor.  She kicked at him until she made contact and he cursed.  His grip slipped and she escaped out of the door. 

They’d made so much noise, people from the other apartments were starting to draw their bolts.  Not wanting to get caught, as one door opened, he slammed his door closed, allowing Katie to escape.

Once outside she realised she wasn’t entirely sure where she was, and then she realised she’d lost her bag.  She couldn’t go back in there.  She walked for a little way and spotted a small bar open.  She ignored the stares from the bartender and went to the ladies room.  Once there, she realised why she’d drawn looks.  Her right eye was starting to blacken and her face was swollen and bruised.  She cleaned herself up the best she could and went to the bar.

The bartender approached her slowly.  “You okay, lady?”

“Yeah, I need to make a call, but I’ve lost my bag.”

“You callin’ the cops?” The bartender was suddenly defensive.

“N-no, no.  Just a friend.”

“Okay, you can use this phone, but make it quick.”

It wasn’t until she had the phone in her hand that she realised she had no idea who to call.  She mentally ticked down the short list of numbers of people she knew, her heart sank when she knew she had no option but to call Dino.  Her hand shook as she dialed.

“Dino?”

“Yeah, who is this?”

“Kate.”  There was a long silence.  “I need help.  I… lost my bag… I daren… can’t go home.”

It was only that she sounded so shook up that Dino growled, “Where are you?” instead of just putting the phone down.

She handed the phone to the bartender who gave him brief directions and he hung up.  Katie sat in the corner well away from everyone, waiting.  As Dino arrived the bartender nodded to where she was sitting.  Dino walked over, furious at having to get involved.  He remained furious until she lifted her head and looked at him.  “Jesus, what the hell happened, Kate?”  She haltingly explained.  Dino grew furious again, but not at her.  “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

The panic showed instantly.  “No, Dino. Please, he has my keys, my address, everything.  I can’t go home.”

“Okay, you’ll have to stay at my place until I get your things back.  Then we’ll get all the locks changed.”  She was about to protest that she couldn’t stay with him, but his look stopped her.

Back at Dino’s, she felt very uncomfortable and it was obvious.  “Go and get showered and some sleep and here, take this.”  She looked at the pill in his hand suspiciously.  “It’s okay, it won’t hurt you.  You’ll need it, you’re gonna hurt in the morning.”

She decided she could trust Dino, after all he’d come to help her, and took the pill.  He showed her to the spare room and left her alone.  She showered and climbed into bed, in no time she was unconscious, which was Dino’s plan, he’d given her a sleeping pill, the best medicine she could have was sleep.   He knew Terry was due back any time, so he left a message on his voicemail.  A little while later, the phone rang.

“Hey, mate.  What’s so urgent I need to call tonight?”

Dino explained what had happened and Terry came straight over.  “Is she okay?”

“Battered and bruised but okay, go see for yourself.”

Terry carefully opened the bedroom door, Katie was fast asleep.  He knew she wouldn’t waken but he still made no noise as he approached the bed.  He stroked back her hair, his jaw clenching when he saw her face.  “He won’t hurt you again,” he whispered, and gently kissed her.

“So, do we know where this bastard lives?” Terry growled as he rejoined Dino.  Dino handed him a slip of paper.

“I did some checking.”

Dino refused to allow Terry to go alone, knowing how volatile his friend could be about this kind of thing.  Also, he wouldn’t have missed the look on the guy’s face when he opened the door and Terry landed one on him.  Terry hauled him up off the floor and growled, “You have something belonging to a friend of mine. Get it.” He slammed Josh against the wall and let him slide to the floor.  Josh scrambled to get the bag, babbling, “It was just a misunderstanding, and then she tripped.  I didn’t touch her.”

Terry looked at him in total disgust.  “Only big and brave when there’s someone you can slap about, eh?”  He turned to leave.

Then Dino said, “Oh, just one thing.”  He punched Josh in the stomach and then in the face.  “You just slipped, right?”  They left, allowing the door to slam closed behind them.

Back at Dino’s, they cracked open a couple of beers.  “So, what now, Terry?”

“I stay until she wakes up.”

“I meant after that.  She obviously means more to you than you’re saying.”

“I don’t know, Dino.  She’s made it plain she doesn’t want me to touch her any more than anyone else.  And all this isn’t going to help.”

“Man, you can really pick them.”

“Yeah, can’t I,” Terry laughed depreciatingly.

The following morning, Katie made herself as presentable as she could and left the bedroom.  She stared in surprise to see Terry asleep on the sofa.  Without thinking she went to him and gently stroked his face.

“You want coffee?”

She jumped away at Dino’s question.  “Y-yes, please.”

“Your purse is over there.”  Dino nodded towards a table.

“But how…?”

He smiled and looked at Terry, “Ask him.”  Katie stared at Dino uncomprehendingly.  “Merry Christmas,” he said, laughing as he went to the kitchen.

The next few days were a blur for Katie, Terry organised everything from new door locks to insisting she go to the doctor to make sure there was no concussion.  She did as he asked but insisted on going straight back to the office.  Once there, there was no opportunity for them to talk.  In fact Katie was avoiding every situation that they could.  She was confused and knew she was relying on him too much.  She couldn’t afford to really trust anyone but herself; other people always let you down.

The weekend loomed and so did the office Christmas party.  She tried to beg off, saying she couldn’t go out looking the way she did, but none of the girls would have any of it.  They said they’d come and collect her if she didn’t turn up.  In the end, she made the best of it and went along.  Once there, she began to feel like there was a conspiracy; no matter where she stood, she always seemed to be beside Terry.  The meal was arduous. Terry was seated next to her and she hardly ate a mouthful, she moved the food around on her plate hoping no one would comment.  Him sitting so close was killing her, all she wanted to do was reach out and touch him and the very thought of actually doing it was terrifying her.  She decided that as soon as the meal was over she would make an excuse and leave as soon as possible.  She relaxed a little when Terry danced one by one with all the girls not thinking that eventually he’d ask her.

“So Kate, will you dance with me?”  He saw the look of panic flash in her eyes and almost sighed.

“Y-yes,” she stammered knowing she couldn’t refuse him in front of everyone.  He led her onto the dance floor, mentally thanking his good luck when a slow song started playing.  He felt her tremble as he took her into his arms.  Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder and the gap between their bodies was too wide.  He spun her and used the movement to close the gap, leaving their bodies touching.  He felt her gasp against his neck.  “Trust me, Katie,” he whispered against her hair. 

“I can’t.”

He knew they weren’t talking about dancing.  His fingers wound in her hair and tipped her face to look up at him.  “You can, you just have to try.”  His lips brushed hers and he felt her body tense.  “Let me love you, Katie.  Let yourself love me.  Let me make love to you.” He could see the storm of emotion raging in eyes.

“Sex,” she responded harshly.

He stopped dancing and stared into her eyes.  “No.  I don’t want to fuck you.  I want to make love to you.”

She pulled away.  “There’s no difference.”

He caught her hand and smiled.  “Then no one’s ever made love to you.”  As he spoke one thought reverberated through his mind.  “I’d be the first, she’d be mine.” He pulled her back into his arms and continued dancing.  Throughout the remainder of the dance he held her close, his fingers playing her spine, his lips brushing her skin until the tension in her body faded and she unconsciously rubbed against him.

She didn’t understand the strange feelings in her body; no one had touched her like this before.  “What are you doing to me, Terry?”

“Nothing yet,” he breathed hotly against her ear.  He could sense the desire rising in her and knew she was fighting it.  The dance rolled into another without her realising.  The lights dimmed and his lips brushed her mouth.

“Terry,” she gasped.  “I don’t…”  His mouth caught hers.  She fought at first, but she was fighting him and herself, it was a losing battle.

“Let me take you home?” he whispered, nipping gently at her ear lobe.

Her mind didn’t know what to do but her but her body did and it prompted her answer.

“Yes.”

Before she had chance to think about what she’d said, Terry ushered her back to the table.  Giving some feeble excuse that Katie felt faint, he collected their things and whisked her out to his car.  Thanking God that she hadn’t heard Dino say, “About fucking time.”

She was silent throughout the journey; he didn’t know how to break the silence without giving her a chance to change her mind.  He parked outside her apartment building.  She went to open the door but he was around the car and holding out his hand to her before she had a chance to get out.  “Terry, I can’t…” she whispered.  He took her hand and pulled her up into his arms.

“You can, give it chance, Katie.”  His arms tightened around her pressing his body against hers.  She trembled as he bent to kiss her. 

“’Kay,” she whispered, breathless and confused by her reaction to his kisses.  Her heart was in her mouth as they went up to her apartment.  Part of her wanted him to touch her, to make her feel the way she had when they’d danced, the rest of her was terrified that it’d be the way it always was.

He took her key from her hand and opened the door.  Once inside he pushed the door closed behind them.  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”  He brushed strands of hair off her face, slowly caressing the bruises that still marked her, and gently tipped it up to him.  He kissed her gently at first, sucking first at her top lip and then her bottom one, then deepening the kiss, increasing the pressure as his tongue teased open her mouth.  Her body swayed towards him and he gathered her into his arms.  “Oh,” she sighed when he released her mouth.

“You haven’t been kissed much either, have you?” he chuckled as he lifted and carried her to the bedroom. 

“I guess not.”  Her eyes were enormous as he joined her on the bed.  “Terry…”

“Shh… Just trust me.”

He took her back into his arms, kissing her again until all the tension left her body and she lay boneless against him.  His hands began to gently explore her body, he caressed each soft curve and her body began to arch against him.  He unzipped her dress, trailing his fingers over the soft skin inside; she gave no protest so he slipped the dress from her shoulders.  He smiled as he uncovered her naked breasts.   He cupped them in his hands, kneading them gently.  He kissed down her throat to her breast.  She gave a soft whimper of pleasure when he took a hardening nipple into his mouth, sucking and nipping lightly.  She began to breathe faster with each additional touch.  He lifted to kiss her lips again.  Her fingers needed little encouragement to unfasten the buttons of his shirt.  He groaned at the heat of her hands when they pushed aside his shirt to touch him.

As their passion mounted they peeled away each others’ clothes until their bodies slid naked against each other.   “What are doing to me, Terry?” she whispered huskily, not understanding why each caress made her tremble with need for him.

“Making love to you.” He moved over her, and nudged her legs open.  She stiffened slightly as he settled between them.  His hand ran down along her body caressing her thigh.  He bent to kiss her, and slowly the tension ebbed from her body as he whispered, “You feel so good, Katie.”  His hand brushed her sex feeling her heat and the moisture building.  “You want me, sweetheart.  You want me as much as I want you.”  She gasped at his words, realising he was right, for the first time in her life she wanted a man to touch her, this man.  He lifted and pushed into her slowly filling her as he stretched her to take his full length.  She gave a long shuddery sigh as he sheathed himself completely within her.  He growled softly as she tightened around him, instinctively pulling him deeper.

Her gasp of pleasure as he started easing in and out of her; encouraged him to thrust deeper and harder into her.  Her body took over from her mind and she reacted naturally to him.  Her legs wrapped around him, opening herself completely to him.   Her hands slid over his back, touching him as he had her.  Her body arched against him, her hips writhing as each thrust impaled her to the bed.  “T-terry,” she moaned as her body started shuddering.

“That’s it Katie, come for me, sweetheart.  Come hard for me, I want to feel you.”  His voice was husky against her ear and it pushed her senses to the limits.  Her whole body tensed and she screamed his name.  Her body no longer felt like her own, every fibre of her being was focused on the new sensations flooding through her. As though with every touch he claimed her as his. She was unable to stop coming as he thrust harder.  Each time his cock kissed the neck of her womb she moaned with the sensations.  Her body felt as though every nerve was on fire when he growled and ground into her, and she could feel his hot seed shooting into her.  His hips slowed, sending delicious frissons of pleasure with each movement until he stopped and lay heavy on her. No man had ever her made her feel this way, she’d always endured their touch, not welcomed it the way she had Terry’s.

His head lifted from her neck as she stroked the sweat slaked hair at the back of his neck.  She smiled at him and he kissed her gently.  “I didn’t know it’d be like that,” she whispered huskily.

“It isn’t with everyone.”  Her eyes widened and he chuckled.  “Accept it Katie, there’s something special between us.”

“But…”

He eased from her and moved onto his back pulling her tight up against him.  “Look, I can’t promise everlasting love.  I don’t know where this is going to go any more than you do, but I do know I want to find out.”  He turned and looked into her eyes.  “So, Katie, will you take a chance on me? Stay with me, be near me all the time?”

All her fears filled her mind but the overriding one was now the thought of losing him before she even knew what she was losing.  “Are you sure, Terry?”

He smiled and caressed her face, replying, “I’ve never been surer of anything.”

She took a deep breath, hardly believing what she was going to say. “’Kay,” she whispered.  “One day at a time, we’ll see where life takes us.”

He laughed and kissed her.  “That’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard you say.”  Before she could retaliate, he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her tight in his embrace.  “You should rest a little; we have a long night ahead of us.” 

She smiled.  “I should rest a little?”  His look made her giggle and she rested her head on his shoulder, her lips softly grazing his jaw.

As they drifted off to sleep together, Terry thought, "Hopefully, a lot more than a long night.”  She shifted in her sleep and instead of moving away as he expected her to do, she nuzzled further into his body.  Her hot lips touched his chest, and he could feel her warm breath blow across his skin.  He felt a deep contentment holding her, as though the missing piece in a puzzle had been put in place… he’d been wrong before but this time it felt right.  Only time would tell.

The message is perfectly simple
The meaning is clear
Don’t ever stray too far
And don’t disappear
No don’t disappear

Be near me, be near
Be near me, be near
Be near me, be near
Be near me, be near

What’s your reputation? (ecstasy)
What’s your destination? (next to me)
Be near me
What’s your reputation? (ecstasy)
What’s your destination? (next to me)
What’s your reputation? (ecstasy)
What’s your destination? (next to me)
What’s your reputation?

THE END