Tracy

033:

I

Raine woke early the next morning and padded across the hall to Tracy's rooms, eager to see how she was feeling, eager to curl up beside her and bask in the glow of possessiveness she elicited. The blinds were open, and a faint light permeated the room, allowing him to see in the dimness, her spare little figure stretched out under the covers, one arm thrown wildly, one leg out of the blankets entirely.

"Morning." She was a light sleeper, she wiped a hand across her face removing the tangled mass of honey hair. "How did you sleep?" She leaned forward smiling knowingly as he pulled back the covers and crawled into her warmth. She was a little startled, but pleased.

"Wow, you've got an incredible shiner." He fingered her black and blue eye, and then slid his hand around her head and pulled her slightly for a kiss.

It was still dark. "Can you see it clearly?"

He nodded as he pulled away, playing with her hair, twining it around his palm. "Lovely shade."

He dropped his lips to hers again, finding her willing, more than willing, actually arching into his embrace more than their tentative time together really warranted, but so welcome, skipping all that awkward foreplay.

"I could wake up to that every morning." Her arms wrapped softly around his neck and she pressed herself to him, feeling every masculine inch of him against her. His chest expanded to fill the space.

"Then I think you should." He whispered, catching her eye, wiping a finger over her eyebrows, moving the straggling strands.

"What?" she breathed. "Wake up to a kiss every morning?"

"I think that might be appropriate." His eyes searched hers.

"Are you saying you want to become a bigger part of my life?" Now she was fingering his short hair, smoothing it back from those incredibly dark eyes.

"Is there someone you'd rather be with?" His smile seared her with tenderness, and her next word was choked up.

"No. But my life is so complicated."

"You've had a lot on your plate lately. Too much for one girl to have to take on by herself." He acknowledged, kissing her again, sealing their union, feeling the warm tingle that this softened, relaxed girl exuded, that feathery brilliance he'd fallen in love with.

Tracy's eyes searched his. "You're very sexy in this light."

He was playing with her ear. "Sexy in every light."

"I agree." She pressed his lips now, parting them, tasting his willingness, his gentle caress down her sensitive side.

"I think we've transcended the getting to know you thing." He nuzzled her collar bone, sending chills all over her, and causing her breath to come shallow.

"And we've become what?" She arched her back, giving him better access as she pressed her breast to his chest. His hand smoothed the flat silkiness of her stomach, like water, like golden jasmine petals.

"A lot more."

His lips were following the trail of his hands, he supported her, kissed her, smelled the sleepy woman, cinnamon scent of her.

"Tell me what that means to you." Her voice was aroused in the stillness, as her breath held.

"I think I'm in love with you." He hadn't meant to say that, but this weekend, the events of the concert, the fight, the strange illness, the friends, the life so foreign to him all combined to solidify the thought that they were meant to have met when they did, and meant to be together now.

Now it was out in the open--- a part of the air around them, a part of the music in her head.

"I think I have fallen for you as well." Her words dripped like honey. Raine leaned back slightly to see into her soul. His slight tremulous smile wavered in near disbelief.

"You think you could include me in your forever world?" He had lowered her to the bed again, and was stroking her arm and side thoughtfully.

"I would give it all up to be a part of yours."

"I'm hoping to be a doctor someday. Right now my means to accomplish this leads me to fight for my country." He sounded slightly doubtful that she would want to stay with that looming in the future. How could she give up a budding career on the verge of international solo artist stardom? She would always make ten times the amount of money as him. Her creativity outshone his hopes and plans by a galaxy. She wasn't in his league.

"I've had my turn in the limelight. I'm ready to move on to the next phase." She brushed her lips across his, hardly daring to believe they were having this conversation.

"You have a big name and a big reputation to live with. What if that name simply dropped out of the scene and became Mrs. Maverick, wife and mom? Could I do that to you? It might be like caging a beautiful wild bird."

"You aren't sure about me, are you?"

He quirked a smile at her. "You're not ready to settle down. There's a side of you that needs this.... The glitz. I watched you with that guy, Richard Mann. You were so at ease with him, so polished, so professional. You guys have so much in common."

Tracy drew in her breath sharply, recalling the moment just a few hours ago, when she had felt the feathery touch of Richard's lips against hers, and the music had coalesced into one haunting melody. She needed more than anything to write that piece down.

"I'm not like that Raine. The band doesn't mean that much to me. I'm just me." She wondered if she really was just herself, with those few stolen moments upstairs defining her.

"You have no idea then how incredible you are."

She sighed. "And my being incredible is a threat to you?"

Raine tucked her head under his chin as she snuggled against him. "No, just inexplicable. But I don't know why I'm saying this. I'm not worried about it at all. I want to be a part of it, a part of you. It's just so unbelievable."

Tracy felt a wave of vulnerability engulf her. She wanted to be just herself with the man she hoped to marry, and falling in love with this man, meant she needed to open herself up to him. Fear drenched her in its icy tentacles. If he knew all there was to know, would he still want her?

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