“I left.” Jason acknowledged, his head dropping chin to chest. He took a deep breath as they sat quietly for a minute before he finally spoke again, “I’m sorry. God, Kara, I’m so sorry.” He looked at her, pleading for her to believe his words. “I thought I was doing the right thing, sacrificing my happiness so that your life wouldn’t change.” Jason shook his head in frustration.
“Do you remember what you said to me the day after our first night together?” he asked, turning to Kara, willing her to look at him and understand. She looked at him questioningly, shaking her head slightly, indicating she was unsure of what he was referring to. “You said you were romantically inept,” Jason chuckled, remembering the moment. There Kara had been, standing before him covered in gunk from the dumpster, while he frantically tried to figure out what he had done to make her so angry with him.
“We’re a lot alike. I never meant to hurt you. I should never have made you think I wanted you any less than I did,” he paused, then added softly, “than I do.”
“Jason,” Kara began, but he continued.
“I’m sorry,” he insisted, his eyes shimmering with emotion. Overwhelmed, she covered her face with her hands, fisting them over her eyes as she began to cry.
“Hey,” he reached out for her, but found himself hindered by the console between them. Frustrated, he yanked the keys from the ignition and climbed out of the van. Rounding to her side, he quickly opened her door and reached in to grab her hands, practically lifting her from the vehicle and into his arms.
“I love you.” He swore to himself if he ever had the chance to say the words to her, he wouldn’t pass the opportunity by again.
Kara gasped at his declaration.
“I do, Kara, I love you. I need you to know that,” Jason said again, holding her tightly to him.
She let out a deep sigh her body giving in as it reveled in his closeness. “I know,” she replied, her voice a mere whisper. She pulled back slightly to look up at his shocked face. “You flew five hours to be here for me,” Kara elaborated, “Eric pointed it and forced me to admit it to myself. That, and Jaime may have mentioned it.” She gave him shy smile before looking away, then turned back to look in his eyes, “I love you, too. I should have told you before. And I’m sorry, too.”
Jason shook his head determinedly, “No, don’t say that. There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. Kara…” he struggled, searching for the right words to make her understand. “I just love you, and nothing else matters. I don’t want to lose you. Ever. I’ll move back to Austin if you’ll have me. I’m miserable in Seattle without you.”
She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him, essentially cutting off anything else he was going to say. Slowly, she began to cover what she could reach of his face with soft kisses, before settling back on his lips, where they locked passionately. He held her firmly against him as his hands ran up and down her back, tangled in her hair, and ghosted across her neck, before running the circuit down again to cup her ass and pull her tightly against him. His desire was overwhelming. She was here, in his arms, kissing him. Accepting him. Forgiving him. He came to his senses and remembered where they were just in time to pull them back from the precipice of unbridled passion that was threatening to ensconce them. As he pulled back gently, he grasped her hand in his and led her from the parking lot to the front desk of the hotel. There they retrieved the key to the room Eric had reserved and walked hand-in-hand to their room. He wasn’t leaving her again
~*~
As soon as the door closed behind them, Kara was back in his arms kissing him again. His hands found the bottom of her shirt and slipped underneath, now trailing along the bare skin of her back and around to the front of her belly.
“I missed you,” he whispered into her ear, his hot breath causing a shudder to run through her.
She moaned and nodded her head, lost in the feelings of Jason surrounding her. He recaptured her lips in a searing kiss, while his hands slid up her sides pushing her shirt up as he went. Once it was off he tossed it across the room away from them.
“You are so beautiful.” His voice sounded breathless. “Seeing you here, like this, in front of me, takes my breath away. I have no idea how I made it two months before getting my ass back on a plane back to Texas. It feels so surreal, I’m almost afraid I’m dreaming again, but my dream you never compared to this – this is absolutely perfect.” His mouth crashed against hers as his hands cupped her breasts over her bra; his fingers dipped under the soft silky material to run along the tops, just barely teasing her nipples into erection. He pulled his mouth from hers only to begin nipping and licking his way back down her jaw to her ear once again. He nudged her ear with his nose, captured her lobe between his teeth in a gentle bite, released it and kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear.
“I love you,” he whispered again, his breath teasing her, once more unleashing a full body shiver of desire.
“Oh, Jason.” Kara grabbed his head and pulled it to her, kissing him hard. She pushed him back down on the bed, taking charge of their situation. Immediately she yanked his shirt off of him, tossing it to the side, not caring where it landed. She didn’t stop there; she was done with the teasing. Once his shirt was off she moved to his pants and discarded them quickly, pulling his boxers along with them. Jason was naked in front of her, breathless, as Kara’s eyes worked over him in the most intense eye fuck of his life. She grabbed his erection assuredly and began working him up and down, slowly at first and then faster as his breathing picked up. She dropped to her knees when her need for him reached a peak, and took him in her mouth. With her eyes on his, she licked up his shaft with the tip of her tongue, until his head dropped back against the bed breaking their contact. She ran her hands up his thighs, gripped his base, and took his length into her mouth in one plunge. Jason, startled at the sensation, released a loud moan and wove his hands into the hair at the back of her head, thrusting slightly into her mouth. After only minutes of her warm ministrations, Kara felt him try to carefully push her back, as though he were on the brink.
“Kara, stop,” he gasped, trying to pull her mouth from him. She released him instantly, and jumped up to stand before him. She hastily unclasped her bra, yanked it from her body and tossed it aside. Her pants followed, and in the blink of an eye, she was naked before him. Jason reached for her hands, grasping them as he pulled her down onto his lap. Kara gave a husky chuckle and quickly situated herself. She rubbed against him, coating him with her wetness, then, in one quick move she took him inside and began to move. Their rhythm was fast and needful. Animalistic. Jason thrust as Kara ground down, the meeting of their bodies and heavy breathing the only sounds in the room. Too soon Jason was groaning with restraint, once again trying desperately to stave off his release. His hand slipped to where they met and his fingers began to tease her gently at first, only a whisper of movement, then increasing gradually as Kara began to unwind.
Shaking her head no, Kara begged to prolong it, but Jason would not relent. He continued working her until she began to clench and shudder. Her hands clawed his back, working their way up to tangle in his hair. Succumbing, her head fell back, shaking back and forth while she moaned his name over and over. And as she came down he let go and spilled himself into her, catching her as she collapsed against him. He wrapped her in his arms, keeping her flush against him, still buried inside of her, while their breathing slowed from gasps to deep breaths.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat there like this, but after awhile she slowly eased off his lap. She missed the feel of him immediately, and as though he felt the same, he followed after her, laying them both down on the bed to curl up together. They spent a while caressing each other, mostly in silence, tracing their bodies with fingers and kisses in between. Every now and then one of them would declare their love and follow it with a hot and needy kiss.
“Thank you.” Jason said after awhile, settling his forehead against her own. “Thank you for forgiving me, for ta
king me back after I made a mess of things. Thank you for loving me.”
Kara traced his mouth with her finger tips, then leaned in and kissed his lips, nipping them gently with her teeth. “You’re welcome. Thank you for not moving on.”
“Never,” he stated firmly, shaking his head. “Only you.”
“I don’t want you to leave the fellowship.” Jason snapped his head to look at her in shock. His mouth opened as he tried to find words.
“Kara, I need you, I don’t want to be without you anymore…” but Kara put her finger against his lips to quiet him.
“Shhh.” She removed her finger and kissed his lips gently. “I’m not going anywhere,” she stated quietly. “I love you. But I want this for you, and I’ll do whatever I need to, to help you achieve it. We don’t have to be apart.”
Jason looked at her confused, not sure what she was saying. “But how?”
“I’ll come to Seattle,” she answered, grinning as Jason’s eyebrows shot up.
“I’ll hire a manager for the shop, and I’ll take a leave to be with you. Neither of us gives up anything,” she looked at him pointedly, making clear to him what her earlier conversation with his sister had been about.
He sighed and snuggled his head into the crook of her neck. “I don’t even know if I want it anymore,” he mumbled into her skin. Kara ran her hands through his hair as she waited for him to continue. He pulled back just enough to look at her, “I don’t know if emergency pediatrics is what I want to practice long term. I mean, this fellowship is important, and it does add to my credentials, I’m just not sure I want to actually use it, if that makes sense.” He closed his eyes, then opened them and looked at Kara longingly, “I’ve been thinking I’d like to join a practice, get to know my patients, watch them grow up,” he finished.
“You’d be a great primary care doctor,” Kara said, still running her hands through his hair. “But you’ve got time to decide that. Stay in Seattle, finish your fellowship, then you can decide. I’ll be with you for as long as you want me,” she finished quietly.
“Forever. I’ll want you forever.”
“Then I’ll be here forever,” she stated simply.
He kissed her deeply, and just as she began to ready for round two, he said the two words she never expected. “Marry me?”
Kara’s eyes felt like they were going to pop from her head as she gaped at him.
“What?” She shook her head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear her mind. She had to be hallucinating. She pressed her hands to his chest and tried to sit up but he held her firmly to him.
“I asked you to marry me, Kara.” His hand slipped to her neck and cradled her face as their eyes locked.
“You’re serious,” she stated - it wasn’t a question.
Jason laughed, “Yes, I am.”
“You want to get married? To me?” she asked, pointing at herself.
“Very much so,” he nodded.
“We haven’t even been together a year,” she stated, hearing how unsure she was in her own voice.
“Kara, I’ve had feelings for you for over eleven years. I regret not having made a move in high school; I regret all the years I could have known you,” he paused then added, “I could have loved you. I don’t want any more regrets.”
“What if I say yes, and then you regret asking?” she wondered sadly.
“That’s not possible,” he said adamantly, shaking his head. “It was love at first sight, and getting to know you has only made me love you more.” He kissed her and gave her a knee weakening, dimpled smile. “I love you and I’ll never regret that.”
Kara was speechless for a moment, considering his words carefully, then rolled him over and settled herself on top of him, “Then, yes, I’ll marry you,” she said softly.
“Thank you.” They didn’t need any more words; they would show each other anything left to be said. They made love until the neither of them could move anymore and they both passed out into blissful oblivion.
~*~
Morning came quickly and Kara immediately felt guilty for spending such an amazing night with Jason while her father was in the hospital.
Jason, sensing her mood, told her once again he loved her and that Paul loved her, and wanted her to be happy. She smiled at Jason, knowing his words were true, but still felt hurried to get ready to visit her father. Jason pulled her to him and kissed her softly, and she was thankful, knowing she would never again go so long without his taste on her lips.
His phone rang, interrupting their moment, and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer.
“Hey, Jaime,” he smiled and winked at Kara before turning away from her. Kara listened as Jason gave his sister the update on her dad, while she finished getting ready to head to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital Paul was asleep, having just dozed off after visiting with Eva and Eric that morning, though before his eyes closed he made sure to instruct Eva to make sure his little girl ate breakfast. Kara’s eyes narrowed at her sleeping father as she grumbled something about him being overprotective, before giving in and following everyone to the hospital cafeteria.
“So everything worked out?” Evalyn asked Kara, as they finished selecting their items and made their way to the cashier.
“Yes.” Kara glanced quickly at Jason, as he walked up behind them, still with the enormous grin he’d had on his face since arriving at the hospital.
Kara fidgeted slightly as Eva eyed the two of them, while she waited for Kara to finish paying for her food, then led the way to a table in a less crowded area of the cafeteria. Eva took her seat and looked from Kara to Jason, then put her fork down and reached for her drink as she stared at them, “Spill. What’s going on?”
Jason lifted the hand that he was holding at the table and kissed Kara’s knuckles, asking her a silent question. She gave a slight nod of her head in assent.
He turned back to their friends. “We’re getting married,” he announced.
And that’s when the mouthful of tea in Eva’s mouth sprayed across the table straight into his face. He flinched back in shock as Eric pounded on Evalyn’s back, trying to help stop her coughing fit. Kara jumped up, startled, and gathered napkins to try and wipe Jason down.
“Damn baby, say it don’t spray it!” Eric laughed loudly, while alternating between patting Evalyn’s back, and raising her arms above her head like a two year old.
Evalyn yanked her arms from Eric’s hold. “Married?” she coughed out. “I expected a reconciliation, I was even prepared to hear you say you were moving to Seattle, or maybe that Jason was moving back!”
Jason looked between Eva and Eric, clearly unsure whether he should confirm the news he just announced. Kara couldn’t blame him, who knew what might happen next. Making a decision, Jason sat back slightly, probably to remove himself from Eva’s projection path, and nodded. Kara looked down at her plate, then glanced at Jason, and back to Eva. Jason may have been oblivious to the possible reactions they would get, but Kara was prepared for them.
“It’s fast,” she nodded, agreeing to the unspoken words, “but we’re sure.” She looked Evalyn in the eyes, silently begging her best friend to understand and accept their decision.
“Fast is an understatement,” Evalyn sputtered.
Jason and Kara looked longingly at each other. “For everyone else maybe, but not for us. This has been hiding in the corner of our minds for years,” Jason tried to explain to their stunned friends. Eric was the first to recover.
“Hot damn! Then get up and get us some champagne!” Eric yelled, as Evalyn’s eyes bugged from her head at his enthusiasm. “Congratulations!” he continued, rounding the table to pull Kara into a bear hug. Kara laughed as he swayed her back and forth for a minute, then she hugged him back just as tightly.
Eric released her and sat back down, pulling Eva to his side, “This is soul mate stuff, baby, you can’t mess with that.” Evalyn gaped at him in return; then she turned back to Jason and Ka
ra, her mouth opening and closing but emitting no sound.
“Kara…” she finally managed to get out.
“Eva, I know, okay? But Jason knows me; he knows me better than anybody else, except maybe you. It’s like I’ve known him for years, and in some ways I have. I want you to be happy for me, for us. Can you?”
“Oh, Kara, I am happy for you! I’m just surprised. I mean I won’t lie and say it never crossed my mind you guys would end up married, I just thought you’d go to Seattle and spend more time together first.” Evalyn took Kara’s hand and squeezed it.
“Well,” Kara began, looking at Jason and then back between Eva and Eric, “I am going to Seattle. I’ll be there with Jason until he finishes the fellowship.”
Both Evalyn and Eric were quiet, and the table settled into a somewhat uncomfortable silence. Finally, Eva spoke up. “So when are you going to announce the news to everyone else?”
Kara and Jason shared a look once again, “I’ll probably call my parents later today,” he gave Kara a questioning look, as if to ask if that was okay. She nodded her head yes, then he continued, “And I’d like to get Kara a ring as soon as possible. Once Paul’s back home, of course.”
“What? No, Jason, that’s not necessary, I don’t need a ring,” she protested, but Jason gave her a look that said there would be no arguing this.
“You’re getting a ring, Kara. I want every guy out there to know you’re mine.”
She chuckled and bumped his shoulder with her own, “You’re ridiculous.”
“And completely serious. I’d go today, but I know that’s not possible.” Kara rolled her eyes.
“That’s not very romantic, Jason,” Eric pointed out. “Don’t you want to surprise her?”
“No, it’s better this way,” Kara jumped in, “this way I can make sure he doesn’t spend a fortune on it.”
“Kara, you’re getting a nice ring,” Jason interjected with a scoff. “Maybe you’re right,” he said, turning to Eric, “I should just buy it and surprise her.” Eric nodded his head as Kara smacked Jason’s arm.