I had been having the best Thanksgiving of my life, the best holiday of my life, and, actually, the best night of my life.

In a very perfect, magical moment, I believed Jake was going to kiss me. Then he left so that he 'didn't do something stupid'.

Of course he thought kissing me would be a mistake! How could I have ever hoped for otherwise?!?

After he left, I stared at the door he had ran out of, then I started sobbing my heart out.

Jake didn't want me. I was disillusioned. I had known I was going to get hurt. I knew it but I let myself traipse down this path regardless. I was pathetic and stupid. I had ruined everything and he wouldn't ever want to see me again, not even as a friend. How could he? This was so embarrassing! I had thrown myself at him and it hadn't even worked. I had no skill whatsoever at being seductive. I was a massive embarrassment to myself and to women everywhere.

So caught up in my sobbing I was that I didn't hear my front door opening until it fully opened, giving me no time whatsoever to compose myself as Jake burst in and found me there in my misery.

...........................................................................

Jake didn't know how he was going to rectify what he did but he knew he had to try. He flew down the hill to Riley's house faster than he had left and burst in her front door to find her exactly where he had left her. The tears on her face and the anguish in her eyes confirmed what Jake had feared. She thought he wasn't attracted to her, that he thought the idea of kissing her was stupid.

He went to her, planning to comfort her, to explain. The way she looked at him as he approached- a mixture of pain and hope in those huge clear green eyes...it was too much. It stirred up the feelings in himself that he had been squashing for months and those feelings swallowed up all thought.

Like a magnet being drawn to it's opposite charge, his hands reached for her face. His thumbs wiped the tears from it, then he leaned down and kissed her.

He kissed her- on the mouth- like he wanted to, like he meant it, like he had wanted to for a very long time.

It was gentler than he had ever kissed anyone, and it evoked feelings in him he couldn't exactly remember feeling before, familiar though not quite like this.

She kissed him back, instantly, with no hesitation.

He didn't let go, couldn't let go, as the kiss progressed. Her hands were gripping his wrists as his held her face.

Her soft lips parted and he slid his tongue against hers- so soft, so gentle, so sweet.

This was worth whatever fresh hell of repercussions would follow.

She removed her little cold hands from his wrists, wrapped them around the back of his neck, and pulled his face deeply into hers.

Whatever control over himself he may have had up to that point broke loose.

He slid both of his hands down the curves of her back, grabbed her butt, squeezed it, and lifted her up onto the kitchen counter they were next to.

Then she was unbuttoning his shirt and he was pulling his arms out of it. He hadn't even gotten it off all the way before she had the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it up to his chest. He lifted his arms as she pulled it over his head.

He found her mouth again and ran his hands all over her upper body as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He gently grabbed a fistful of hair at the base of her skull to pull her head back gently, exposing her neck to him as he trailed his kisses down it. She lightly dug her nails into the bare skin of his back.

He grabbed the bottom of her sweater and pulled that incredibly clingy, soft fabric off her in one quick motion, tossing it across the room. He slid the ivory bra strap down her arm, then reached around behind her with both hands to find the clasp of that bra as she caught one of his arms with her hand.

"Wait", she said breathlessly.

That one dreaded word brought all of his feelings and hormones to a sudden disappointing halt.

He waited, peering into her light green eyes, sparkling in the firelight, half hidden by strands of auburn curls.

"They're fake", she whispered.

It took him a second to wrap his head around what the hell she was referring to.

"Yer chest?"

She nodded.

"Can I touch 'em?", he asked, confused.

She gave a little embarrassed smile and a half laugh as she nodded.

"Then why'r ya tellin' me that?"

"You like me natural", she said softly. "I don't know if they'll feel...fake...to you".

"I like you, and as long as I can touch 'em, I don't care. Okay?"

She smiled softly and nodded.

Thankful he had said the right thing, he leaned in and kissed her deeply for some time, his fingers digging in to the muscles of her low back until he felt her relax and melt against him. His hormones taking over again, he picked her up, carried her to the bedroom, and laid her gently on her back on the bed. It was mostly dark but with her bedroom door open there was enough firelight for him to see her a bit. What he saw was incredible.

He brushed her hair gently away from her face as he hovered over her. She was looking up at him with those big, innocent eyes, and he suddenly got nervous. Was he taking advantage of her?

"Baby, are you sure?", he asked softly, staring into her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure", she replied immediately, grabbing the back of his neck with one hand.

She pulled on his neck. He leaned down and kissed her, brakes off, proceeding with no hesitation. He trailed his kisses down her neck and the swell of one breast, finding the clasp to her bra behind her back and deftly releasing it.

He pulled it off of her, then slowly and gently spent a great deal of time showing her how much he enjoyed her breasts. He kissed them and fondled them gently, taking each nipple in his mouth in turn, tugging gently with his teeth. Her hands were grabbing his hair, squeezing his arm, indicators he was doing things right.

He finally trailed his kisses down the sculpted lines of her abdomen. When he hit her waistband, he undid the button and zipper on her jeans, and then wrestled with getting those damn skinny pants off her.

Her underwear were perfect and tiny and delicate- ivory lace, matching her bra like he had always noticed. He slowly and carefully slid them off then kissed her abdomen again while sliding his hand up along the inside of a very soft thigh and directly inside of her.

Overcome, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to her abdomen as she inhaled with a soft moan and grabbed a fistful of his hair.

Shortly, she pushed his hand away. He dropped his pants, pulled off his underwear, and climbed back on top of her. Nose nearly touching hers, he placed one hand on top of her head as he stared directly into her eyes.

She wrapped her legs around his and he entered her, shutting his eyes and concentrating on not losing it in that second as she gasped and arched her back. There was no way he could stay in this position.

He simply picked her up and moved to the edge of the bed, sitting with her in his lap, her legs wrapped around him.

Looking deep into her eyes, he grabbed her hips and started moving her rhythmically and gently.

She was gasping and moaning almost immediately, and as she dug her nails into his shoulders, he bit down on one of hers. She was overall quiet but he could feel her orgasm against him as she gasped. He let go of himself moments after, his teeth squeezing her shoulder gently to keep from crying out.

Her head was next to his, she was panting, he was sweating, and he was filled with overwhelming satisfaction and affection for her.

He took her face, moved her hair out of it, stared directly into her eyes, and kissed the tip of her nose then her mouth.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her against his chest. He never wanted to let her go.

...........................................................................

What an emotional roller coaster! I went from having an amazing night to having my heart shattered in a million pieces to having incredible sex with the man I was in love with.

Of course I had been having sex with Harrison. I was married, and we were trying to get pregnant, after all, but we had never had sex like that. Jake had connected to me on an emotional level as well as a physical one. He had stared into my eyes, gave me opportunities to stop if I wanted to, and did everything he could to make the experience enjoyable for me.

Believe me, it was.

He was gentle, he was loving, he took his time, he made me feel beautiful. I had never experienced anything like that before.

The best part was, when we were done, he took my face in his hands, looked into my eyes, and kissed my nose before kissing me again. Then he held me. I felt protected and loved.

The entire experience was more than I could have ever imagined, like something out of a movie, not something that happened in real life, and certainly not something that happened to me!

After several blissful minutes of being held, I reluctantly climbed off of him and went to the bathroom. When I emerged, he was standing there naked, waiting. He kissed my forehead then moved past me to use the bathroom himself. I wasn't sure if I should get dressed or not. I opted for not. I climbed into bed naked and waited to see what he was going to do.

He came back, also still naked, and climbed into bed, immediately extending his arm to me and pulling me over onto his chest.

Everything was perfect. That experience had been perfect and he was perfect. I had never been happier.

...........................................................................

Jake fell asleep quickly for once, blissfully content, heart full, body relaxed. He woke sometime during the night feeling cold.

He opened his eyes. His beautiful bed partner had rolled off of him and taken most of the blankets with her.

He got up, pulled on his underwear, and added a couple logs to the fire. He used the toilet, came back to the bedroom, and squatted next to her head.

She was stunning in the firelight- lovely, perfect, incredible. She had blown his mind tonight. He didn't regret what they had done. It had been too impactful to regret, but he was worried. He didn't know how long this relationship could last, or how. They were so mismatched, so different.

Ah, but they got on so well. Being with her was so easy, even their arguing was subtle. One of them always caved. She never shouted back, she didn't take his blustering personally, she trusted him and believed in him. He meant every word of the little speech he had given before they ate and he saw in her eyes tonight that she loved him. He knew she did.

I should let her go before I hurt her more. Lovin' a guy like me ain't good for her.

He had tried, sort of. The distancing experiment had hurt both of them so much, it wasn't worth continuing. The only way he would be able to distance himself now would be if he up and left.

Jake ran his hand across his mustache. He knew if he left now she would be devastated to find him gone. He knew that would be the end of the relationship. She wouldn't forgive and forget him using her for sex then bailing. It would hurt them both but wouldn't that be better than breaking it off after six months or a year? Wouldn't it be even more painful then?

He stared at her lovely face. He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave.

Who says we ain't gonna make it anyway?, he countered. Maybe we got a chance. Let's just see how this thing pans out. Nobody wins afraid of losin'.

He climbed back into bed, curled up against her back with his arm around her bare waist, and fell back asleep.

...........................................................................

I woke up feeling incredibly warm, relaxed, and peaceful...a deep, settled peace that came from a place of complete contentment.

I opened my eyes to Jake's handsome face, his blue-gray eyes staring into mine, his wavy dark blond hair tousled, and a relaxed smile on his dark pink lips.

I felt myself blushing immediately as I smiled back.

"Hey, beautiful", he said softly, brushing my hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear.

"You were watching me sleep?", I asked, feeling self-conscious and embarrassed.

"Yep".

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Yer too pretty for me to sleep", he said, leaning in and kissing me.

I felt myself blushing more. The way Jake kissed me made my stomach flutter. I never wanted him to stop.

But I had to use the bathroom.

"I need to get up", I told him, rolling over under the covers and searching for a nearby article of clothing I could put on.

My robe was over the back of the rocking chair in the corner. I started to climb out, pulling the sheet around me to get to it, but Jake grabbed the sheet.

"Aw, hell no! Don'tcha go gettin' all shy on me again. We done gone waaayyy past that".

I turned and met his eyes, my face absolutely on fire.

He looked moderately amused as he peered up at me, propped up on one mighty forearm, his bicep swelling above, but his eyes had a glint of worry.

"Jaaake", I protested softly.

"Don't rob me of the pleasure of seein' ya naked now", he teased in a low voice. "I already seen it and wanna keep seein' it, if that's all right with you?"

I held his gaze. I was dying of embarrassment but he was correct. He'd already seen everything.

The concern on his face became more evident as I remained frozen, his brow furrowing under some wavy dark blond strands.

"Ya don't have any regrets, do ya?", he asked quietly.

"Not a one", I replied confidently, and felt my heart flutter as relief washed across his face.

That did it. I couldn't possibly have him thinking I regretted anything about him! I let go of the sheet, climbed out of bed, and walked naked to the bathroom, feeling his gaze stuck to my body as tangibly as a physical touch.

I took the opportunity to brush my teeth while I was in there. When I returned, Jake pulled the covers back and I slid underneath them. He immediately wrapped his strong arm around me and pulled me tightly against his warm, naked body. He was so warm, his skin was almost hot.

He smiled and leaned in, kissing me again.

His face was only inches from mine. He looked so relaxed and happy. I had done that. I had put that smile there. Maybe someday he might actually love me like he did Liv? I was hopeful for that. She might be the love of his life but I was here. He needed to not be alone anymore.

I tentatively reached my hand up to his face and ran my fingers through his short, dark blond beard. I had never kissed anyone with a beard before. I had been surprised to discover that it wasn't prickly as it appeared, but soft and pliable.

"How'rya feelin'?", he asked in a low voice.

"Perfect. That was...incredible. You...are incredible".

My face was burning fiercely but I spoke the truth despite that.

He smiled softly then kissed me again, and again, and again.

...........................................................................

Jake couldn't get enough of Riley. He didn't want to overwhelm her, and he was scared of hurtin' her, but he focused on being gentle and taking his time, and she never turned him away- not once. He kept checking if she was all right and she assured him she was. He never wanted to leave her bedroom again, never wanted her to put clothes on again. He was completely consumed with her body.

They spent four days having sex, holding each other, talking, touching each other, staring into each other's eyes. Four days of nothing except another person, in one small space, with no obligations.

In those four days Jake wasn't worrying about the future, or how this might not work out, or about how different they were. He thought about her soft skin, and the way he could make her gasp in pleasure, and the gleam in her eyes in the firelight.

On Sunday afternoon, she was making them lunch, wearin' only his long sleeve button up shirt, and he was kissing her neck and otherwise pestering her as she attempted to cook a sandwich on the stove.

Suddenly she floored him with a simple statement, "I have to work tomorrow".

He froze. "No", he breathed, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on top of her head full of auburn waves. "I ain't gonna letcha. Yer never gonna leave this cabin again".

She laughed lightly.

He let go of her, then turned her to him by her shoulders. He took her petite face between his hands and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"You make me very happy", he said honestly, the words not doing justice to the volume and depth of emotion he felt.

She simply smiled sweetly up at him, her large eyes shining with the glow he had only ever seen when she looked at him.

He leaned down and kissed her again. He would never tire of doing that.

"You are making me burn the sandwiches", she whispered against his mouth.

"I don't care", he whispered back, kissing her more.

She laughed and shoved him away, turning to the stove.

He reached around her, snapped off the gas to the burner, picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder as she squealed with laughter, carrying her back into the bedroom.

He gently laid her on the bed, continued kissing her, then slowly and methodically undid each of the buttons on his shirt she was wearing, kissing the skin that was exposed as he worked his way down.

...........................................................................

Will had been avoiding people, avoiding his own thoughts, drinking every night. He didn't know what to do...about anything. Not about Riley, or even about the rest of his life.

A couple weeks after the incident, Travis approached him.

"Son, how ya doin'?", he asked sympathetically.

"Not good", he answered honestly. "I've lost my chance with her. I don't know what to do".

"Maybe you never had a chance to begin with", Travis said gently. "Sounds like to her, you're a brother, a friend?"

"That's what she said, but Jake-".

"Jake ain't got nothin' to do with it", Travis stopped him. "Maybe there's somethin' between' em, maybe not, but if the girl had feelings for you, she wouldn'ta ran screaming from that kiss, even if she had feelings for someone else".

"I suppose", Will reluctantly agreed.

"You gotta let this notion go", Travis added gently. "For yerself and for her. If ya can let go of the idea of romance with her, maybe ya got a chance at salvaging your friendship".

"Yeah", Will sighed.

"You got anythin' yer workin' on right now?"

"Not really. I'm keeping notes of bear sightings for the DNR, and this time of year there's always squabbles over people hunting on private or park land, but that's it. Wish I had somethin' more to occupy my brain".

"I got somethin'", Travis said.

Will's interest perked up as Travis filled him in.

"You ain't PD, so you can't be doin' this in any kind of official capacity. Ya ain't got no authority of any kind, won't be able to carry a gun, but...if ya love this girl, this is how you could help".

"I'm in", Will said decisively. This was exactly what he needed- to get his mind off his broken heart while also helping the woman he loved.

As a result, he was bundled up against the cold, following a meticulously groomed, slick slimeball of a man on a cell phone down a busy street in New York City, trying to get close enough to hear what he was talking about.

The brown haired man stopped at a crosswalk and Will carefully edged his way closer, ducking his head against the icy wind that came whipping around the corner of a tall building.

"Yeah, I'll be there. If I say I will, I will. Well, what did you want me to do? I can't say no to him. I don't know what time but I will be there. Okay. Yeah. All right, later then".

The man hung up and then immediately dialed someone else.

"Hi. No new developments. Unknown at this time. Same location. They're still sitting. Yes. Yes, no problem. I don't think waiting will make a difference. I'm the only one with the documents. All right. Later".

Will listened to his conversation curiously then continued to follow as the hoarde of people on the sidewalk proceeded to cross the street.

He followed the man to a black BMW, which looked alarmingly like Rillian's, surreptitiously snapped a picture of the plate, and continued walking casually past the vehicle as the man entered the driver's seat.

Back in his hotel room, he wrote down the conversations he had overheard and all the relevant details of the day. He already had several pages of a notebook filled.

He called Travis to check in.

...........................................................................

Jake drove his girl to work and escorted her inside. Eddie immediately came running up to him and he gave the old pup the attention he deserved. When he looked up again, Riley had disappeared.

"Where's Riley?", he asked the black lab. "Where did Riley go?"

Eddie's floppy ears perked up, he cocked his head slightly sideways, and peered into Jake's eyes like he was contemplating the question.

Then he whipped around, tail wagging, and headed off to the two-way door leading to the kitchen. Right before he pushed through, he checked back over his shoulder to make sure Jake was following.

Jake chuckled. Smart dog.

Riley was tying on her apron as he followed Eddie into the kitchen, and Deb was pulling some muffins from the oven.

"Smells incredible", he complimented her.

"You go ahead and take one to go, darlin'", Deb said warmly, setting the trays on cooling racks on the counter.

"Thank you, ma'am", Jake said.

He leaned over and kissed Riley directly on the mouth. She seemed slightly startled, her pretty cheekbones flushed pink.

"When can I come back for my girl?", Jake asked Deb, carefully pulling an overgrown blueberry muffin from the muffin pan.

She was watching him with a pleased smile.

"Let's say six o'clock, dear", she said.

"You got it".

He turned back to Riley and winked, which made her blush and smile.

"See ya, baby".

He patted Eddie on the head and left, incredibly pleased with himself...and his muffin.

...........................................................................

Deb's dark blue eyes met mine with a knowing glimmer as Jake strode happily out of the kitchen.

"Well...you had a good Thanksgiving then?", she asked, smiling widely, her eyes wrinkling at the corners.

I felt my cheeks burning. "The absolute best", I admitted.

"You two have finally told each other how you feel?", she guessed.

"Something like that, maybe not in...words...so much", I said, my entire face burning.

She laughed out loud. "Darlin', your face says it all. I couldn't be happier for you two. Why don't you start in on banana bread?"

Still laughing, she turned and started making coffee.

...........................................................................

Jake spent his time checking over Riley's car thoroughly while she was at work. She hadn't driven it much over the last few months and he needed to ensure it was ready to be sold. What with all the emotional angst, he had kinda forgotten his promise to get her a new one, and with the turning of the weather, this was now a pressing issue.

Once it snowed, that tiny little car was grounded for the winter, so he needed to trade it in before that happened.

At the appointed time, he pulled back in to a parking slot in front of Deb's and strode inside. There was one woman at the cash register with Deb, Riley nowhere to be seen. He pet Eddie as usual, waiting patiently.

After the woman left, Jake looked at the motherly blond woman with the knowing smile and asked, "When do you need her back?"

"Not 'till Thursday, dear".

"Excellent. We need to get her a different vehicle before the snow flies".

"Wonderful", she beamed at him.

He felt himself smiling back, his heart lighter than it had been for years.

Riley stepped out of the kitchen, navy blue peacoat on, large tan purse over her arm.

"Ready, beautiful?", he asked with a wink.

"Yes", she replied, immediately flushing and flustered. "Bye, Deb".

"Goodbye, darlin'".

"Bye, Eddie", she said, bending at the waist and kissing him on top of his muzzle as he wagged his tail and stared up at her adoringly.

Jake chuckled. "Why don't you kiss me like that?", he asked jokingly as he opened the door for her.

"Because you don't have a muzzle", she replied immediately, pausing and waiting for him to open the passenger door on the truck for her.

He chuckled as he reached across her for the door handle, but paused to kiss her before opening the door.

She smiled up at him, so beautiful he could hardly breathe.

After they were driving down the road, Jake brought up the vehicle.

"I checked yer car over today. It's good to go. No issues far as I can tell. We're goin' to look for a new car for ya tomorrow. Ya know where yer title is?"

"We are? Okay, yes, I have it".

She sounded surprised.

"Thank you", she said.

He glanced over at her. "I told ya I was gonna help ya with this".

"I know...but...thank you. You really are my hero".

He chuckled and extended his arm over the back of the bench seat. She took the cue and scooted over next to him. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"I ain't that", he said, "but I'm glad you think I am".

...........................................................................

* Awww, Jake. The old softy. Do you think he's a hero? How about Will- bad guy or simply blinded by love? Please remember to vote! *