The Warmest Winter, Day 16

"Think they'll be jealous?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Cassie and Vee."

"Babe," Mike said into her ear, "The only ones here are you and me."

"Mmm, I like that." But she could swear Mike's pace got just a hair quicker. What was that hip motion Cassie taught her? Oh, right.

"Oh, fuck!" Mike exclaimed in a hoarse whisper. He started pounding harder, and Jenny kept it up. "Fuck, woman," he said, "You know what you're doing to me?"

"Do it back," she said. "Take. Me. Harder."

Mike upped the tempo, and Jenny brought a hand back to pinch a nipple. Mike's free hand reached forward and close over the other one. Jenny timed the pinches together, adding another rhythm to Mike's unyielding assault.

"Together, Mike, I want us together," she said. Her climax was coming, like a freight train with a jammed accelerator. She felt his as well.

"We already are, Jen."

Jenny moaned as she passed the point of no return. From here on out, the longer it took, the more massive the orgasm would be.

"I love you," they both said again, together, wanting to say it one more time before they lost their senses.

Mike felt it boiling up, and slammed into Jenny hard, once, twice, then one last time, and his release erupted from him. Jenny felt his climax, and this finally set off her own, which sent her whole body trembling. As she shivered and shook, Jenny could feel Mike's molten spray inside her, his body all around her, and it sent her sensations into a dimension she never knew before. Heads against one another's, Mike and Jenny gasped and quaked with the throes of their orgasm, reverberating the aftershocks to one another until it melted into a warm afterglow.

Exhausted, sated, but mostly feeling joyful contentment, Mike and Jenny rolled over into a spooning position.

"I love you," Jenny said. It never got old.

"I love you, too," Mike replied, and then sleep overcame them both

Epilogue, Or, Day 17

Jenny woke up at seven-twenty-seven, sharp. All was right with the world. Mike's arms were still around her, so the one she was pinning was probably asleep, but that was okay. She could make it up to him.

She only meant to get up and clean herself off a bit, but in the process, Mike woke up.

"Mmhmm, hey, babe. Morning yet?" He stretched, and Jenny resisted nibbling his pecs.

"Yup." She went in for a kiss. Mike surprised her by grabbing her, and they rolled around in the bed for a while, laughing and kissing.

"Mike, we're still a mess from last night!" Jenny giggled. "We need to shower."

"Ooh, great idea!"

They went in and got cleaned off, and then the moment that was done had sex against the shower wall. This time, Jenny wanted to see it, so Mike sprayed her chest, and they watched as the water washed all evidence away.

As they were drying off, Mike's stomach gurgled.

"Ah," he said, "Reality beckons. I wonder what Cassie's cooking for breakfast."

"What's Rick's favorite?"

"Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru."

"Oh. Well, not for long."

Mike didn't respond. He had woken up in the middle of the night, and heard Cassie and Rick going at it again. And this time both Rick and Cassie were muffled during the climax. Good for them.

"Okay," said Jenny, "Think you can keep it in your pants long enough to get dressed and go downstairs on your own? I need to stop by my room so I'm not doing the Walk of Shame."

"With that crowd down there? They'll clap and cheer. Keep your tousled hair, besides it looks sexy that way, and wear the same clothes you had on last night. Leave the panties, though, they're soaked. A new pair, youcannab from your room."

"Keep 'em. A reminder of me while we're apart."

That sobering thought hit them both once they realized what she'd said.

"We'll be okay, right?" she asked, suddenly uncertain.

"Of course. There's Facebook, Skype, e-mail, telephone..."

"Yeah, I guess you're-"

"Weekends..."

Jenny's face broke into a grin. "See? You're a genius. That's why I love you." Bigger grin. "It's so great to say that, and mean it!"

Mike pulled her in for one more kiss. Jenny ended up kissing quite bit more, ending in an early breakfast, but then finally left Mike alone to get dressed.

Clothed and on the second floor, Mike met Jenny at the landing and they walked downstairs together. Their friends must have heard the simultaneous descent, followed by seeing Mike and Jenny, holding hands, hair equally wet to one another's, with Jenny looking pleasantly ruffled. As Mike predicted, Cassie, Veronica, Nate, and Rick all cheered and clapped. They smiled and joined them for breakfast. It was pancakes.

"Took you guys long enough," said Nate.

"Was it that obvious?" asked Mike.

"Visible from space, dude," said Rick. "I'm glad. She's good for ya."

"Thanks, Rick," she said. "Cassie getting you into trouble yet?"

"I like trouble. With a capital T, that rhymes with P, that stands for Pu... um, something I shouldn't say in front of her brother." Cassie turned deep red; Nate facepalmed.

Breakfast continued to be a jovial affair, but it sombered with every dish emptied. By the time Mike and Jenny were done, everyone knew the elephant in the room that needed to be addressed, but didn't want to.

"I, uh, checked the weather report," Mike said. "We haven't for a while, what with the trial and all. There is a small storm heading this way." When the jeers and reactions swelled, Mike held up his hands for quiet again.

"It's not much. It won't stick to the ground much. But visibility will be low in places, and ice might be a problem. I didn't say anything earlier because we're not that pressed for time, but we shouldn't dawdle anymore, either. We have" –he checked his watch- "a little under three hours to get you on the road soon enough that I know you're safe. In that time, we need to find everything in this house that belongs to someone other than me, and pack it. Ladies, well, get searching. Guys, we should plan transportation."

Rick was glad to see the business-handling side of Mike. It used to have a harder edge, when he felt he had to control things. Now it was a mere preference, and that made a difference.

The transportation plan took some finesse, and a couple of phone calls. Jennifer would drive the Hummer, with Rick and Cassie, and their bags. Nate would drive the Camaro, with Veronica and their bags. The Hummer would be dropped off at the rental car location, because they owed Mike a favor, where Jennifer and company would pick up an SUV rental and Stan would pick up the Hummer to sell. Mike would use the Hummer money to buy a replacement vehicle. The Camaro and the rental would head to the airport and drop off Rick, who would catch the next flight back to Denver. Then they'd go to Nate's, where he would stay. The ladies would then drive home, dropping off the rental at the nearest location and taking a cab from there. Mike would foot the entire expense, "just because that's what friends do."

The scouring of the house took about an hour. Rick wanted to pack the cars as they went, but Mike forestalled him.

"I remember each and every bag they brought. Trust me, carrying them in wasn't easy. I'll know if anything's missing."

Once the packing was done, the six of them gathered in the foyer.

"I hate to say it," Rick confessed, "But given the weather: even though we don't need to leave immediately, still the sooner the better."

"Yeah," said Mike. "Would you and Nate mind getting the bags while we say goodbye?"

"No, not at all," answered Nate for him.

The quartet was quiet as Rick and Nate made trip after trip to the Hummer and the Camaro. On the last one out, Nate came over to shake Mike's hand. "It's been a pleasure meeting you. I'm grateful for everything you've done for my little sister. And I'm glad I can call you a friend."

"Likewise on the first and last bits," said Mike, shaking it. "Look me up on Facebook, yeah?"

"First I'll get an account," Nate replied, then went out to the cars.

"Mike, always fun," said Rick, "Call me when you're back in town?" He meant Denver.

"Yeah."

"All right then. See you there. And, uh, we'll be getting the cars warmed up out here. Take your time." Rick walked out the door.

Once it shut behind him, Mike looked at the three amazing women in front of him.

"It is the end," Mike said, a grin crossing his face, "But the moment has been prepared for."

Jenny and Cassie chuckled. Veronica rolled her eyes.

"I know you think I saved your lives," he continued, "But you saved mine. What I had before, it wasn't-" Cassie's bull rush tackle hug drove the air from his lungs. Jenny and Veronica joined her, and Mike... well, Mike let them. There were six very attractive breasts pressing in on him from all sides; he was dating, notdead.

This got him thinking. "Hey, Cassie, you seemed to have dropped me like a hot cactus. What gives?" He winked at Jenny as he said it, to make sure she knew the joke.

"I was looking for someone like you," said Cassie, "But not quite you. That's Rick. We just... clicked. Like you and Jenny. Only, we didn't take so frakkin' long to figure it out."

"Yeah, we know you and he wasted no time at all," said Jenny, sharing a look that between friends said everything. If it's possible to look happily embarrassed, Cassie managed it.

"You too, Vee," said Mike.

"Hey, I bowed out a while back," said Veronica. "Besides, it was just sex, hon." Then she bolted upstairs. "I just remembered! My shampoo!!"

When she came back down with the bottle cradled in her arms, Mike thought again at the brief time they all spent as one sexual entity.

"God, could you imagine if we all were still..."

The ladies recoiled at the thought.

"We'd never walk straight!"

"All those limbs!"

"You'd never have clean sheets again!"

"But seriously, though," said Jenny, "That was something we all needed, I think. We all had something we were looking for, and weren't finding it. That was just, making a clean slate somehow. Without that, we wouldn't have gotten here."

"Whoah, deep," said Veronica.

"Yeah, but probably right," said Cassie.

"Don't I know it," said Mike, putting an arm around Jenny. "Now, don't you two have boyfriends to keep warm in the car? I mean, keep the cars warm with?"

They agreed. They each gave Mike a hug, and to his surprise, a kiss. Not on the cheek, either, right on the lips. Thinking about it later, Mike saw them as goodbye kisses, saying goodbye to all of the might-have-beens. And Jenny intuitively knew it, which is why she didn't object.

As the door shut again, leaving Mike and Jenny alone, he drew her close.

"I'll miss you, wildcat."

"I'll miss you, too. I don't think it'll really be the same, the Internet and a few weekends."

"That's a good thing."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Life goes. It changes. When I said you saved my life, and you even more than Vee and Cass, I mean that's what you saved. I wasn't living anymore, just recycling the same old time, not going anywhere. Now I'm free, and I can live. Besides, we'll be together in Denver in just a few months. You excited to get started? It's your business, after all."

"Yeah, without a doubt."

At the door, Jenny pulled Mike in for another kiss.

"One for the road," she said.

"That's a damn long road," Mike replied, supporting himself on the doorframe. It had been quite a kiss. "Be safe."

"I'll call you as soon as I get home."

"You'd better."

Another kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Goodbye."

"See you later." Somehow Jenny tore herself away from the door and got into the Hummer. Rick scooted over so she could have the driver's seat. Mike waved from the doorway as his friends waved back, and then they drove off. He stood, not feeling the cold, until the vehicles were out of sight. He was once again alone in his house.

But it wasn't really his anymore. He had opened its doors and now it belonged to all of his friends, whoever's name was on the deed.

His friends. Ranger "Monkey" Dave. Stan and Tina. Hell, even Sam Harrington, even though he'd only met the guy twice. Richard Tessaro. And now Nathan Fox, Veronica Mayweather, and Cassandra Fox.

And Jennifer, with the passionate fire to keep him warm.

The thought crossed Mike's mind that once the ladies descended onto Denver, the town would not know what hit it. He'd have a very busy and interesting life indeed. If he wanted to relax, he'd have to squeeze it in now. Maybe a bit more solitude wasn't so bad. For now. And he wasn't too far away from the end of the Appendices ofThe Lord of the Rings.

With a smile no one else saw, and that no one else needed to see, Mike went up the stairs to the library. Outside the windows, the snow began to fall.

*****

The End