Warm Shelter
by Linda Schwartz

Finally! The end of another work day. I thought this day was never going to end. If anyone thinks that being a photographer with a magazine if easy, they've got another thing coming.

I have so much stuff to get done and on top of everything else, it looks like it is going to rain. Of course my car is in the shop. So now I have to take public transportation. So here I am waiting for a bus. OH, this is going to take forever! All I really want to do is go home and take a nice hot bath.

Well I went to the post office, drug store, and the supermarket. I just gave the dry cleaner a dress that needed a new zipper, and now I'm waiting for another bus to come and pick me up. I feel something on my skin, this is just GREAT, now it's starting to rain! I'm relieved to see the bus coming. As it comes to a stop the bus driver opens the door, he says "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for the next one, there's a mechanical problem with this one." I think this just isn't my day. Now what am I supposed to do? I'm impatient. I can't stand here and wait for the next bus, it looks like it's going to pour any minute. I decide to walk.

I'm hoping to make it home in time, no such luck. I run into the lobby of a building to get out of the rain. It just happens to be Peter's apt building and I just happen to know Peter, casually. We first met when he was on foot patrol before he became a detective. I was working in a photo studio and he used to stop in all the shops to get to know the merchants and he helped us set up a neighborhood watch. We became friends and we still talk occasionally. Well I don't want to stay in the lobby so I go up and take a chance that he is home and I knock on his door.

"Linda", he says, "What are you doing here?"

I say "Well I was running some errands and I thought I'd get home before the sky opened up, as you can see I didn't make it".

"Well don't just stand there in the hallway, come in."

I don't need to be asked twice. As I walk into his apartment he notices I'm dripping water all over his rug. "Your soaked, you'd better get out of those clothes before you get sick."

"I don't have a change of clothes". I say to him.

"Don't worry I'll find you something."

He helps me off with my coat. He tells me to look in his bedroom and pick out something to wear. I start to looking his closet and I go into his bathroom to change. I hear him at the bathroom door.

"Linda, would you like me to get you something warm to drink?" he asks.

"Some tea would be nice." I answered. I finish getting dressed.

I walk out of his bedroom and he is in the living room, he had just put down the tea and he does a double take. I don't know what possessed me but I ended up picking out one of his shirts. I stood at the bedroom doorway in nothing but the shirt and my underwear.

"I'm, sorry. I guess I should go put something else on".

I start to turn to go back in the bedroom when I feel his hand on my right arm. He pulls me into a tight embrace and before I can say anything I feel his lips on mine. The kiss is tender, and I feel his hand brushing through my hair. The tea is forgotten, I've got something better to warm me up.

We make our way back to the bedroom. We sit down and he begins to kiss me again, first a deep passionate kiss on the mouth, I can taste him (as the song says) then he kisses my cheek and makes his way down to my neck, then my chest. He starts to unbutton the shirt. Then I start to slip my hands under his sweatshirt and help him off with it. I place my hands on his muscular chest. We kiss again and he finishes unbuttoning the blouse.

He lays me down on the bed, I can feel his desire for me trapped under his denim jeans. I push him up on his knees to undo his zipper and free his maleness. He slips my panties off and begins to kiss my lips and neck and this time he starts to suck on my breast and I can feel it becoming hard. He makes his way down to my stomach. I close my eyes, I'm breathing harder. I can feel him between my legs. His soft hair is tickling my thighs. I place my hand on his hair and stroke it as his tongue is doing things to me I've never experienced before. He's so gentle and tender and slow, he knows how to please a woman, at least THIS woman!

He makes his way back up to my face and kisses me again tenderly. Then I can feel him inside of me, it was so gentle and then we begin a rhythm of love. WE make love, it feels like forever.

Then, I can hear him say softly "I love you, Linda"

I hold him closer and whisper the words "I love you, too, Peter".

We fall asleep in each other's arms.

I slowly awake with my head resting on top of his chest. I can feel it slowly rise and fall with each breath he takes. I sit up to watch his beautiful face. I still can't believe what happened last night. I was sure when I woke up it would be just a dream. But it really happened.

As I'm sitting there I hear him softly say "Linda?" I didn't realize that I was staring at him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Peter, everything is just so wonderful. I keep wanting to pinch myself to make sure I'm really here with you. I can't remember the last time I was this happy." I tell him as I feel a big smile come over my face. I can see Peter return that smile. He has such an expressive face, he could never be accused of having a "poker" face. "I want you to know that I don't regret what we did, and I meant it when I said I love you."

He looks at me with those warm hazel eyes, I could feel myself melt into them, and he said, "I know you did, I meant it, too."

My heart skipped a beat. I put my hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. I didn't want to break the moment, but I my mind was reeling and I needed to catch my breath. I get out of the bed, I wrap one of his silk bathrobes around me. "I think I'm going to take a shower." I announce to him.

"OK." he says.

I could tell he wasn't fully awake, yet. I take the shower and when I come out I can smell something delicious. I put my clothes back on and I come out of the bedroom to find that Peter had made breakfast. The table was set and when he saw me come into the room he pulled the chair out and invited me to sit down.

"Thank you, Peter. I see you made breakfast, I didn't know you cooked." I giggled, as he place a plate of French toast in front of me.

"Of course I can, what did you think that all I could do was boil water?" We both started laughing.

"No, I didn't think that! I just never say you cook before." I took a bite, they were so good. "Peter if you weren't a cop, you could've been a chef." I tell him.

"Please don't tell my father that, he probably would want to ship me off to the culinary institute. You know he's uncomfortable with me being a cop."

"I know he does, but I also know he's very proud of you, Peter." I tell him. I know that his relationship with his father is still awkward and that his father doesn't like guns.

After we finish breakfast, he goes to take a shower.

We both have the day off and decide to spend it together getting to really know each other. I tell him that I don't want to rush into anything, I want to take our relationship slow, but I want us to be honest with each other and not to be afraid to tell each other our feelings. He agrees wholeheartedly.

We go to his secret place, I know where it is cause it just so happens to be my secret place, too. I love the water and I go there to think or just to be with nature. We decide to do some more exploring with our relationship and go on a path together and let it take us wherever it would lead and let our love blossom slowly like young rose bud that opens in the spring sun. Sounds like something a certain father would say.....