CHALLENGE PART 8
_________________________________________________________________________________________

I was in the darkroom at work two days later when there was a knock on the door.

“Hold on,” I yelled and making sure all the light-sensitive items were safely locked away before I opened the door to find Nathaniel standing there smiling at me with big white box in his hands. I looked over his shoulder at Nikki who was sitting at the light table looking at negatives. She just smiled and went back to work, she had informed me that Jason’s big mouth had told her and probably half the lycanthrope population of St. Louis what had went on with Nathaniel and I at the club. I pulled him into the darkroom with me with a jerking motion that put a smile on his face. I closed and locked the door behind us and took a step back.

“Put the box down,” I said with a commanding tone. He complied setting the box down on a clean space on the counter. I closed the step between us and pushed him hard so that he stumbled backwards into the door. He raised his eyes to mine, a sly smile on his face. I looked at him sternly and her averted his eyes, this made me smile. His reactions made me smile. He didn’t fear me; I knew that, he would look at me with something closer to anticipation.  Once again I closed the gab between us, this time pressing my body against his. Like magnets my hands went to his hair. Sometimes during the day I would find myself daydreaming about running my fingers through his hair, plunging my hands in, entangling them in the silky length. I shook my head bringing myself back to the present time, to the beautiful wereleopard in front of me. I jerked his head back fully exposing his neck to my attentions. I pressed my mouth to the base of his neck and proceeded to slowly lick my way up to his mouth. When I got there I devoured him as if this would be the last time I would be able to kiss him.

There was a knock on the door. “You better get back to work. You’ve got two hours until those new enlargements are due.” Nikki yelled. “You can kiss Nathaniel again later.” I had forgotten that thing about superior hearing. Nathaniel just smiled at me.

For the next two hours he helped me print. Most of the pictures were of him and he really got a kick out of that. Kept asking me to me make them bigger and hang them in my apartment so he could always be around me. He ran his hands down my arms as I washed some prints.

“You’re so warm,” he commented.

“I know – I’ve been hot all day. I just can’t seem to cool off.”

“Well, you can take a cold shower with me. I need a ride home and I was hoping you would stay with me for a while since I won’t be able to see you tomorrow.”

I stopped mid motion. “Why won’t I see you tomorrow?” Just a bit disappointed.

“Full moon, but I’m ok for tonight as long as I don’t get too excited. Besides I have to give you what’s in the box.”

“Show me now,” I said getting the prints for Jacqueline out of the dryer and putting the prints for myself in.

“No, I want to save it now.” I had to smile; he was being cute.

I just shook my head, collected the prints and headed for the door. Nikki had already left for the day, so I collected my things and we headed for Jacqueline’s office without having to say any goodbyes.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

PART 9

INDEX