Ersatz

March 15, 1996 - The Towel/Soap Scene at the Loft

"It's not like we haven't..."

**I used this as a memory flashback in Caged Valkyrie, but I cut it off with Kristen interrupting. This time I'm going to see where it goes...**

"Oh, John...I thought—" Marlena was startled to see John arriving home, while she was digging through cabinets in the kitchen looking for soap. There had been none in the bathroom, and in desperation, she'd run downstairs, hoping to find some in the cabinets. She held her towel tightly around her body, and watched him with wide eyes, thinking that he was more beautiful every time she saw him. Her breath hitched, when he walked by her, and the scent of his cologne pervaded her senses. She had to force herself to breath normally, hoping he wouldn't notice her reaction to him.

John watched her closely. He'd been picking up on weird emotions from her. Stares that lasted too long. Conversations that turned awkward. "—That I was Stefano?" John asked her, as he looked over her barely covered body, and stepped around her to get into the kitchen. "You're safe here, Doc. There's a cop right outside that door." He glanced at her again, scanning over her curves, those amazing long legs, and drinking in the sight of her with his eyes. He was trying to act like he was focused on the task at hand, unloading the groceries, but he was obviously distracted by her, since he kept giving her sideways glances.

Marlena felt her body reacting to his stares; a tense throbbing began in her center, and caused her body to shiver. John was watching her with barely concealed interest, noting that her nipples were obviously tightening underneath the fabric of the towel, which lead to her stumbling over her next words,"I just thought that, um...I was in the shower and, um, I couldn't find any soap. I..."

"Today's your lucky day. I got some right here," he said pulling the bar out of one of the shopping bags, but not handing it to her, instead holding it near his chest, and watching her. He could have handed it to her, but he wanted her closer. Marlena tried to reach for the soap, and almost lost her towel in the process, grasping it at the last moment, and holding on to it tightly.

John's eyes lit up, and he smirked, "You know, there's really no need to be embarrassed. It's not like we haven't..." She was looking at him, her mouth slightly open, confused for a moment. John was sending off signals, like he was aroused, and interested, but Marlena thought he didn't feel that way about her. She shook her head, as if she was clearing it, and put her hand out for the soap. Instead of handing it to her, John continued to hold it close to his body, and watched her. Marlena nervously stepped forward to retrieve it, and John reached out, grabbing her hand, pulling her closer. With her body flush with his, he reached forward, and brushed some loose strands of hair off of her shoulder, while breathing her in.

He was flirting. Marlena stared up at him in surprise, and arousal, unable to do anything but watch him, and wait. John slowly leaned towards her ear, and whispered, "Do you need help washing your back, Doc?"

Marlena wasn't entirely sure what what happening, it seemed like he was hitting on her, but she didn't want it to end. Tipping her head to John's ear, she whispered, her breath wafting over his skin, "Are you offering?"

He took a deep breath, breathing her in, his teeth nipped at her ear lobe, and he asked her in a rough voice, "Are you accepting?"

She continued to stare at him wide-eyed. She was scared. Did she jump with both feet or run away like she usually did? Closing her eyes, she continued to focus on her breathing, and then she felt the featherlight touch of his finger tracing along the edge of her towel. When he reached her hand, where she held her towel in a vice-like grip, her eyes flew open, staring up at him. He was watching his finger trail along her skin, and he whispered, "You are so fucking soft."