Time After Time

Chapter 15: Ya-Ya

The next morning, John stood in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, looking into the mirror, softly humming to himself as he finished shaving. He tapped the razor on the side of the sink, trying to get the extra shaving cream off of it, hoping Lauren wouldn't mind him borrowing the extra one he found in the medicine cabinet. The sun was beginning to rise, and Lauren was still sound asleep in her bed, her perfect skin was so fragile yet so soft, and her out-of-this-world body kept John's attention. The memories of last night stirred in his mind, the way her lips pressed into his, the fingers squeezing into his back - everything about her seemed new. She was the girl, the one he realized that was going to change the way he looked at life.

While nestled comfortably in the warmth of her sheets, Lauren's nose was greeted by the strong yet soft aroma of recognizable cologne, followed by the sound of gentle tones of someone humming. She slowly turned to her left side, giving a moment to shed the sleep from her brain, her eyebrows furrowing, raising her heavy eyelids halfway only for them to fall shut. Her mind felt like it was swelling beyond the capacity of her skull, and the sound of John tapping the razor against the sink wasn't helping.

Lauren let out a mild groan against her pillow, desperately trying to pry her eyes open. For the first time in over a month, she slept peacefully - no memories flooding her mind; it was quiet.

"Mornin' there, love," he gently spoke up, his eyes now gazing at her stirring in bed. He wasn't quite sure what to say to her just yet. Last night was truly incredible, but she did have a lot to drink - there was still that possibility that there was no recollection of the events between them.

Her eyes shot open, finally seeing the blurred figure come to focus - John at the side of her bed in nothing but a towel. Everything about last night ran through her mind, remembering every single detail and memory. Lauren glanced at her naked body under the sheets, hoping it wasn't a dream.

A small smile lifted the corner of her lips, stretching her arms above her head, "Morning," she sighed, taking in the sight of him. Last night was the most satisfying night she ever had; even Jason never touched her like that.

John gently sat on the edge of the bed, curious about the smile, "Have a good sleep then?"

"After last night, I'll forever be well-rested thanks to you," her eyes met his, appearing almost different at this moment, softer than she saw.

A sigh of relief came over him, knowing she remembered everything about last night. A satisfied smile spread over his features, drawing close to her, "Well, I might need a reminder."

Even with her hangover, she felt utterly sober, watching him move his face closer to hers, the aroma of his aftershave tickling her nose, "I think..."

"Shh," he hushed her before moving his finger and pressing his hand against her cheek, giving more support to push himself towards her and connect their lips again. His lips were firm on hers, but the kiss remained soft, gentle, and slow.

They held it for a few seconds before their lips started to move in perfect sync - slowly and cautiously. Lauren exhaled through her nose, not wanting to let go. Her entire body was taken over by the overwhelming feeling of relief and lust. Though this time, there were no more memories to occupy her mind. The only thing that was going through her thoughts was whether to tell John about them or not. Even to Lauren, this sounded crazy, almost insane. How could there be an explanation for this?

John moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, fingers tangling through her honey-blonde hair, tightly drawing her into him, adding more pleasure and deepening the kiss.

As much as she was enjoying this, she needed to stop, placing both hands on his bare chest, pushing him away, and breaking the kiss.

"What're ya.."