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 A Prophecy of Shadows

Chapter 8

Cam had planned their excursion well; a tour of the five Spanish Missions of San Antonio, a horse-drawn carriage ride through the King William District, a room at the Westin Hotel on the Riverwalk with a balcony overlooking the San Antonio River, and reservations for dinner at Boudro’s. By the time they finished the tour and the carriage ride, Jessie was looking forward to taking a little siesta before dinner. They had parked their car in the garage across the street from the hotel, so Cam grabbed the luggage on their way to check in.

"Colonel Mitchell, welcome to the Westin," the receptionist said graciously as she pulled up the reservation. "We do have your room ready, deluxe package, king sized bed, oversized balcony with a preferred river view." She handed him the key cards as well as a brochure. "We hope y’all enjoy your stay, and don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance."

The hotel itself was beautiful, a terracotta and sand color scheme on the outside, with old world Spanish style influences on the inside. Wrought iron light fixtures, sconces, candelabras, doors and railings were balanced out with arched entryways, rich draperies, marble and stone tile floors, rustic wooden doors and warm earth tones, offset by floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Riverwalk and the lush greenery outside. It was elegant, yet comfortable. Jessie had every intention of exploring it more…after she had a nap.

"Someone’s tired," Cam said with a grin as they rode the elevator to their floor.

"Can’t imagine why," she countered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head just as the doors slid open, and they followed the signs until they located their room. Opening the door, the room turned out to be just as nice as the hotel—a combination of sand and light cream for the room colors, black wrought iron headboard done in a scrollwork pattern, dark burgundy drapes outlining the entrance to the balcony. The view was breathtaking, looking down on the river below, tall cypress trees outlining the banks. And best of all, a king sized bed. A very comfortable king sized bed as Jessie plopped herself down, stretching out and sighing with the realization the bed was even more comfortable than it looked.

"Good?" Cam asked.

"Oh, you have no idea."

Stretching out beside her for a minute, he asked, "You wanna take a nap?"

"I’m gonna have to, unless I want to fall asleep face first in my dinner."

Kissing her forehead, he replied, "You go right ahead. I’ve got a couple of things I need to check on, then I’ll probably join you."

"How long do we have?"

"Our reservations aren’t until seven, so we’ve got a couple of hours before we have to get ready."

"Good." Raising up, she gave him a kiss before laying back down, closing her eyes as she did so.

Cam grinned. Considered teasing her about old age and needing naps, but self-preservation made him decide against it. Instead, he put their bags in the closet, left a key card on the desk for her, and quietly slipped out the door.

Jessie woke almost two hours later, feeling much more refreshed than she had when they arrived at the hotel. Rolled over to find Cam lying next to her, watching her with a sleepy gaze. Without hesitation she leaned in, kissing him gently, feeling him return the kiss. ‘So this is him’, she thought to herself as she moved closer, leaving a trail of feather-light kisses along his jaw, to the side of his mouth, watching him as she did so. ‘This is the man who’s to be my husband’. If anyone had told her when she joined the SGC, had started training with SG-7 that she would end up marrying the Colonel in charge of the team, she would have thought them certifiably insane. Yet, the delicate ring gracing her hand said otherwise. She thought briefly about the times as a young girl when she had wondered who she would end up marrying. Decided that reality was so much better than the fantasy had ever been as he kissed her, deepening the embrace as he rolled her over onto her back, the few days of abstinence adding an urgency to their coupling. They didn’t have the luxury of time as the clock marked the approach of their evening activities, but it didn’t take anything away from the gentleness of their lovemaking. Clothing was discarded, limbs entwined, and when he finally entered her body, she was more than ready for him, matching his rhythm, reveling in the lazy pleasure.

Jessie would have been surprised to know how much his thoughts mirrored her own as they made love. ‘So this is the one’, he thought as he caressed her cheek, intertwining his fingers in her silken hair. ‘The one who’s going to be my wife…the one I thought I’d never find…didn’t deserve.’ He hadn’t thought about taking a wife, starting a family. It was always some remote possibility…or not at all. Now, as he held her in his arms, he couldn’t imagine not having her in his life, not having her by his side. Didn’t want to close his eyes as the pleasure grew, not wanting to miss a moment, a caress, a kiss. The rest of the evening was planned out, but this spontaneous moment, when they were still shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, this simple, loving moment defined them best.

The culmination was just as tender, Cam enfolding Jessie in his arms, murmuring softly to her as she reached the peak. He held her close, sheltering her as the warm waves of pleasure washed over her. Even in the midst of that she sought to give him pleasure—he felt her arm wrap more tightly around his waist, her hand pressing against his lower back as she rocked her hips against him, coaxing, tantalizing, seducing, drawing him along with her. And with the way her body danced beneath his, she didn’t have to wait long for him to follow.

She pressed tighter against him, feeling him pulse deep within her…couldn’t imagine ever holding anyone else in this way, deriving just as much pleasure from his release as she did her own. She knew what made the difference, and it had nothing to do with the physical act. Casey had described it with two words…’hearts intertwined’. Jessie hadn’t fully grasped the expression at the time, but now she did. This went way beyond the physical. Snuggling closer to the man she loved, she brushed her cheek gently against his, a simple caress, yet it conveyed so much more.

Cam felt the softness of her skin as Jessie brushed her cheek against his, turned to find her looking at him with so much love, so much contentment, it took his breath away. There were no walls, no doubt, just…Jessie. Reaching out, he cradled her face in the palm of his hand. "I love you so much," he whispered, "you have no idea."

At that moment the sunlight brightened the room as a cloud drifted past, the light reflecting off the ring on her finger, causing it to sparkle. "Actually," she whispered back, "I think I do." The smile he gave her rivaled the sun outside, causing her to grin back at him. Her stomach rumbling turned the smiles into laughter. "So, you said something about dinner reservations?"

"You bet…can’t have you starving on me," he said teasingly. "Boudro’s is supposed to have some of the best prime rib in town." To which her stomach rumbled louder. Laughing, he rolled out of bed. "Wanna share the shower?"

"As long as you behave yourself, because I am starving" she said as she sat up, enjoying the view as he padded across the carpeted floor. "And remind me to behave myself," she added as she followed him into the bathroom.

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