Brown Eyes

Instead, she went upstairs to pee, washed her hands, then grabbed Rex's leash. She did convince herself it would be okay to grab a long, wool scarf and threw it around her neck before meeting Clark downstairs. Two minutes later, the four of them were headed toward Lake Washington for Randi's first-ever hydroplane race.

He pulled up to a marina she'd never seen and parked. He let the dogs out then went around and opened Randi's door and helped her out.

"Which one is yours?" she asked looking at the sea of identical-looking boats.

"Come on and I'll show you," he said as he offered her his hand. She smiled and happily placed her tiny hand in his as he led her down the wooden dock.

"Right here," he said pointing to a blue and white boat named "Backdraft."

"Just like the movie?" she asked.

"Yes, indeed," he told her. "That movie was my inspiration to go to the fire academy."

"Really? That movie came out a year or two before I was born," she told him.

"Oh, gee. Thanks a lot," Clark said pretending to be deeply hurt. "I was in the fifth grade when my dad took me to see it when it came out."

"Hmmm. You still look pretty good for an old man," she teased.

Clark laughed and said, "You better get on board before someone comes by and calls me a cradle robber—or worse!"

Randi laughed too, and said, "Oh, my. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"People do talk, you know," he said still smiling.

The water was choppy and the boat was rocking a bit as Randi gingerly stepped up to the boat. She went to step it when a wave raised the stern by half a foot causing her to lose her balance and ball backwards. Clark was right behind her and watching it all as he caught her before she fell.

She was leaning backwards and looking up into his big, brown eyes and saw his gorgeous smile.

"You all right?" he asked as he held her.

"Rescued yet again," she said smiling back. Their eyes met again for just a moment, and there was a a brief-but-unspoken exchange between them as he gently lifted her upright.

"Okay, let's try that again," he said. This time, he held her hand until she had both feet in the boat. The dogs jumped in next, then Clark got in and did a quick walk around before pulling up lines.

"There's a small space down below if you get chilly. Oh, and there's a very, very tiny little toilet area...just in case. There should be a few beers left in the little fridge, too. If not, no big deal, right?"

He'd filled up a thermos with hot water before leaving the house and put a few tea bags and some sweetener in a backpack. Randi already wanted to ask for some hot tea but didn't feel like getting laughed at with Clark in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

They'd been underway less than two minutes before her teeth started chattering and there was no more hiding it.

"Cold?" he asked.

"I'm okay," she said pulling her sleeves down over her hands and holding her arms tight against her body.

"There's a sweatshirt in the backpack," he told her. He could tell she was trying to tough it out but it wasn't working.

He reached over and grabbed it then said, "Stick out an arm for me."

She tentatively let one go just enough to slide her arm in then spun around so he could help her with the other.

She turned back around and was trying to zip it, but her hands were shaking so hard she couldn't.

"May I?" he asked as he reached for it. He tried not to laugh when he saw her teeth chattering as she nodded. He lined the two pieces up, then slowly pulled the zipper up until it was just below her neck.

"Better?" he asked as they stood face to face just inches apart.

"A...a little," she said.

"Come here," he said wrapping his arms around her. Her body shook as he held her. He ran his hands up and down her back and arms to create warmth as she pulled in as close as she could.

"I'm n-n-not an out-outdoors g-g-girl," she managed to say. "Y-y-you m-must think I-I'm a real p-piece of w-w-work, huh?"

Adding insult to injury, another boat sped passed them with four young people on board. Two of them were women dressed in one-piece bathing suits and they were all laughing and having a great time.

"S-s-sorry," she said stuttering from being so cold.

He pulled her close and held her head against his body with one hand while he kept up the warming motion with the other.

"It's okay," he told her. "Let's get you below and get some hot tea into you, okay?"

Randi nodded and followed him below after he cut the power and threw out an anchor.

Clark flipped on a light then hit another switch a heater came on.

"Thank you!" she said as the warmth quickly filled the cabin.

Clark put a teabag in a cup and poured some water over it.

"Sugar?" he asked holding up the Splenda. "Or...fake sugar?"

"Please," Randi said as her body began to stop shaking. "I really ruined this for you, didn't I?" she asked just as the dogs started barking.

"They're afraid of the steps. Hold on."

Clark grabbed each of them and lowered them down. There was now just enough room to maybe turn around and he couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Randi said defensively already feeling guilty.

Clark poured in the sweetener and stirred it with the tea bag.

"I didn't mean to laugh," he said as he handed her the cup and squished in next to her. "It's just that I was thinking how perfect this little bit of chaos is when I realized I have everything I want right here in this tiny little space."

Randi had just taken a first sip and couldn't be sure whether it was the tea or his words that warmed her from the inside out.

"It...it is pretty much perfect, isn't it," she agreed.

Clark was looking at her as she spoke and when her eyes met his she looked at his lips then his eyes and then his lips again as he was moving ever-so-slightly toward her. As his lips pressed against hers, she forgot all about the cold or the tea or the dogs or even where she was. She pressed hers back against his as that first, tentative kiss became a second and then a third.

"I've been wanting to do that since I saw you trying to change your flat tire," he said quietly as he pulled back.

"You have?" she said barely able to speak.

"Well, yeah. You're so...beautiful, Randi. And the inside-Randi makes the already-beautiful outside-Randi even more so," he told her as he brushed her hair back over her ear.

"I...I...I don't know what to say," she said as her eyes danced with his.

"You don't need to say anything," he told her before taking her cup, setting it down, then kissing her again.

"It's...very warm in here now," she said when the kiss ended.

Clark smiled but didn't laugh.

"If you were anyone else, I'd try and undress you now," he said as he stroked her cheek.

"You would?" she said still barely able to speak.

"Uh-huh. Because all I'd want is to have sex with you then take you home."

"Oh. So...so you don't want to have sex with me?" she asked.

"I do. Very much," he told her. "But that's not the only thing I want."

"It isn't?" she asked still having trouble focusing.

"No, it isn't. I meant it when I said I really like you, Randi."

He ran his the back of his fingers up and down her pretty face before saying, "I've never felt like this about a woman before. Ever."

"How...how do you feel, Clark?"

"Like I'd very much like you to a part of my life," he told her.

"I...I'd like that, too," she said. "Very much."

"I'm okay with skipping the race," he told her. "And you don't need to get chilled again. How about we call it a day and go back to...to our place?"

"Our place?"

"Yes. Your place and my place is our place."

"Oh. Right. Okay. If you're really okay with leaving. I feel so bad for ruining your plans."

"Honestly? My plans were to find some way to spend some time alone with you."

He looked at the Dalmatians laying side by side then said, "Well—almost alone."

"In that case, I wouldn't mind that at all," she told him having hardly blinked since they began talking.

"Great. Why don't you stay down here where it's warm and I'll turn this ship around?" he said with a smile.

"Clark?" she said as he went to stand up.

"Yes?"

"Is it...would it maybe be possible to get another kiss before you leave?" she asked with a sense of need that made him want her even more.

"Very," he said before leaning over and kissing her again for a very long time. "Will that hold you?" he asked with a smile.

"I think so," she said. "For a while, anyway."

"There's more where that came from," he assured her.

"I hope so," she said finally able to talk and smile again.

He went to leave again and Randi grabbed his wrist.

"Clark? I meant it too, when I said I really like you."

He leaned down and kissed her again then told her he'd have them back at the pier in a few minutes.

The dogs went topside with Clark, and Randi sat there basking in the warmth of the room as well as the warmth of this handsome man's understanding and...love. She was sure he didn't love her, but he was showing her the kindness and caring she'd so desperately craved for so long but never really experienced and that felt a whole lot like love to her.

As nice as the heat from the heater felt, the warmth from Clark's gentle touch and amazing kisses was even better.

A few minutes later, his deep baritone voice woke her from the dreamland she was in.

"We're back," she heard him call down. "Can you turn off the heater and the light, please?"

"Oh, sure," she called up. She hit the two switches then looked up to see him offering her his hand as she took the first step up the ladder.

At the top, when they were again face to face, he put his hands on her shoulders and said, "You're even more beautiful in the light of day," before kissing her again. "Did you manage to get warm?" he asked.

"Yes. Very," she assured him with her own warm smile.

"Good. Let's get you home," he said as he helped her off the boat.

Clark unlocked the door and both dogs bolted straight upstairs then turned around and ran right back down by the time Clark and Randi were inside.

"Can I get you a blanket or anything?" he asked.

"I'll be okay now that we're home," she told him.

He put his hands under the backs of her upper arms and said, "All right. Just let me know if there's anything I can do for you, okay?"

"Okay," she said very quietly as she looked into his eyes.

She just stood there looking at him without speaking.

Clark smiled and said, "Is everything all right?"

"When you said you didn't want to have sex with me, did that mean...never?" she asked barely able to speak.

"I just don't want to blow this with you, Randi. I want you to know how special and amazing I think you are and if we sleep together now, you may look back and think that's all I wanted." He stroked her pretty face with his hand then said, "It's not. I want so much more with you."

"I believe you," she told him. "But if you did want to...you know...sleep with me, it wouldn't ruin anything—from my perspective at least."

He saw and could almost feel the need in her eyes. He wondered how long it had been since anyone had loved this beautiful young woman the way she wanted and deserved to be loved.

"Are you sure?" he asked needing to be sure.

"Very," she whispered as she raised up and kissed him as she slid her arms around his neck.

Within minutes they were alone in his bedroom undressed and laying next to each other.

"I can't believe I'm here with you...with Brown Eyes," she told him as she ran her hand over the hardness of his body. "I can't tell you how many times I fantasized about this and wished it could be real."

"It's real, Randi, and I'm just as happy as you are. I promise," he assured her.

"I feel so...inadequate," she said as she looked at his cut and deeply-ripped body."

"Don't," he said with a smile. "I think you're perfect. Absolutely perfect. In every way."

"It's been a really long time for me," she told him.

"I thought that might be the case. We can go as slow as you like," he promised.

"I...I don't want to go slow," she said. "I just need you to be...easy...when we get to, you know."

"Gotcha," he said before rolling over on top of her. "Is it okay if I just stay right here and look at you for a little while?" He brushed her back again and said, "You're so beautiful. You really are perfect."

"Thank you," was all she could think to say. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and she wanted him so badly it hurt.

"Please make love to me," she said almost begging.

For the next hour he did just that as they took turns pleasuring one another in every way lovers can. As wonderful as everything was, Randi was thrilled when saw that Clark was as...muscled...in one very important place as he was everywhere else.

"Oh, my goodness!" Randi said nearly panting after they came together. She'd already had an orgasm and like the previus one, this one had also been mind blowing.

"If you're that good without practice, please don't practice," he said. "No wait. I take that back!"

"You better!" she told him. "If I have my way, we'll be practicing morning, noon, and night."

"I can take care of the morning and night part, but making love at the pet center doesn't really appeal to me," he teased.

"You're just afraid Penny might attack you," Randi teased back.

"She seems sweet. I'm sure she'll find a great guy someday."

"I hope so. Everyone deserves to be loved," she said as she ran her hand through his hair.

"Nothing would make me happier than for you to love me, Randi" Clark told her.

"Maybe I already do," she said with a bright smile. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I just might."

"Hmmm. I was thinking the very same thing about you," he said smiling back.

"You don't have to tell me. Just show me—again, okay?" she said pulling him back on top of her.

Randi didn't move her things downstairs for almost a month—just in case—even though she slept downstairs in Clark's bed every night after that with two happy Dalmatians who were also now best friends peacefully laying at the foot of it.

She was also finally able to afford to file for divorce and since her husband was still incarcerated, her attorney told her it should only take about three months to get a dissolution. It ended up being four, but as divorces go, this one was about as quick and easy as they come.

A week after her marriage was officially over, Clark said one evening after dinner, "I'd always planned to rent out the upstairs, but it doesn't really make any sense now."

"Really? Why not?" Randi asked. "Wouldn't the extra money be nice?"

"Yes, but don't you think we'll need the space?" he asked.

"I don't think so. We hardly ever even go up there anymore."

"But what about when we have children?" he asked as he got down on one knee in front of her by the fireplace and proposed.

When Randi stopped crying and screaming with joy and could talk again, she told him his idea made a lot of sense. And with good reason as the happy couple had two children within the next three years—following the beautiful wedding Randi had never had before, of course.

Clark now had the wife and 'one of each' he'd wanted for some time, and Randi Nichols not only had her two beautiful children, but she was married to Brown Eyes, the most handsome man she'd even known; a man who made her feel special, loved, and wanted every day of her life.

Lastly, Flame now had a new best friend who followed him everywhere, spending much of his time at the firehouse where they spent many days and nights with the guy everyone called Superman. Except at home where he would always be Brown Eyes.