The Price of a Memory(Closed for SweetAsSuga)

As if his touch were magic, Jane could feel her unease and fear and every other negative emotion that twisted inside her stomach evaporate. She took three deep breathes, her chest rising and falling, her eyes fluttering closed as she turned her face into Connor's touch. His palm was warm against her cool skin and she felt his heat fill her, warming her from the inside out.

If asked later on what had prompted her next move, Jane would never be able to say. But something felt right about bridging the gap between them and, gently, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was soft and sweet and completely innocent. It was a kiss that sought comfort and contact.

The salt of her tears mingled with the peppermint taste of Connor's lips. Her hands sought more contact and began to slide up his chest, her fingers bunching in his shirt.

A car honked as it sped past them, startling Jane. She pulled away quickly, eyes wide and heart pounding.

"I'm so sorry," she said, quickly turning to face forward, her eyes never leaving the road in front of them. "I'm sorry, Connor, I shouldn't have done that."

Connor was shocked, to say the least. He hadn't expected Jane to kiss him, or even to return the embrace. Yet there he stood, his mouth hanging open slightly, his eyes unfocused as his brain tried to catch up to the fact that she had kissed him.

He jumped slightly as another car passed them, before comprehending her words. He took her hand softly, before squeezing it. "Don't be sorry for something like that. It was amazing. The fact that you did that also shows you trust me, and that means a great deal to me," he said softly.

He put the truck back in gear, and then took Jane's hand, smiling at her from time to time as they drove back to his house in amicable silence. He pulled into the garage after opening it, and then shut the engine off, closing the garage and opening his door.

He quickly moved around to her side, opening her door, before stepping forward and surprising her as he reached for her buckle. He unbuckled it, and as he was pulling back, he stopped in front of her, before kissing her softly.

It felt natural, and had been something he wanted to do. If he hadn't been so shocked, he would have returned her kiss. This was his way of returning it though. He held it, waiting to see if she would respond, but keeping it light enough to leave it up to her whether to keep it going or end it.

Jane hadn't been expecting Connor to kiss her again. When she had kissed him it had been a spur of the moment thing, something brought on by his kindness and the intimacy of the moment. But this kiss, this was a deliberate kiss. Connor had known exactly what he was doing when he moved in to capture her lips with his. And his lips knew exactly what they were doing.

His lips moved against hers in a soft, feather-light kiss, one that spoke of tenderness and care. It was as if Jane were a small bird that he was afraid of crushing, and so he treated her with extra caution. He made it easy for her to back away if she so wished. But Jane didn't want to.

The thought surprised her, excited her even. Warmth spread from her lips all the way down to her toes as she parted her lips, an invitation for Connor to deepen the kiss. Her hands rested on his shoulders, drawing him closer. Her body craved to be near his, to feel his heart pounding against her own. The world spun around Jane and she never wanted it to stop.

Connor slowly slid his tongue along Jane's bottom lip. He wasn't going to press the kiss, but he was going to let the passion build as it came naturally to him. His arms slid around her waist, pulling her against him, as his tongue slid between her lips.

Connor knew he should stop, but the kiss just felt too good. Everything about it screamed for his body to continue with the kiss. Instead of breaking it, he slid his hands from around her waist to gently cup her face, caressing her cheeks as his tongue slowly teased hers out of her mouth and into his.

He could feel his erection straining his boxers, and knew that he was close to stepping over a line. With reluctance, he broke the kiss slowly, savoring the taste of Jane's lips. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing slowly to steady his rapid heartbeats. He looked at Jane and smiled before saying softly, "That was the most amazing kiss of my entire life."

With Connor's hands cupping her face and his tongue teasing hers, Jane felt she could easily let this kiss become so much more. Her skin tingled with want...no, need. A need that traveled from her lips down to the very core of her being. She pressed her thighs together, she had to do something to alleviate the fire that burned within her.

Jane's tongue brushed against Connor's, tasting him, toying with him. She wanted so much more than this kiss, but she was afraid to voice her desires. Better to let Connor set the pace because, if Jane had her way, the clothes that separated them would no longer be an issue. Her hands rested against the back of Connor's neck, her fingers tangled up in his hair. It was a battle to resist the instinct to completely devour him.

All too soon, Connor pulled away, leaving Jane panting for breath. Her chest rose and fell with each unsteady gasp and her face was flushed. Connor's forehead rested against hers and Jane had to fight the urge to take his lips, which were so close to her own she could feel his breath, once again. Her heart hammered against her chest and Jane was certain that Connor could hear what he did to her.

"That was the most amazing kiss of my entire life."

Jane couldn't help but giggle like a school girl at Connor's confession. A giddiness swept over her and she surprised them both by planting a quick, chaste kiss on his lips.

"I don't really know what I have to compare it to," she said, her eyes locked with his, "but I think that I have to agree with you." A smile pulled at her lips and she found herself grinning like an idiot.

What an image they must have painted, with her sitting in the car grinning like the cat that caught the canary, and him standing over her returning the grin, their foreheads pressed together in such an intimate fashion. For the first time since Jane had woken up in the hospital, she felt completely safe and happy. She felt like she was home. And, for the first time, she prayed that her memories didn't return and that she could remain with Connor, that she could remain Jane forever.

Connor smiled and slowly stepped back, offering his hand to Jane. He pulled her from the car softly, grabbing bags with his free hand after handing her the keys. "If you'll unlock the door, I'll follow you in with what I have," he said softly

He followed her, sliding past her when she opened the door. He kissed her softly, and then sat the bags on the counter, before grabbing everything else from the truck and bringing it in.

He looked down at the bags on the counter, and then chuckled. "I think we have everything you will need for now. What would you like for dinner, or should we go shopping for food now too?" he asked, smiling and wondering if they would just get everything they needed today.

Jane smiled, suddenly very shy in Connor's presence. But why? Surely a few innocent kisses couldn't render her a bumbling school girl. Okay, so the kisses hadn't been completely innocent, if the aching desire that coursed through Jane's body was any indication; but they certainly weren't any kind of lust-filled, passion induced, clothes-ripping type of kisses.

As he asked her about food, the image of them cooking together in the kitchen came, unbidden, to her mind. The picture it painted was soothing. Homey, even. And it was an image that Jane did not mind being true. She felt so right around Connor, shyness not withstanding, as if his presence was the balm that her shredded soul needed.

"I think we can come up with something," Jane said as she began to go through the cupboards, taking stock of what Connor had on hand. Sorting through the various ingredients, she quickly decided what she could make.

Turning back to Connor she smiled confidently. "Why don't you put the bags away and I will make dinner."

As Connor obeyed, Jane rummaged through the drawers until she found a simple blue apron. Pulling it on over her head, she knotted the strings around her waist and set to work. Moving around the kitchen, she began to pull the ingreidients she would need. Two chicken breasts were set in the microwave to thaw while Jane deftly chopped garlic and onions and set them in a pan on the stove to saute.

Jane didn't know how she knew what she was doing, all she knew was that it felt completely and utterly right to be in the kitchen, cooking to her heart's content.

With the chicken thawed, she set it in the pan with the garlic and onions. The chicken sizzled delectably in the olive oil as Jane moved to begin the glaze. She flipped on the radio that sat on the counter and began to hum along with the song playing, one that seemed, somehow, familiar.

Jane was happy at that moment. So happy that she was almost afraid.

Connor could see that Jane was a little anxious, worried even, and knew to back off a bit. He didn't want to push this, nor did he want anything to suddenly go wrong. This felt amazing to him, and he didn't want that to change.

He excused himself and did what she suggested, taking the bags to put them up. Suddenly he was curious. Would Jane be in his room, or her own? He decided to just unpack things as they were, and let her decide where she wanted to be.

He hung the clothes up, never using a dresser for anything. She had inspired that. Even now, years after everything, hanging clothes up still stuck with him.

He was humming along to the song he could hear coming from the kitchen, when it hit him. She knew what she was cooking. He knew better than to rush and start badgering her. Instead, he smiled. Her memories were slowly coming back.

He could smell everything coming together as he finished putting everything away. It had his mouth watering, and he was ready. He walked up behind Jane and smiled at her wearing her blue apron.

"Is there anything I can do to help, or should I get plates and silverware out, and prepare drinks?" he asked, wanting to be of help, and not in the way.

"If you wouldn't mind setting the table, that'd be great." Jane replied, somewhat distracted by the asparagus she was preparing. She moved instinctively, her hands flying from one pan to the next as she browned the chicken, tossed the roasting asparagus, and pulled the boiling potatoes from the stove. She didn't question it and she tried not to think about her actions too hard. If she allowed herself to run on auto-pilot, Jane knew that she would get it right. But she knew that if she tried to think too hard about how she was remembering all of this, the memories would slip away and she'd be back at square one.

As Connor set the table, Jane began to mash the potatoes; adding in milk, butter, fresh chives, a touch of shredded cheese and some bacon that she had cooked up nice and crisp. After putting the potatoes in a bowl, she moved onto the asparagus, then plated up the chicken, pouring the honey and balsamic glaze over top. The smells made her mouth water and Jane realized just how hungry she was. The past few days she hadn't had much appetite, the industrial hospital food not at all appetizing. Even the greasy burger and fries from the mall food court hadn't seemed right to her. Jane knew that she wasn't a simple foods kinda girl, she just knew that food should look and taste beautiful. Maybe she'd been a chef in her former life? The idea made her smile as she joined Connor at the table.

"Ok, don't hold back, give me your honest opinion." She said, biting her lip self-consciously as Connor moved to take a bite of his food.