Chapter 18

Ah, Maine! The air was fresher than anything Jane had ever smelled in her life. She had to admit. She didn't miss Boston much. This life was so much better than the life she previously had. Her days were now filled with peace, love, and Maura. It was everything she needed to heal from the tragedy of losing Ma. She's been gone almost two years now. Jane had long accepted the fact that she would never walk through her doors again. And somehow, strangely, it was okay. It was the circle of life. She had to continue living in order for Ma to keep living on inside of her.

Jane took a sip of her coffee. The crisp cool autumn air blew across the landscape. Jane pulled her jacket tighter and zipped it up. The coffee was hot enough to keep her warm while she sat outside and watched the sun rise. This was her new morning ritual, to wake up before Maura, brew some coffee, and watch the sunrise before work.

A deputy position opened up the same week they moved into their house, but Jane decided not to go the route of law enforcement. Even if it was a small town, a law enforcement job would take her away from Maura too much. The hours were not dependable and she preferred not to make Maura sleep alone in the bed at night. Instead she chose to get licensed to sell insurance.

She sighed contently and checked her watch. She had a few hours before her first appointment. Thankfully she didn't have to travel far. They'd converter the space over the garage into an office for her insurance business. It was Maura's idea. She'd suggested they turn it into an office so Jane didn't have to drive into town to one of the spaces on Main Street. And once Jane was on board with the idea, they worked together to turn it into an office of her dreams.

The best part about the work she'd chosen was, she set her own hours. And when the clients needed to see her, they'd just call and set up an appointment to come by. Being that it was a small town, everyone respected each other's privacy. She was able to maximize her time with Maura. They spent every waking moment together. It was very rare that they found themselves apart.

Jane stood up and stretched. She was sitting in the same position, just thinking, for almost an hour. Thank heavens for the Thermos cup, or her coffee would have been long cold. She gazed out across the front yard and smiled. The foliage had begun to change in color. Golds, oranges, and reds blanketed the landscape in front of her. A steady Northwest wind blew the low hanging clouds towards the sunrise.

She inhaled the crisp Maine air before walking back inside of the house. Once inside, she removed her jacket and shoes and made her way to the fireplace. She absolutely loved the house she and Maura picked out together. It was their home. It was perfect. It sat on the edge of town; far enough for privacy, but close enough to access important places. The view out of the backdoor is what sold Jane. Their backyard opened up to a beautiful view of a section of the North Maine Woods. The back porch was closed in and sectioned off to create two additional living spaces.

One side; the side with the best view of the woods and mountains, Maura chose as her writing room. Jane had insulated it and installed heaters to keep Maura warm during the cold winter days of writing. The other side, Jane chose to use as her exercise room. The house itself was small and comfortable for them.

She made her way to their bedroom and opened the door slowly, quietly. The door creaked a bit and Maura stirred in the bed. Jane made a mental note to herself to make sure she oiled the hinges on the door later.

She removed her clothing and climbed into bed with Maura. She scooted closer and wrapped her arm around her. Maura jumped with a start and leaned back against her.

"Your hands are cold, Love." Maura said sleepily.

"I'm sorry. Just came in from outside."

"Mmm, how was the sunrise this morning?"

"Not as beautiful as you are right now."

"Aww." She cooed. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Jane shrugged and moved closer to her. "My first appointment is at 11:30, so my morning is open."

"Oh? Mine too. I have a webinar at four."

"Sounds good. I'm so glad you were able to get that web teaching gig. Couldn't have my baby going crazy from boredom."

Maura chuckled softly and cupped Jane's head while she kissed her on the cheek and shoulder. "I'm glad too. It makes me feel good to be able to still contribute to the scientific community."

"I know it does." Jane pulled her in closer and kissed her more passionately this time on the neck.

Maura moaned softly and rolled over onto her back. "What a nice way to wake up."

"I love you." Jane whispered into her ear.

"I love you too."

Jane took Maura's hand and kissed it softly. She toyed with the ring that rested on Maura's finger. Although she didn't want to enter into marriage with her, she still put a ring on her finger. It was her promise, as it were, that Maura would always be the one for her.

She took a moment and gazed into Maura's eyes. Maura had slept rough last night. She tossed and turned for a majority of the night. Her hair was disheveled and she looked like she hadn't slept in a hundred years. But still, she was the most beautiful person Jane had ever laid her eyes upon.

"What?" Maura said while smiling up at her.

Jane shook her head. "Nothing. You're just extremely beautiful."

Maura laughed softly and hid her face away from her. "You're just being kind to me. I know I look terrible right now. I didn't sleep well last night."

"I noticed." Jane said softly.

"I'm sorry, if I kept you up."

"It's okay." Jane gently caressed Maura's belly as her eyes drifted down and gazed at the beautiful body lying next to her. Her lips curled up into a smile. Maura was perfect.

Maura smiled in response to the expression on her face. "I know what's on your mind."

"You do not." Jane teased.

"Of course I do."

"What am I thinking?"

Maura caressed Jane's face as she gazed up into her eyes. "You're thinking that you wish I would stop talking because you really want to make love to me right now."

Jane laughed in response.

"Am I right?"

"Whatever, Maur." She leaned in and kissed her softly on the neck before nibbling gently on her favorite spot.

"Mmm. I knew I was right."

"Why don't you shut up so I can make love to you?"

Maura chuckled and pulled her in closer, encouraging her to bite harder. Her fingers drove through Jane's hair and tugged at it. Soft sighs escaped her mouth.

"What time is it?"

"Alittle after 7." Jane answered before cascading kisses across her collarbone and shoulder. "Do you have time for me?"

"I'll always have time for you."

Jane trailed her kisses upward and took her lips with a passionate kiss. Maura was the most giving person Jane had ever been with. She was able to handle Jane's sexual prowess and drive like none other. And Jane in turn was able to handle hers. She never thought in a million years that she'd find someone who matched her perfectly.

"I thought you'd be tired out from last night." Maura whispered as Jane latched on to her neck again.

"Never too tired."

Maura laughed lightly. "I see."

"You're the one who didn't sleep well last night."

"Mmm, I know. But that doesn't matter. I'm always ready for you." Her breath hitched in her throat when Jane nibbled on the pulse point on her neck. "I love it when you do that."

"I know." Jane whispered.

Jane released her and looked into her eyes. Every day with her that passed, she saw more and more of her future in Maura's eyes. Every time she looked into her eyes; she felt a love deeper than anything she'd ever experienced before. Each day it grew deeper. She felt no pain, no despair. No anxiety. No panic. She only felt serenity. Peace. Love.

She took Maura's lips again, nibbling lightly on her bottom lip. Just slightly, but firm enough to let Maura know what she wanted. And she wanted her. She slipped her arms underneath her and slowly flipped over onto her back.

She gazed up into Maura's eyes now looking down into hers. A look of approval and excitement was painted on Maura's face. She smiled while her eyes traveled down the length of Jane's body. She licked her lips. Jane wasn't sure if she knew she had done it or not, but it was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen.

"What do you want this morning, Love?"

"You know what I want."

"Tell me." Maura said. A devious smile creased the corner of her face.

Jane smiled and laughed. "Why do you want me to say it?"

"Because it arouses me when you tell me what you want me to do to you. And you know what happens when I get aroused."

Jane grazed her thumb over Maura's cheek. "Alright. If you insist." She stroked her cheek softly. "Maura, Baby?"

"Yes, Love?"

"I woke up so hot this morning. If you don't mind, I would love to feel your lips and your tongue sucking on my clit. That's all I want to feel that right now." Jane smiled when she felt Maura's body trembled slightly. "And I want you to lick my pussy until I come all over those beautiful lips of yours."

Maura literally shivered from Jane's statement. Her eyes fluttered shut from sensory overload. "Oh my god, Jane." She gasped.

Jane smiled and bounced her brows playfully. "You said you wanted to know."

Maura hovered above her; her mouth was slightly agape with surprise. And then her lips curled into a smile. The same smile she always gives Jane before she makes love to her. Without saying another word, Maura leaned in slowly and took Jane's lips with a very deep and sensual kiss. Her tongue slipped inside of Jane's mouth and touched hers. It twirled over Jane's, and then hit the roof of her mouth before her lips grasped Jane's tongue and pulled it slowly into her mouth.

"Mmm," Jane loved it when she did that.

Maura settled between Jane's legs and moved her body against hers. She grinded her slowly, each time creating more friction as their bodies began to heat up. She latched onto Jane's neck and sucked it. She had no concern about Jane seeing a client in a few hours, she sunk her teeth into her neck with a firm love bite.

Jane gasped and dragged her nails down Maura's back. Her fingers raced up and entangled in her hair. Maura glanced up at her briefly before descending down her body to the place where she wanted her. She kissed her way down and latched onto Jane's right nipple. It was the most sensitive of the two. Her tongue orbited it slowly (just like Jane liked it) before her lips sucked it deep into her mouth.

"Yeah." Jane sighed. Her hips moved under Maura. She wanted to feel her, to have any kind of contact with her body. "Hurry up, Baby. Please. I can't take this." Jane felt the goosebumps flash over her own skin. Maura absolutely drove her crazy.

Maura's hands came up and squeezed Jane's breasts, kneading them firmly between her fingers. Jane felt electricity streaking up her body. From the tips of her nipples clamped between Maura's index fingers and thumbs, all the way to the surface of her scalp. Her eyes couldn't focus anymore on the world in front of her. They rolled back into her head, where they explored the dark and unchartered territory of her cranium.

Maura's fingers released the nipples, but her hands remained on her breasts as she continued down. Jane tried to resist it, but she couldn't stop herself from grabbing a hold of Maura's head and putting her where she wanted her to be. She was ready for her. She wanted to feel the skillfulness of Maura's tongue on her. Over time, Maura had perfected her technique to one that Jane couldn't last very long while she was doing it.

Jane didn't know what it was that made her come so quickly, but regardless, each time Maura went down on her, she'd climax within 5 minutes. Sometimes it was disappointing, but most of the time it was utterly satisfying.

Jane's fingers trembled as she placed Maura's head where she needed her to be. "Stop playing around so much, you know what I want." Jane groaned.

Maura laughed lightly from below. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Jane groaned loudly when she felt Maura's breath skip over her burning hot clit as she talked.

"Don't talk. Lick, damn it."

Maura laughed again. She was not a beginner anymore. She knew exactly how to please Jane and then some.

Jane pulled her closer and attached her mouth to her clit. She cried out at the feeling of Maura's soft and velvety lips wrapped around it. Her body flashed hot when she felt her tongue twirl over it, with just the right amount of pressure to fully activate Jane's carnal desire. Her hips began to rock against Maura's mouth. Her thighs trembled. Maura sighed and buried her face deeper into Jane's welcoming pussy.

Jane released Maura's hair and grabbed her hands, entwining them together. Her hips continued to move as she felt her entire body quivering inside and tensing at the same time. She wanted to hold it off as long as she could, but her body wanted to release. The way Maura made little mmms, and ahhhs, while she snacked on her, made Jane lose her mind. Maura was just as verbal when she was giving as she was when she was receiving. Her head twirled the way Jane loved, and her lips captured and released, her tongue sucked and nibbled, until she felt Jane's entire body firm up beneath her.

"Oh, Baby. I can't. I think I'm gonna…"

Maura tightened her grip on Jane's hands and started fluttering her clit between her tongue and the roof of her mouth. She fluttered it quickly while pressing in with more pressure. Jane knew she could tell she was close, because she could feel her clit harden like a rock.

Jane took in a deep breath. She lost all sight as her eyes disappeared into her head. Her hips pushed into Maura, forcing her clit deeper and harder in between her tongue and mouth until—

"Oh… Baby… I'm coming… Ahhh!" She cried out. Their fingers locked together as Jane trembled underneath Maura.

After Jane finally stopped coming, her body collapsed into the bed. She was breathing heavily as Maura kissed her way back up to her lips. There they shared a passionate tonguey kiss. Jane loved tasting herself on Maura's lips. Maura finally pulled herself away and laid down beside her. She tossed her arm over Jane's trembling body and sighed with contentment.

"Holy fucking hell." Jane groaned.

Maura laughed out loud and kissed her on the shoulder. "That never gets old."

Jane's head was spinning. All she could think of was how absolutely magical Maura's tongue was. She couldn't get enough. "You're so good to me, Baby." She whispered and caressed Maura's arm that lay across her. She always found herself extremely emotional after sex with Maura. Maura took her to different levels each time.

"Because you're so good to me." She answered.

Jane sighed and closed her eyes. She could fall asleep just like this. And it would have been okay if she had, but she couldn't. It was her day to cook breakfast. And they were supposed to run errands today after her appointment with the client.

"I'm no good after you make me come." Jane said with a laugh.

Maura tightened her grip around her. "Well, thank you." She sounded sleepy.

"I'm going to go get cleaned up, and make breakfast for us."

Maura pulled her arm away and cuddled her pillow instead. Her eyes were closed. A smiled was planted on her face. "Okay, Love."

"Are you going to do some writing today?"

"Yes. I'm nearing the end."

"That's excellent, Baby. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks." Maura said with a yawn. "But it'll still be a couple of months. I like taking my time."

"I understand that. We have all the time in the world."

"I love that."

Jane gazed over at her. Although her eyes were closed, Maura's expression exuded satisfaction. Contentment. Happiness. Peace.

"Me too, Baby." She whispered before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. She watched her for a few more moments and when Maura finally started snoring softly, she took the opportunity to get ready for the day.

Jane glanced up at the clock. Her client was late. Almost a half hour late with no calls or texts. She was almost ready to close down her computer when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." She called out.

The door opened and Maura stepped in. "Hi Love. I brought your lunch."

She motioned for her to come in. "Oh, thanks, Baby."

"I wasn't sure how long you were going to wait for Leslie to show up. So I thought I'd bring it to you."

"That's sweet of you. Thanks." She said. She opened the top of the glass dish and inhaled the heavenly aroma of her woman's cooking. "Smells delish. What is it?"

"Chicken alfredo with broccoli."

"Broccoli?" Jane scrunched her nose up. "Why did you put broccoli in it?"

Maura laughed lightly and sat down on her lap. "Because you need more veggies in your diet, Love."

"Yeah, yeah." Jane laughed and placed the meal down. She wrapped her arm around Maura and pulled her into a tight embrace. "You take such good care of me."

Maura leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I need you to stick around for a while."

"I plan on it." Jane said softly. She pressed her lips against the exposed area of Maura's shirt, placing a soft kiss on her cleavage.

"Did you still want to go into town with me after your appointment?"

"Of course. What did you need to get?"

"I wanted to pick up some vegetables at the market."

Jane stuck her finger in her mouth and mimicked a gagging sound.

"Stop it." She laughed. "And I want to stock up on some steaks and seafood for the coming winter."

"Sounds good." Jane laid her head on Maura's chest and sighed deeply. She was sleepy. A cold front was coming in and all she wanted to do was light the fire and cuddle with Maura for the rest of the day.

"Are you okay, Love." She asked as she stroked her fingers through her hair.

"I'm more than okay." She gazed up into her eyes and smiled at her.

"Good." Maura was leaning in to give her a kiss when the door swung open and in stumbled Jane's client.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Jane!"

Maura hopped up quickly before Leslie could see her sitting on Jane's lap. She smoothed out her garment and stepped out of the way.

Jane stood up and walked over to her. "It's no problem. I tried to call you."

"Yeah, my phone totally died on me last night at work, and then my little booger here apparently stuffed it somewhere and now I can't find it."

Jane glanced down at the child in her arms. "How cute. How old is he?"

"Oh, it's a she. She just doesn't have much hair yet."

Jane laughed softly and tickled the little one. "How old is she?"

"Seven months."

"Wow, she's huge. She looks a lot older than that."

"Yeah. People tell me that."

Jane gestured to the chair beside her desk. "Please sit. I promise not to keep you long."

Leslie sat in the visitor's chair and bounced her baby on her leg. Jane went through the process if signing her up for new insurance. She was switching from the only other insurance agent in town to her. Lately, Jane had been getting a lot of new clients who switched to her from the other one. She felt honored. Some of them had been clients of her competitor for several decades.

Jane took notice of the fact that Maura hadn't left yet. She was sitting in a chair against wall making faces at the baby. The little one was thoroughly amused by the faces Maura was making. Maura offered to hold her while Leslie signed the paperwork Jane needed to issue her policies.

While Leslie was signing her paperwork, Jane was watching Maura. She had the little one on her lap, playing peekaboo at first, and then patty cake. The little one just laughed and laughed, which made Maura chuckle too.

God… She's so beautiful. Jane thought.

Maura glanced over at Jane and smiled at her. Jane winked at her and smiled back. She gathered all of the paperwork from Leslie and rose from her seat.

"Thanks again so much for your business, Leslie. Please refer me to anyone you know."

"I certainly will. It's so nice to have fresh young faces in town. My other agent has one foot in the grave and is such a drag."

Jane laughed and shook her hand. "Well, I am honored."

"Plus, it's good to see change here in town." She said nodding her head towards Maura. "Change is good."

"Thank you, Leslie."

Leslie took her baby from Maura and headed out the door. "Have a great day!" She called out before slamming the door behind her.

Maura walked over to the window and glanced out. She sighed lightly and turned back to Jane. She noticed Jane observing her intently.

"What?" She asked.

"I saw how you were playing with that baby."

Maura shrugged. "She was cute."

"That she was." She motioned for Maura to come to her.

Maura wasted no time crossing the room to her. She embraced her and planted a solid kiss on her lips. "Do you know what I'm in the mood for?"

"What?"

Maura whispered softly into Jane's ear. Jane chuckled under her breath. "You're such a freak."

Maura laughed and swatted her away. "Come on, let's go shopping before it gets too cold out."

"Sounds good to me!" Jane said grabbing her jacket and slipping it around Maura. "When we get back, I'll light the fireplace and we can cuddle and watch tv."

"And that sounds good to me."

Jane opened up the door and smacked her on the butt. She let Maura lead the way and she followed closely behind her.

xxx

By the time the end credits began to scroll, Jane was fast asleep. She'd sworn to Maura that she would stay awake during the entire season of Murdock Mysteries, but she couldn't last through a quarter of it. Which was okay. Maura knew she was tired. She'd come home after shopping and packed away all of the meats in the chest freezer as well as prepared dinner. After dinner, she made sure to touch up the insulation in Maura's writing room, so she wouldn't be chilly while she was writing. She was tuckered out.

Maura glanced down at her. Her raven locks hung over her lap like a blanket. Maura caressed Jane's face. Her skin was the softest place on Earth. Jane stirred and groaned slightly. Maura shook her gently.

"Jane?" She whispered. When she didn't respond, she shook her again. "Love?"

Jane turned her head to the side and Maura caught sight of the mark she'd put on her neck this morning. A sense of pride and ownership welled up inside of her as she gazed down at Jane laying across her lap. Jane was beautiful, smart, wise, and sexy. And she was all hers.

And even though Jane didn't want to marry, she wore her ring proudly. She knew that Jane would never leave her and she would never leave Jane.

"Jane, it's time to go to bed." Maura whispered.

"Is the show still on?"

"No. You slept through the season."

Jane groaned and opened her eyes. "I'm sorry, Baby. I was just tired."

Maura strummed her fingers through her hair. "I know you are. Let's go to bed."

Jane glanced up at Maura. "Is this real?" She whispered.

Maura frowned and caressed her face. "Is what real, Love?"

"You're here with me. Us?"

Maura nodded and smiled. "Yes, my love. This is all real."

Jane nodded and swallowed hard. Her eyes slowly filled with tears as she looked at Maura. Maura could feel her so strongly at the moment. She loved her so much. Words could never express how much Jane meant to her.

She'd given up her career in law enforcement, just to reduce the chances of Maura getting hurt. She'd given up living in Boston and moved to an unknown place just to keep her safe… and to heal. Jane knew what was best for the both of them.

They both needed time to heal. Losing Angela was hard. Watching her die was harder. Watching Jane go through the pain of loss was even harder. Maura had spent all those months following Angela's death and Jane's breakup, trying to help Jane through her pain. And she'd neglected the fact that she was in pain and needed to heal also.

But Jane knew what she needed. And she took her away from it all to this cozy little town of Millinocket. The moment they stepped over the threshold and into their new home, their hearts started healing. Each day they healed even more.

Maura smiled down at her and grazed her fingers over her lips.

Jane sat up and pressed her forehead against Maura's. Her hands cupped the sides of Maura's face and her lips took hers softly. Her lips trembled when Maura pulled away. Their breaths bounced off each other as they sat together on the couch.

"I cannot begin to tell you how much you mean to me, Jane." Maura caressed her arms and sighed deeply. "I never want us to end."

"If I have it my way, there will never be an end to us."

"I love the sound of that. Although, if we could live forever that would be great, but it's not possible to exist indefinitely, because humans have a maximum life expectancy of—"

Jane cut her off with a kiss. "Shh..." Her lips were so soft. Out of all of Jane's body parts, they were her favorite. Those versatile lips. With them she could comfort her, anger her, caress her, excite her, and pleasure her. And not to mention, silence her.

Maura moaned softly into the kiss and pulled at the fabric of Jane's shirt. Jane pulled away briefly and look into her eyes. "If the weather holds out tomorrow, would you like to go and check out some puppies up for adoption?"

"Really?"

Jane nodded. She took Maura's hand and toyed with her promise ring. "I'd love to give some orphaned puppy a warm home for the winter."

Maura smiled and kissed her. "I would like that too. Could I name it?"

"Of course, you can, Baby. You can name it anything you want."

"Wonderful!"

"Yeah, just make sure you keep his name under three syllables please. If not, then it'll just be awkward."

Maura laughed and kissed her again. This time, holding on a little bit longer. When she pulled away, Jane was smiling at her. She knew that look. She loved that look. Jane's gazed down her body quickly, her smile deepening.

"I know what you're thinking." Maura said.

"You do not."

Maura stood up and took Jane's hand. "I most certainly do."

Jane shrugged and stood up with her. She pulled her into her arms and began slow dancing with her. "Can you hear the song playing in my head?"

"Yes."

"Oh, really?" Jane asked.

"Yes," Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. "Because it's the same one that's playing in my heart." Maura rested her head against Jane's.

"You're so sappy." Jane whispered and stole a kiss.

"I'm guilty as charged." Maura sighed as she took a few steps back from the couch. "I'm ready for bed, Love."

Jane followed her as she pulled her towards the bedroom. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. I'm ready."

Jane smiled, instantly catching on to Maura's reference of their first intimate night together. She reached down and quickly scooped her up into her arms and carried her off to the bedroom. As Jane was carrying her, Maura thought of the many reasons why this moment was so special. Exclusively belonging to Jane and looking ahead to a promising future with her was the most important reason of all.

The End.

Thanks again so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed. -ReduxQue