Sanctuary (Jasmine & Dr. Mephisto)

[Jasmine]

"uh oh" I think as I see him stand and head inside. I know he is coming for a show down and I'm just not ready. Moving toward the door, I am surprised to see him vaulting up the stairs 2 at a time. I slam the door but it's no barrier to someone like him.

He pulls me to him like I weigh nothing. My body pressed into his. My breath catches in my throat. For a moment, I am frozen; caught up in sexual desire and fear.

It takes mere moments for me to regain some of my composure, "You would do well to remember that I am your employer. Now, let me go." I don't move or struggle. I simply stand there and look into his eyes and hope that I was able to pull this charade of control off despite the heaving of my chest with each troubled breath.

My mind returns composure to me but my desire is still real. Having her in my arms even as she brought me back to earth by reminding me that she was my employer made me realize how naive she was. "I know who my employer is," I told her looking into her deep and lonely eyes. I kissed her softly as she began to hit me with her fist on my back.

[Jasmine]

It takes only a fraction of a second before he starts to kiss me. I can only reach his back with my fists. My blows don't even seem to get his attention. Finally, I am able to get my hands between our bodies and I am able to push him away from me. He doesn't release me, but he stops kissing me. My anger flares, "Get OUT!" I hiss.

I look at the expression on her face and determine it to be rage. She has never experianced the crude advances of a man as I have shown her. For all I know she has never experianced any romance. But then I remember why she is here. What happened to her as a child, who was taken by abductors. Did she loose her innocence then? I take hold of her by the hair and the rage turns to defiance that is tempered with fear. I look into the beautiful yet cold and lonely eyes of the woman who has stolen my heart, something she will now never know. I bend to kiss her again then stop as I see a tear begin to stream down her face. "I'm leaving, this won't happen again," I say as I release her and turn toward the door stopping there. "I'm here to protect you, and that is all I should have ever hoped for," I say as I leave.

[Jasmine]

My breathing is ragged. I am thrust between desire and rage with the liberties that he has taken. His hold relaxes on me before he gives me a soft kiss. Then, he releases me and turns to leave.

There is an emptiness when his strong arms no long surround me. It is on my lips to call to him but he turns and tells me he's here to protect me. But it is the last part of his statement that breaks my heart and yet, gives me hope.

If I let this moment pass, I know that I will regret it. "Evan...." I say softly and hope that it is enough to stop his departure.

"What is it Elise?" I ask with hope tinged annoyance stopping in the foyer but not turning to look back.

[Jasmine]

Now that I have his attention, I am unsure what to say. I stand transfixed for a moment as I look at him. For the first time I see him as a more than my sexy protector. I see him as someone with feelings that I have been careless with. I know he is waiting for me to say something, but for the life of me I find the words to make him stay.

I force my feet to move and then find myself flying toward him. I launch myself at him and hope that he will take me in his arms and tell me that everything will be okay.

I am stunned by what happens. She runs toward me and I am unable to resist. I turn around and she runs into my embrace, freely and tightly. She turns her head up to look at mine and I down at those eyes that once seemed empty now filled with adoration. I bend to kiss her. Our bodies arms and tongues soon entwine as we become impassioned lovers standing outside her bed room. Our embrace parts for a second, just long enough for me to scoop her up and carry her toward her bed. The look on her face is inviting and yet I still sence doubt. I lay her down and we loose eye contact for a second as I remove my shirt forgetting about the scars that I bear from torture in an Indonesian prison.

[Jasmine]

My relief is palpable as he scoops me into his arms effortlessly. Burying my face in his shoulder, I revel in the strong masculine scent and the safety he offers. I begin to panic once he puts me down on the bed. I can feel my breathing increasing and my heart pounding. What should I do?

"Evan, I've n...." is all I can say once he gets his shirt off. "What happened to you?"

I know that I am staring wide-eyed at his scars but I can help it. Standing, I move tentatively toward him. "Evan?"

I wonder what she was about to say before the sight of my scar laden back and chest cut her off. "I was in a prison in Jakarta where I was tortured. It was a long time ago, over 15 years," I said sitting on the bed trying to coax her back toward me and allay her fears. "Now you were about to say something to me?"

[Jasmine]

My heart is in my throat. I can't imagine the pain this man has endured. The tears spill from my eyes as he tries to distract me from the scars. I stare. I can't tear my eyes away from the evidence of his life. It is a life that I have no idea how to deal with. Suddenly, I feel so stupid. I've never left the cocoon created for me when I was 5. Until today, I have never even had a kiss or even a crush. I'm a fool. He's a man, a virile sexy man and I am more like a 12 year old than a woman.

I look into his eyes as he sits on the bed with me. What am I doing? I can't handle this. Instinctively, I move away from him. "I...I...I...can't. I'm sorry." I manage to get out before I bolt from the bed.

Now that I am standing, I feel like I am going to collapse. "You're..You're..and I... Oh...God." I am so embarrassed that I run out the door. God, I am such a fool! Thinking that he would be interested in me. I've never been on a date! God, I am merely a shell.

Where can I run to on this island? I am out breath and out of my mind! I keep walking toward the ocean. My mind is occupied with berating myself for thinking that Evan would want to be my "boyfriend".

The water is up to mid-thigh and it's difficult to keep walking, but I do. Salty tears falling into the salty sea with each labored step. I have to get away from here.

As she ran out the door I thought to myself, "Nice going man, you handled that very well, alittle warning would have been in order". Just then I looked out the window to see her running toward the beach. "Oh crap!" I thought. I grabbed my phone and keys and headed for my jeep and sped off to catch up with her. She had just gone into the water when I arrived. "ELISE!" I called out to her as I ran into the water and saw a look of despair and tears on her face. I took her by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes. "I am so sorry, I know that that was a shock and I just didn't prepare you for it," I said as she was still crying. I smiled and continued, "When I asked you if you had ever been off this rock I didn't mean it disrespectfully, I only meant have you ever experianced the wonders that you have read about in that library of yours; ate sushi in a Tokyo restaurant, or danced an Irish jig in a Dublin pub?" I asked hoping to bring a smile to her beautiful tear streaked face.

[Jasmine]

The bubble around my brain is popped when he shakes me. I try to clear my head and focus on what he is saying. Some of it gets through as he leads me back to the shore. "No...what?" I ask dazedly at first until I finally realize that he is thinks he has offended me. "No, it's not you. It's me! I haven't been off this, 'rock', as you say.

I am silent until we reach the beach. My walk in the water and the emotion of all of it has drained me physically and emotionally. I drop to the wet sand not far from the water's edge.

All at once, it all comes flooding out in a wave of frantic words. "Everything that I am is wrong. I have done nothing with my life or my fortune except live like a princess in a gilded cage. Then, yesterday, my world was turned upside down as people I know and love leave and I am kept in the dark about things going on with the trust! No one will talk to me and why should they, despite my very private education, I have no real experience with life. Then, there is you. You...well...you...Oh, god, well, you are the first boy, ah, man that I have ever even kissed. When that happened in my bedroom, I well, I panicked. Not because of your scars but because you have lived. Lived outside of an island. I've no scars, not even a single broken heart. That's why I ran."

The words tumbled out like a cascade of rainfall. I was embarrassed by all of it. I started to dig in the sand with my nails. Soon handfuls of sand were being scooped up and dropped as the tears of futility fell from my eyes.

I didn't want to pity her. She didn't deserve that. She deserved a chance at a life that was full of wonder, beauty, love. I wanted to give it to her. Her eyes still captivated me as I looked down at her and she gazed up toward my face in the glare of the rising morning sun. I squated down and gently took hold of her chin to look up at me after she poured out her feelings and looked to the white sand for solice. "What I've been through was not living, I did some bad things and I paid a price," I said as she looked at me with the very pity I thought she didn't deserve. "You're still young and just existing here is wasting your life, there is so much to see, and so much to do, come with me just for a day, we can go to Sydney in 3 hours, spend the day and be back by the next morning, it's a place to start, to break you out of the gilded cage as you put it and spread your wings like a free bird," I said to her hoping that I had weakened her resistance. "Please, Elise."

[Jasmine]

His eyes are so compassionate, so full of pity. My lips quiver from the intensity of my reaction to him. "I wouldn't know what to do, where to start. I've never left this island. I've never even held a single cent in my hand. But, I'll go with you. I trust you. Just be patient with me."

My longing for him borders on what a woman would feel but with the fears of a child. I am unsure about this change in my life and wonder what the next hours hold.

I'm touched that she trusts me. I help her to her feet and try to gaze into her eyes but all she does is grab my waist and press her head against my chest like a little girl needing reassurance. "Come on, you can pack a bag and I'll arrange us getting underway," I said as I led her by her hand and she followed with some sign of happyness coming to her face.

[Jasmine]

His hand envelopes mine as we walk back to the house. I am excited and scared at this new adventure. Once in the house, he walks me to my room and leaves me there to pack.

The first thing I must do is get a shower. I strip off the wet clothes quickly and step into the shower. The warm water cascades over my body washing away the salt and sand. I linger a few minutes reveling in thoughts of Evan, the way his body looked when he took off his shirt. No doubt he suffered but it only made him sexier. The look in his eyes as he looked at me. I feel my body responding to my thoughts and decide that I must not go down that path right now. I have things to do. I turn off the water and reach for a towel.

After leaving Elise at the house I realize that I must take care of business before pleasure. I head to the comm center to use the shortwave. As I enter the room a young man with a boyish face stood up. "Can I help you sir?" he asked, his voice sounding familier. "Are you Art Timlin?" I queried. "Why yes sir," he responded unsure of himself. "Hello Art, I'm Evan Dawson, good job the other day," I said as I reached out my hand to shake his. "Thank you sir, what can I do for you?" he asked. "I need to use the shortwave set," I said. He seemed puzzled but showed me to that shack. "In here Mr. Dawson," he pointed. "Thank you, please see that I am not disturbed," I requested and closed the door. I turned on the set and after adjusting frequencies, came to what I needed. "Safe harbor calling Buluga caviar come in," I said switching the button to receive waiting for a responce. "Safe harbor calling Buluga caviar come in," "HELLO DAWSON!" "Shithead!" I thought to myself. "Buluga caviar, use the code words," I said thinking how stupid this Russian was being. "Safe harbor, please go ahead," he responded. "I will be away for a couple of days, under no circumstances approach island I will call you upon return," I said waiting for his responce. "Very well Safe harbor, enjoy your time away with your lady friend, we will await your call back, Buluga caviar out," he said signing off. "Now I can look forward to a nice day with that lady that I have fallen for," I thought as I got up to leave and return to get ready for our journey. "Oh Art!" I said startled by him standing outside. "You done sir?" he asked. "Yes, we will be leaving within the hour to fly to Sydney so be on alert, ok?" I said. "Yes sir, see you when you get back," he said but with a look of suspicion.

[Jasmine]

This is the first time I have had to pack to go anywhere. Oh my. I don't even have a valise to pack. "Maria! Maaarrrrria!" I scream from my room. Maria appears instantly. "I need to pack. I don't have a case. Help me!" I say frantically.

She looks at me worriedly. "Where are you going? When? Who?" She doesn't move just stands there looking at me until I tell her everything. Well, I leave out the part about me slinking down to his room, but I tell her everything else.

"Oh, no. You're not going anywhere! You aren't ready for this. We don't know him. If you want to go somewhere, I'll go with you. I go with you or you don't go. Do you understand?"

I give Maria a hug, "Maria, I will be fine. Mr. Dawson is hired to protect me. How could anything happen to me?"

Maria, looks skeptical, "I'm not so sure about that, but you are an adult. I can't stop you."

"Good. Now that that's settle, find me a suitcase!" I giggle and start searching for the right outfits.

Opening my lingerie drawer reminds me of just how secluded I am. Cotton bikinis are not going to seem exactly hot to a man like Evan. Biting my lip, I decide to get naked so he won't see them! Problem solved!

After an hour of debating, I have decided on the outfits for the trip and put them in the case. Now, all I have to do is talk to the staff. Nope. I'll let Maria tell them.

I sit on my bed and wait for Evan to fetch me like a princess stranded in her tower.

With things secure I set about getting the plane ready for the trip. I was going to take the small Lear Jet. I rushed bck to the house and got my bag packed then headed to Elise's room, knocking on the door. "Elise?" I call out thinking how foolish I seem after rushing in her like a brute only a couple of hours ago. "Elise? the plane is fueled and ready to go, are you ready?" I asked