Chapter Eleven

As soon as Chris left JC’s room, JC walked over to the door that joined his room and the one next to it and knocked. When it opened and JC saw the look of surprise on Laurie’s face, he grinned.

“Hey sexy.”

“I can’t believe you got us adjoining rooms!” She exclaimed and flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in it. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he murmured and kissed her hair. He slid his arms around her waist and caressed her back gently with his hands. They stood like that for a few moments before he spoke again. “I’m glad you were able to convince Michelle to bring you along.”

“What can I say?” She shrugged her shoulders while still in his arms. “She likes me.”

JC laughed and pulled Laurie closer to his body, allowing him to close the door behind her. He turned his head slightly to the side and softly captured her lips with his. Laurie leaned into him and opened her mouth to run her tongue along his lower lip. He parted his lips, granting her access to his own tongue and took her lower lip between his teeth and gently sucked on it.

With his arms still around her waist, he started walking backwards, pulling her along with him until they reached the bed. When JC felt the edge of the bed touch the back of his knees, he allowed himself to fall backwards, bringing Laurie down on top of him. He tightened his hold on her and began to kiss her with more fervor. When JC slipped his hands inside the back of her shirt to feel her skin against his hands and to unclip her bra, she stopped him.

“Josh… wait… stop.” Laurie gasped, trying to catch her breath. JC stilled his hands immediately but left them where they were and gazed at her intently with a questioing look in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” she apologized and slid out of his grasp.

She sat up on the bed and folded her hands in her lap while her eyes filled with tears. JC wordlessly adjusted himself and sat up so that he was level with her. He didn’t say anything because he figured that she was fighting a battle between her conscience and the desire that she felt for him.

“It’s wrong,” she whispered, almost to herself. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

JC unconsiciously bit his lower lip and wrapped an arm around Laurie’s shaking shoulders and placed his free hand lightly above her knee.

“It’s ok to feel the way you’re feeling Laur… and it’s completely understandable.” He moved a little closer to her and whispered, “But it’s not like we’ve never made love before. And I need to feel you beside me like that again.”

***Flashback to Five Years Earlier***

“Laurie.” JC said as they quietly ate their dinner on the terrace at her hotel. The sun was just beginning to set and the first stars of the evening began to twinkle. When she looked at him, he placed his hand over hers and continued. “Don’t leave tomorrow. Stay with us for the remaining two weeks that we’ll be here and we’ll all fly back to the States together.”

Laurie cast her eyes downward. “Josh, I can’t.” She told him sadly and looked at him. “You know that I would like nothing more than to be able to stay with you and get to know you better. But I have responsibilities that I can’t ignore… I have a new job that starts in five days.”

“You can work for us,” he practically begged. “You can find something in Florida, I…” he paused and swallowed hard, working up his courage for the next words. “Laur, I need you with me. I know we haven’t known each other that long, and I have no reason to ask this – but I would really like for you to stay.”

“And I would like nothing more than to be able to stay; but Josh, I honestly can’t.”

JC frowned without letting her see it. He gently placed his fork down beside his plate and stared at the remainder of his untouched food. There was no doubt in his mind that he was falling in love with her and when she left tomorrow, she would be taking his heart with him.

Laurie set her utensils down too, pushed her chair back from the table, stood up and walked over to where he was sitting. He watched her every move and when she kneeled down beside him and rested her hand on his knee, he regarded her carefully. Her green eyes looked earnestly into his soft blue ones and she smiled.

“Josh… come back to my room with me.”

JC nodded slowly, a smile crossing his handsome features. He stood and took Laurie’s hand gently into his and led her back inside. As they waited for the elevator to reach her floor, the thought’s inside JC’s mind began to race wildly. He hated himself for falling in love with her so soon and he would never admit it to her.

He moved behind Laurie and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him. He never wanted to let her go. The elevator doors opened with a hiss and exposed the dimly lit hallway with dull beige walls and a faded blue carpet.

JC and Laurie walked wordlessly down the hall to her room and as she unlocked the door, JC stared at a spot on the wall over her head. The door clicked open and he followed her inside. Once the door was closed, Laurie flicked on the light and they stared at each other uncertainly.

“Well,” JC laughed. “This is certainly awkward.”

“Yeah,” Laurie laughed nervously. “Umm… do you want something to drink? Or something?” She inwardly cursed because she reiterated herself. She hated doing that and it only happened when she was apprehensive about something. JC walked over to the bed and sat down, patting the blanket beside him. His eyes glittered with unbridled passion.

“The ‘or something’ part sounds good to me.”

Laurie forced herself to place one foot in front of the other and walk toward the bed where he was sitting. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and sat down beside him.

JC turned his head and his lips caressed her temple, before he moved to her ear and trailed fluttery kisses down her neck and over the pulse in her neck that was beating wildly. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her tightly against his body before letting her fall gently back onto the bed.

They inched their way up the bed until their heads were touching the pillows and JC paused to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. When he returned his attention to her, he gave her a promising smile and reached out with his finger to trace the outline of the lace on her dress.

“You look so nice in this dress,” he whispered and kissed the path that his finger just traced. “But I think this dress would look much nicer hanging in the closet.”

He drew her against him so that she was sitting up, brushed her hair to one side and slowly started to unzip the zipper. The light vibrations from the motion made Laurie tingle with anticipation and she felt her body begin to tremble.

JC pressed his lips against her bare skin as he slid his hands inside the dress and began to push it off of her shoulders. Laurie desperately wanted to feel her skin against his own, so she unbuttoned his shirt and opened it, exposing his well toned chest.

“Josh, please…” she begged.

JC just smiled and continued to tease her. He kissed each inch of skin that he uncovered and it was beginning to drive her mad. She finally stood up and removed the garment herself.

“Impatient much?” He laughed, but in the back of his mind he knew they didn’t have much time. She was leaving him tomorrow. His touches suddenly became more urgent and he shed most of his own clothing. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked, his fingers trailing lightly down her arm. “You know it will probably be the only time…”

“Josh.” She nodded her headed and smiled seductively and pulled his head down to touch his lips to hers.

JC groaned and it was all he could do to keep himself from ravishing her right there. He had always loved the way she spoke his name, but when she said just then, her warm breath feathered on his skin and her voice full of passion, it was nearly his undoing. He stopped kissing her for a moment and reached over to turn off the light.

“You’re awfully quiet.” JC rubbed Laurie’s back. “What are you thinking about?”

“My last night in Europe,” she replied and looked down at her hands. She didn’t know why she was having such a hard time meeting his eyes. JC understood.

“It can be that way again, Laurie. We can have that again.” He told her. She finally looked at him.

“Josh, no we can’t!” She shook her head almost violently. “Can’t you see that it’s not the same? You and I are married now… to other people. We can’t just pick up where we left off and not consider the feelings of Craig and Alexandria.”

“When do they ever consider our feelings?” He retorted angrily and ran his hand through his hair. “Dria is always off at some spa and when I’m home she wants nothing to do with me and with you, Craig is always flying off to some business meeting. How do you know it’s even for work?”

Laurie’s mouth dropped open and she said the first thing that came to her mind. “And what makes you think that Alexandria is always off at the spa? How do you know she isn’t doing something… or someone else?”

“I can’t believe you just said that.” JC said with a hurtful look on his face. “Alexandria would never be unfaithful to me.”

“And Craig would never be unfaithful to me.” She said.

“Damn,” JC started to laugh. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation.”

“Me either,” she grinned. “Kind of ironic huh? Josh?”

“Hmm?”

“How do we know that they aren’t being unfaithful? I mean, look at us. I never thought I would unfaithful to Craig.”

“I also bet you never thought we’d never see each other again.”

Laurie was quiet for a minute and then looked at him again. “Josh, what are we going to do? We can’t keep doing this, we’re going in circles.”

“I know,” he sighed heavily and put his head in his hands. “Some decisions are going to have to be made regarding us. Because you’re right, we can’t keep doing this.”

“I want to be with you,” she told him softly. “I really do. It’s just that… it would really be breaking our vows. And up until now we really haven’t been. We’ve just been sharing a few kisses and spending time together. And even just thinking about it is making me feel guilty.”

“I know.” He gathered her into her arms and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Sweetheart, I’m dealing with those same feelings. But because you’re so important to me, I’m willing to risk it.” He paused. “Laurie, you know I want to be with you. I want to be able to make love to you again and to feel you asleep beside me while I hold you in my arms. I’m going to leave this decision completely up to you, I’m not going to pressure you in anyway… and I’ll be here whenever you’ve made your decision. I’ve already made mine.”

JC took Laurie’s chin gently into his hand, turned her face toward his and kissed her. After a few moments, he drew back and just held her, savoring the feeling.

“Do you want to order room service and watch a movie?” He asked.

“Sure.”

JC smiled at her and walked across the room to get the menu off the table in the kitchenette. He brought it back to the bed and they went through it together, choosing what they wanted to eat and drink, before JC dialed downstairs to order it.

While they were waiting for their dinner, JC leaned back on the bed with his head against the wall. He pulled Laurie up against him so that she that she was safely nestled in between his legs. He wrapped his arms loosely around her and turned on the TV to a local news station.

Half an hour later, there was a sharp knock at the door, signalling the arrival of their dinner. They disentangled themselves and JC signed for the food, leaving a generous tip. They ate in comfortable silence, occasionally sharing a look. When they had finished, JC left the tray in the hall outside his room and made sure the door was locked.

He crawled back onto the bed and pulled Laurie back into his arms, surfing the channels to find a movie that they both wanted to watch. JC surfed over “You’ve Got Mail” and Laurie turned around to look him.

“You actually want to watch that?” He asked incredulously.

“Yes I do,” she folded her arms across her chest. “I haven’t seen it since it first came out and I would like to see it again.”

“All right,” JC conceded and folded Laurie back into his arms.

When the movie ended an hour and a half later, Laurie had fallen asleep. JC smiled down sweetly at her and ran his fingers over the soft skin of her cheek.

“Laurie,” he whispered and kissed the top of her head. “Sweetie, it’s past midnight.”

“Huh?” Her eyes opened and she forced them to focus on his face. “Is the movie over?”

“Yeah… umm… I would really like if you would stay with me tonight, Laur. Just sleep in my arms and I will be completely content with that.”

“Ok,” she yawned and stretched. “Just let me go change into some pajama’s and brush my teeth and I’ll be right back.”

“Ok.”

Laurie gave him a quick kiss and walked through the door that seperated their rooms. She took the clip out of her hair, allowing it to cascade to her shoulders as she shook it out. She changed into a pair of boxers and a t-shirt before going into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed a glow that hadn’t been there before. She smiled back at the reflection and rinsed her mouth out with water before using the mouthwash. She quickly ran a brush through her hair before taking a deep breath and walking back into JC’s room.

JC was already ready for bed, with the room tidied up and the only only light came from the lamp on his side of the bed. He gave her an encouraging smile and she slipped in between the cool clean covers. JC turned off the lamp and pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he could. He couldn’t wait to wake up next to her. He fell into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter Twelve