I can hear her breathing as she exhales and her head is a comfortable weight on my chest.  Abbey is nestled between my body and the back of the couch, and I can’t think of a place I would rather be at the moment.

I watch as she stirs slightly in her sleep, her legs stretching out as she snuggles deeper into my shoulder.  She’s beautiful and she looks so innocent as she sleeps.

Fortunately, I know that she’s not as innocent as her sleeping form might convey.  I’m quite wise to the fact that my girlfriend can be quite a handful and even more a pain in my ass when she wants to be, but I’m oddly OK with that.  I’ll put up with all her craziness for the rest of my life if I can only have moments like these ever so often.

Sometimes I think I need my head checked.

“Justin,”  Trace’s soft voice breaks into my thoughts and I watch as he tip-toes into the living room where Abbey and I are laying. 

“What’s up?”  I speak in a low voice but I’m not too afraid of waking the sleeping girl.  Abbey Rhodes can sleep through just about anything, I swear.

“Chase is on the phone, he says he wants to talk to you about statements.”  He’s referring to my publicist and I roll my eyes a little.  I motion for Trace to hand me the phone and he does before turning and leaving the room.

Ever since Abbey’s little confession on-line, we’ve been bombarded with questions and requests for statements.  Mostly my camp, because everyone already knows where Abbey stands on the issue.  I’ve kept my mouth shut, mostly, because I don’t see any need to fuel the fire and keep the vultures circling.  I know that interest will die down soon, and Abbey and I have talked about the fact that her confession was enough for the both of us.  Eventually there will be a talk show or two where she’ll be mentioned and I won’t hesitate to answer, but I’m not going to walk into any of those traps willingly.  I’ve learned my lesson over the years.

“What’s up, Chase.”  I keep my voice low, my eyes scanning my sleeping girl but she makes no movement or indication that I’m disturbing her.

“Hey Justin, I was just hoping we could discuss your making a public statement concerning your relationship with Abbey Rhodes.”

I’m fortunate enough to have handlers that don’t rightly care who I date or when I date them.  I’ve never been asked to keep things under-wraps, and I don’t have to worry about answering to anyone when word gets out that I’ve been spotted with a female.  Unfortunately, I do have to allow them to direct the flow of publicity that comes when there’s a new woman in my life and now’s no different.

“I was thinking that I wouldn’t make a statement.  I think Abbey said it all and that’s enough for us.”  At the mention of her name, the occupant lying on my chest stirs, but she settles soon enough and I laugh at the light snore that leaves her lips.  My princess, for sure.

“Do you want us to say anything of your behalf, or are we keeping things all ‘no comment’?”  I ponder the question, not sure what I want my people to do.  It would be easiest to tell them to just ‘no comment’ everyone until we’re left alone, but it might be quicker to have them confirm the rumors and maybe the speculation will die down.  Who knows?

“Ah, hell, go ahead and confirm.  Don’t comment on anything other than the truth of our relationship, and say something cheesy like ‘they’re happy and we wish that you respect their privacy’ or some shit like that.”

Chase chuckles on the other end of the phone and the conversation is over shortly there after.

I have to say that I was totally surprised and dumbfounded by Abbey’s on-line post.  I never imagined that she’d go that far just to make things up to me.  In fact, I was pretty much working toward asking her for forgiveness for being such an ass at the studio.  It was childish of me to walk out like that, but she was breaking my heart and I didn’t want her to see it.  It’s not something I’m too proud of—the hold this girl’s got on me.  It’s a little bit of hit to my man-card, really, and I would never admit in public to the fact that I’m utterly whipped by this lady.

I’m falling in love with her and I can’t see it stopping any time soon.

It’s as if she can read my thoughts, because I see a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth as she stretches awake and blinks those baby blues up at me.

“Hey, boss man.”  Her voice is rough with sleep and I can’t help the smile that mirrors her own.

“Hey Jude.”  I sweep her hair back away from her face, tracing my fingertips over the soft curve of her mouth.  “I was just thinking about you.”

Her smile turns into a wicked grin as she glances down at my jean-covered crotch, “not dirty thoughts, I hope.”

I can feel the heat crawl up my neck and I have to let out a laugh.  I knew that she only looked innocent.  “No, Jude, but if you keep staring at my crotch like that my thoughts are damn likely to turn dirty and I just might have to do something about it.”

The laugh that escapes her mouth makes my pulse quicken.  She glances up at me with a mischievous grin as her hands lightly trace the inside of my thigh, inching slowly north.  “What kind of dirty thoughts, boss man?”

I grunt, “the kind that require an empty house, Jude.”  I let her hands wander for a minute before I grab them and pull her up my body, pinning her against the back of the couch.  “You started it.”  I whisper before capturing her mouth with mine.

A moment later she pulls back, panting and flushed.  “Are I certainly hope that you’re going to finish it.”

“What kind of guy would I be if I didn't, Jude?,”  I grin at the squeal she lets out as my hands repay the torture she was just inflicting on my thigh.

I am so in love with this girl.