Ellie fell asleep before the movie was even over.  She’d made it through the first half, laughing at all the appropriate parts.  JC had laughed, too, but he was more interested in watching her than watching the movie.  After she’d finally finished her wine, she sat the glass down on the table beside the bed and then curled up close to his side, her head kind of leaning on his shoulder.  It felt so natural having her there beside him.  He couldn’t have held back even if he’d wanted to.  Almost instantly he was opening up to her so she could fit in that comfortable little nook between his arm and his side.

She’d made way back to her own pillow shortly before falling asleep and that’s where she’d been ever since.  But she was still really, really close to him.  In fact, the top of her head was just barely touching the bottom of his shoulder, as she was lying on her side, facing his direction, and her knee was sort of pressed against his leg.

Sighing deeply, he switched off the TV and slid further down into the bedding.  Then he kissed her head sweetly and closed his eyes, slightly nervous of how his body might betray him further in the middle of the night.  Spooning with Ellie was tempting.  If it weren’t for the fact she was facing the wrong way, he’d probably already have curled up against her.

Ellie had never slept so comfortably in her life—seriously.  When the annoying ditty of her cell phone, combined with the buzzing vibration of it on the nightstand, came to life at some odd hour the next morning, she could barely muster the strength to lift an arm to check it.

“Let it go to voicemail,” she heard JC grumble behind her.  He was completely smothering her, his arm over her waist and his face pressed into the back of her neck.  His entire body completely elongated behind her.  It felt absolutely amazing.  His knees were touching the back of her knees.  His stomach was against her back.  He was touching her in every way possible. 

She decided the last thing she wanted to do was move and mess it up.  Voicemail it was.

She’d just closed her eyes, when it started again. 

“They’ll get the hint,” he said, his voice whispery soft but yet husky and deep all at the same time.  His grip on her tightened.  She couldn’t move even if she wanted to.

It finally stopped and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then it started up again!

“Jesus Christ,” she finally swore, popping up suddenly.  She reached for the thing, completely annoyed and answered with the most aggravated, “Hello?”

“Where are you?”  She should have known it was Jill.  “And why are there four cars with men trying their best to look inconspicuous but totally watching your house, lined up and down the street?”

Ellie immediately fell back to the pillow.  JC had barely moved.  As soon as she returned, his hand seemed to make its way to her stomach.  “I’m not home,” she finally explained, a bit gruffly.

“I kind of got that, but where are you at 9:30 in the morning?  And were you sleeping?”

At the same time JC was whispering. “Who is that?”

“Jill, I can’t really talk about it if you’re standing within earshot of the paparazzi—and before you start guessing, think about what I just said.”

“Oh, please,” the woman remarked, “I’m already back in the car.  Did you stay the night with JC?”

Ellie didn’t answer.  Instead she was enjoying the fact that JC’s lips had found the back part of her neck. 

“You did, didn’t you?  You little slut…” 

“Did you have a specific reason for waking me up?”

Jill groaned.  “It doesn’t matter.  I’ll talk to you later.  Bye!”

Ellie barely managed to press the button to end the call before dropping it on the closest thing possible—the mattress.  JC was curling into her even more, wrapping a leg over both of her thighs as she was stretched out on her back.  His face was still buried into her neck and his arm was tight around her abdomen.

The whole scene brought on this huge swell of contentment inside her chest.  She really didn’t want the moment to end.  Unfortunately, she also really had to go to the bathroom.

Patting the arm that was slung over her, she whispered, “I really need to use the bathroom.”

He didn’t say anything, just gave her enough space so she could slide out of bed.  In the bathroom, she tried really hard not to look at herself, but it was difficult considering JC had mirrors everywhere.  She was sort of a mess, her hair doing crazy, frizzy things all on its own accord.  At least she didn’t have remnants of old make-up on her face, probably because she hadn’t been wearing much the night before.  JC didn’t seem to mind much, which was so completely refreshing.  In her past relationship barely a moment went by when she wasn’t perfectly made-up.

Perching herself in front of the sink, she decided to check and see if he had an extra tooth brush.  She found his own—Sonic Care—plugged in and hiding inside a cabinet that hardly looked like a cabinet.  His bathroom was spotless, just like the rest of his house, and there was absolutely nothing left out on the counter.  She was positive he had a housekeeper.  She could not imagine him cleaning.  No way.

Opening drawer number one, she did not find an extra toothbrush, but she did find three very obvious square packages—condoms—among other miscellaneous things.  She thought he said he was out?  Grabbing the find, she was definitely going to have ask about that.

Drawer two was almost empty, except for a few unused toiletries.  Bingo.  A neatly packaged Colgate toothbrush.  She’d take it in a heartbeat.

When she finally returned to bed, JC was sprawled on his back, face up towards the ceiling, eyes closed.  Whether he was asleep or not was yet to be determined.  She slid in beside him, watching to see if he’d stir. 

He didn’t.

Scooting closer, her palm found his stomach—warm and stretched out—then she smoothed her touch up the center of his chest.  Slowly she inched her face into his neck, as her body instinctively melded right against his side.  “I found something in the bathroom,” she whispered.

“The extra toothbrush or the mouthwash?” he replied, one of his hands finding her side.

“Something else,” she continued, pressing her lips into the soft spot behind his ear.  She let the hand that had been resting against his chest, slip down to his shorts. 

“Mmmm…” He groaned and shifted until he was lying on his side, facing her direction.  “Easy.  Full bladder.”

She pulled her hand away and grabbed the foil packets that had been hiding behind her on the mattress.  Then she dangled them in front of his face.  He looked at her kind of funny—puzzled.  “Those were in the bathroom?”

She nodded.

“Damn.  I wish I would’ve looked last night.”

Ellie smirked.  “We could always make up for it now…”

“I like that idea.”  He kissed the top of her head and practically hopped out of the covers.  “Give me just a minute…” His voice trailed off as he disappeared into the bathroom.

With a quiet chuckle, Ellie stared up at the ceiling.  She should have been stressing out about the photogs camped out outside, but at the moment she honestly didn’t care.  They were safe inside of JC’s bedroom.  Unless one of the paps scaled the hill, which was pretty much impossible, there was no way they could get anything of them now. 

Leaving… now that was going to be another story, but there was absolutely no need in worrying about it yet.

JC returned a few moments later with this sleepy but sexy grin across his handsome face.  He slipped back under the covers quickly, removing his shorts and dropping them to the floor.

He immediately took a dive for her, going for the shirt she’d been wearing—the only thing she’d been wearing.  “Get naked,” he whispered gruffly.

Of course, she had no problems with that.  “Are we in a hurry?” she asked, sinking into the mattress as his body was already mingling with hers in an extremely intimate manner—his leg between her legs, his chest only a movement away from her chest, and the tip of his very awake erection brushing against the top of her thigh before he finally situated his other leg with the first.

“Absolutely not,” he told her, just before devouring her lips with an extremely passionate kiss.  Wow.  She could really learn to like waking up like this!

It was after eleven and Ellie was situated at the informal dining table inside of JC’s kitchen—dark cherry wood and extremely rustic looking.  His home was very masculine, but most definitely professionally decorated.  JC was standing in front of double glass doors that led out to a balcony overlooking the homes plotted along the hillside.  He was holding a steaming cup of coffee.  Ellie’s mug was sitting in front of her as she waited anxiously for his phone to ring.

They had come up with a plan to sneak her out without getting photographed, but it wasn’t going to be easy—and the thought had already surfaced that once she left, she wouldn’t be able to come back.  She’d enjoyed their time together so much, she didn’t even want to think about not being able to see him.

Things had really clicked between the two of them, and as sad as it was, she realized the connection she already shared with JC was something that she’d never shared with her ex-husband.  It was something that she’d craved more than she’d ever realized.

If only they hadn’t met under such circumstances…

Almost simultaneously JC’s cell phone rang as Ellie’s Blackberry received a text message.  She listened to JC talk to his friend Mac while skimming the text from Jill.  The plan was for Mac to sneak out Ellie and drop her at Jill’s.  Then later that night Jill would bring Ellie home.  It probably wasn’t the most fail-proof plan, but it was honestly the best they could come up with.

With everything in motion, all that was left to do was wait.  Ellie scooted from the table and moved towards JC.  He was still facing the view, even though he’d just hung up the phone.  He obviously sensed her stepping beside him, as he automatically hooked an arm over her shoulders before taking the opportunity to look her direction.  “Twenty minutes,” he said.

Instinctively Ellie curled an arm around his back and hugged into his side.  “This really sucks.”

“I know.  I’m sorry you have to sneak out.  Bad press is the last thing you need right now.  We’ll make sure nothing gets photographed.”

That was all true, but that really wasn’t what she was thinking—even if she should have been.  “It’s not just that,” she admitted and then lowered her voice to a whisper.  “Once I leave, how are we going to find a way to see each other again?”

He looked down at her then and instantly their eyes caught.  “Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”  The look he gave sent shivers down her spine.  She wasn’t sure what exactly was happening between them, but whatever it was—it was emitting some major electricity.

He shifted, and the next thing she knew her chest was pressed up against his torso and their arms were wrapped around each other, his head tilted down until he’d nudged her into a gentle kiss.  Then he was whispering against her, “I like you, Ellie.  I like you a lot more than I probably should, and I’m sorry if maybe I shouldn’t be telling you that, but I’m about 95 percent sure that you’re feeling exactly the same way.”

When she looked into his gorgeous blue eyes, it was impossible not to be honest with him after what he’d just openly admitted.  “I am.”

His mouth brushed over hers one more time.  “If we have to meet up secretly for however long is necessary, that’s fine with me.”

She nodded, her eyes still locked with his.

He brushed the back of his fingers down the side of her cheek.  “I just don’t want you to get hammered in the press.  You don’t deserve that.  You’re a good person and you and I both know they can make it seem otherwise.”

She was nodding in agreement again.  Apparently she’d lost her voice. 

He grinned something confident yet comforting all at the same time.  Her heart was swelling inside of her chest.  She was trying hard to ignore that feeling, but it was absolutely impossible.

“Don’t worry.  We’ll figure this out.  I promise.”

Later that afternoon, after a relaxing session in the sauna adjoined to one of the enormous bathrooms at Jill’s 10,000 square feet home, Ellie sat in the casual TV room, watching reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 on the Soap channel.  It was two in the afternoon and there was nothing on.  Jill still wasn’t home.

Ellie and JC had spent most of the time since they’d left each other texting back and forth.  He had started it, sending some ridiculously sweet message about how he missed kissing her already.  She’d been sitting in the car with Mac, and even though he didn’t know her very well, he seemed to have no problem asking what the smirk of giddiness had been about, as she tapped her thumbs quickly to the QWERTY keypad, responding to JC’s message.

She managed to blow of Mac’s inquiry.  She didn’t really know him and the last thing she wanted to do was act overly “ga ga” in front of JC’s friend.

The ride after that had been fairly quiet, which had been just fine by her.  Soon he’d dropped her off.  The housekeeper had let her in and she’d been hanging out ever since, roaming around and trying to keep herself entertained.  Honestly, she just wanted to be home, but Jill had told her it would be after six before she’d be able to take her.

One good thing, at least, was that even though Jill was quite a bit taller than Ellie, she did have clothes that fit.  Ellie had no problems raiding her friends’ closet.

Jill finally walked in the door just after five p.m., earlier than Ellie had expected.  After a quick change, they were in the car and out the door.

Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thanks for doing this,” she told Jill.

“You know I need more detail, right?  What’s going on between you two and how did the paps find out?  I mean, last I heard, you had shooed him away after that little make out session at your place.  Now you’re staying the night at his house?  I cannot believe you did not call me.”  She was talking extremely fast, and her driving was almost just as bad.

Ellie found herself double checking her seat belt even though she knew it was on properly.  “I don’t know what’s going on between us.  I just like him.  That’s all…”

Jill hit the brakes—stop sign. 

“Jesus,” Ellie gasped.  “Please don’t kill us.”  It had been awhile since she’d actually rode in a car with Jill driving.  She’d forgot how scary it could be.

“Anyway, keep going.  It can’t be as simple as you just like him.  The sex is really good, huh?”

Ellie tried not to let the answer show on her face, but that was pretty much freakin’ impossible.  “What do you think?”  She answered instead, and then braced herself for the next stop sign.  Her driving foot was pretend-braking the entire time Jill was screeching the Mercedes to a halt.  “Shit.  Can I drive?”

“I’ll try and be a little less aggressive,” Jill remarked.  “Promise.  Just keep talking.  You were saying that the sex is amazing.”

Ellie took a deep breath, deciding that not looking at the road would probably be best, before she continued.  “We just really click.  I feel really comfortable with him.”

“You are so avoiding the juicy stuff,” Jill remarked, approaching another stop sign.  Thankfully her approach was much more acceptable this time. 

“He’s amazing, okay?  Makes me feel things I’ve never felt before—EVER.”

Both of Jill’s hands came away from the steering wheel then, as she clapped like a giddy little school girl.  “I knew it!  I knew it.”

Ellie just shook her head.  “Two hands, please?  Ten and two preferably.”

© BrandyRae 2008