It was the quietest time they’d ever spent together.  No music.  No talking.  After Ellie had got the one thing that had been bothering her off her chest, she reached over and grabbed his hand, tangling her fingers with his.  He hadn’t let her go since.  She was thankful to have his support.  Rescuing her sister was always a stressful situation.  She had no idea what she was about to find.

Rose’s simplistic directions took them to a truck stop out in the middle of nowhere.  Just a freeway exit with a gas station and a Subway sandwich counter inside the oversized convenient store.  The bright outdoor lighting served as a giant spotlight in the darkness.  As JC slowly maneuvered the car towards the white stucco building it was hard to miss Rose, slumped at the corner, sitting on the curb with her head down. 

It was amazing she hadn’t been kidnapped or raped or mugged, sitting there for who knows how long, dressed the way she was.  Rose typically found someone to fund her indulgences—fashion and drugs.  It was obvious that the recent months had been no exception.

She didn’t look like a junkie—far from it—but still she was a mess.  Maybe not obviously, but Ellie could spot the signs a mile away.  It had a been nearly a year since they’d spoke because of it. 

It was at that moment that Ellie realized, Rose didn’t know about her divorce.

“Is that her?” JC asked at that very moment.

Ellie nodded.  “She doesn’t know.”

“That’s okay.” 

She was sure JC thought that Rose didn’t know about him.  Obviously that was also true.  “She doesn’t even know about the divorce.”

“Oh.”  The word came out soft, almost silent.

“She probably won’t even notice,” Ellie told him as he parked, not in the space directly in front, but in the one right beside Rose.  “Just stay in the car.”

“Are you sure?” 

She gave another reassuring nod and said, “it’s fine.”

Rose was already standing up as Ellie popped open her car door and got out.  Rose was beautiful, although not in the same way as she’d been before.  Long, dark hair hung limply around her shoulders.  What used to be thick and wavy was now dry and straggly.  Her green eyes were dark and hollow, yet somehow still piercing against her porcelain skin.   She was thin—thinner than she should be—but even still it was impossible not to notice Rose.  She’d been striking since the day she was born.  If only that had been enough.

“Ellie,” she spoke softly, timidly, as she stood up straight and made a step towards her, a bit wobbly.  “Thank you.”

Ellie simply nodded once.  “Come on.  Let’s get out of here.”

Rose agreed, her face dropping.  “I’m so tired.”

“You can sleep in the backseat.”

“Who’s driving?”  Ellie could see Rose squinting her eyes, trying to make out the face behind the dark tinted windows.

“My friend, JC.”

“Oh… okay.”  There was so much defeat in her tone, almost like it took every ounce of energy just to speak.

Opening the door, Ellie slid the seat forward so Rose could climb in.  Immediately the fragile girl curled into the warm leather seat and laid her head against the frame of the window.

Ellie pushed her seat back and sat down.  “Put your seatbelt on,” she told her sister.

Rose followed the instruction mechanically.  Her eyes were already closed.

JC didn’t say a word, just backed out and headed toward the freeway.

Not even fifteen minutes later Ellie could hear Rose snoring softly in the back seat.  Automatically she reached down and turned on the radio, just loud enough to drown it out.  JC’s eyes caught her then.  “You okay?” he mouthed.

She blinked and nodded, her lips smoothing into a tight line.  It was sort of a smile, the best she could manage.

“Do you think she needs a doctor?”  His voice had come out so soft, Ellie had barely understood his words.

Yes, Rose definitely needed a doctor—probably many, along with serious counseling and everything else that came with rehab and some type of long-term follow-up program.  Ellie answered him with a subtle nod and added, “but I think she’s okay for tonight.”

His focus returned to the road, but she was still staring at him.  This huge swell of emotion wound up tight in her chest.  She was so completely thankful to have his support at that moment.  James had never supported her emotionally.  He would have handled the situation by sending a driver and then never discussing it again.  Rose needed rehab?  Here’s a check.  Problem solved.

Obviously the problem wasn’t solved.

JC didn’t ask unnecessary questions.  He was just there.  It meant more to her than she could have possibly imagined. 

Leaning across the roomy sedan, she shifted until she was able to kiss his cheek, her palm against his thigh and her elbow digging into the leather console between them.  “I love you,” she whispered against his ear.  “Thank you so much.”

She noticed the play of a smile at his lips.  He twisted his neck just enough to catch site of her for a quick moment.  As she settled back into her seat, he grabbed her hand before she pulled it away.  Then he brought it to his mouth, kissing the back of it.  “I love you, too.”  It was barely audible, but she read his lips without any problem.  “And you’re welcome.”

Rose’s snore grew loud at that moment and Ellie chuckled as he dropped her hand, returning his grip to the wheel instead.  Content, she smoothed her touch to his leg and kept it there for the rest of the drive.

It was after one in the morning when they pulled into Ellie’s garage.  JC had felt his phone buzz in his pocket at least a couple of times, but he hadn’t answered.  There was nothing that could have been more important than what he was dealing with at the moment.

He was still in shock over Ellie’s expressed sentiment.  He’d never expected her to say it so soon.  She may have confessed falling in love with him, but actually saying those three little words… He figured he would been the one to give in first. 

The fact that she had…Wow.  There was so much he wanted to show her at the moment, but he knew there was a more important focus and he had to keep his thoughts on track.

“This might be tough.”  Ellie was already climbing out of the seat, releasing the lever so she could wedge herself in the back, in front of Rose.  JC was coming around to help, watching as Ellie gave her sister a good shake.  “Rose, wake up.”  There was nothing gentle about the way she was handling her.  In fact, it was quite rough.  Ellie looked up at him, disgruntled, as he stood just outside the door.  Then she repeated the command, even louder this time.  Rose didn’t budge.

Was she even breathing?

“I could carry her,” he suggested hesitantly.

Elle shook her head no, not so much at the suggestion, but more obviously because of the irritation.  “I would just leave her in the car if I wasn’t afraid that she might take off with it when she wakes up.”

JC didn’t say anything to that.

Ellie reached forward then and unbuckled her sister’s seatbelt.  Rose stirred slightly and groaned.  “Wake up, dammit,” Ellie cursed.  “Just give me a little help and you can go right back to sleep.”

Rose’s eyes barely opened.  “I’m sorry.”  She sounded so weak, so timid, so… fragile. 

Ellie pulled on one of her arms.  “Don’t be sorry.  Just get up.”

“Do you want help?” JC asked.  He hated watching her struggle.

“No,” Ellie answered gruffly, collapsing against the back side of the front passenger seat as her grip slipped away from Rose’s arms.  Rose still didn’t budge.  Her eyes were closed again.

With a huff, JC realized he couldn’t just stand there and watch any longer.  Rose couldn’t have been more than a hundred pounds.  He was plenty strong enough.

“Come on,” he told Ellie, helping her to her feet just outside the car door.  Then he leaned inside the car and snatched the frail girl around the waist.  He pulled her out and then heaved her body over his shoulder.  He just didn’t feel comfortable carrying her any other way.

Ellie rushed to get the door in front of him.  “JC, I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head.  “Don’t worry about it.”  As long as the girl didn’t puke, he’d be okay.  “Where to?”

“Spare room.”  Ellie led the way, turning on all the lights.  Rose seemed oblivious to it all.  Finally he was able to lay her down on the bed.  He watched silently as Ellie slipped off a pair of high dollar Louboutin heels from Rose’s feet—the red soles unmistakable even to him—and then covered her with a blanket.

Ellie looked up at him with exhaustion in her eyes and pulled him out of the room, turning off the light and shutting the door behind them.

“I should go?” he asked, thinking first that she probably wanted to be alone after all she’d just endured.  He understood differently once she collapsed against him, her arms hugging around his waist.  “I mean, I should stay,” he said instead.

“I understand if you don’t want to, but I really don’t want to be alone tonight.”

Brushing a hand down the back of her head, he pressed his mouth against her hair.  “I don’t want you to be alone tonight either.”  The words had double meaning.  Yes, he didn’t want her to be alone with all that she was going through, but the selfish part of him didn’t want her to be alone simply for the fact that he wanted to be with her.

She sighed, obviously exhausted, still clinging to him.  “Do you need to go home first?”  Her warm cheek was pressed into his chest.  At this rate if he did have to go, he’d have to drag her with him.

“No, not really.  I should probably check my messages though.”

He felt her nod her head against him, but the grip she had on him didn’t loosen.  “My phone’s in my pocket,” he smirked, stroking her head again.  “I don’t think we shut the garage either.”

Finally she let him go. 

Leaning down, he pressed a tender kiss to her lips.  “Why don’t you go get comfortable and I’ll meet you in bed?”

Half smiling, she silently agreed.  JC kissed her forehead and then headed back to the garage to lock up and check his phone.

Ellie got to her room, realizing she didn’t just need to get comfortable, she needed a steamy hot shower.  She stripped down and turned the temperature as hot as she could possibly stand it.  For several minutes she stood still under the steady stream of water.  Then she finally mustered the energy to soap and wash her hair. 

When she made it into her bedroom, wrapped in a huge fluffy bath towel, she found JC sitting at the head of her bed, his shirt stripped off, as were his shoes and socks; just a long pair of dark gray skater looking shorts were all that was left on him.  His style had been more of punk rock JC tonight, thin gray polyester-blend shorts, black zipped up hoodie and black boots.  She loved how there were so many faucets to his ever-changing style.

Of course wearing next to nothing was the best style. 

She took another step, so tired she almost felt drunk.  Her goofy smile must’ve shown it as she stumbled into her walk-in closet, his eyes following her the entire way.

She pulled a pair of pale green cotton shorts and a  matching skinny-strapped tank out of one of the built in drawers and slipped them both on.  She didn’t have enough energy to care if her pajamas were sexy or not.  She just wanted to be comfortable.

Before making her way to the bed, she moved back into the bathroom, grabbing the bottle of lotion from the cabinet.  Her skin felt dry, probably because of the scalding hot water.  She was still warm from it, too.

Finally she slid onto the bed beside JC, pushing the blankets down with her feet but not getting inside of them.  She squirted a dollop of lotion into her hand and rubbed her palms together before smoothing it up and down the length of her arms.  She may have been tired, but she wasn’t too tired to notice he was watching.

When she reached for the bottle again, he took it from her.  “I’ll do it,” he said simply.

She smiled at him again—still loopy with exhaustion. 

His hand curled around the bottom of her left calf and he guided her legs his direction.  Then he warmed a quarter-sized pool of lotion between both hands before smoothing it up her shin.  When his touch slid to the back of her calf, he kneaded the muscle with just enough pressure to help her relax.  Her eyes to automatically closed, practically rolling back into her head.  The muted groan that escaped her throat must have urged him to continue because the next thing she knew, moisturizing had turned into a full blown leg massage.

Ellie wasn’t complaining in the slightest bit.  Not when he pulled her down so she was laying instead of sitting.  Not when his thumbs carefully pressed upward along the top of her thighs.  And certainly not when his warm touch smoothed up along her hip, the weight of his body rolling into her as his lips moved to hers in a completely breathless kiss.

Suddenly all she wanted to do was tell him that she loved him again.  Thankfully her voice was tied up at the moment—whimpering in delight, pretty much—because she didn’t want to overdo the ‘I love yous’ already.  She hadn’t decided yet if it had been okay to say it in the first place.

JC was humming when his mouth broke free from her minutes later.  “I’m sorry I haven’t asked, but are you okay?  Do you want to talk about it?”

She smiled at him.  He was still so close, the tip of his nose almost touching the tip of her nose.  “Tomorrow,” she said, not able to drudge up enough energy for more conversation than that.

He kissed the side of her nose, just under her eye.  “You’re so tired.  I should let you sleep.”

Instead of arguing with words she let the hold she’d had around his torso tighten, enjoying the warmth of his skin and the tautness of his strong frame as he eased his weight against her.  Then she pressed her mouth against his jaw, trailing kisses up towards his ear.

“Or not…” his voice trailed off.

His body shifted, one of his legs sneaking in between hers.  Her leg curled, allowing him better access as his palm smoothed up the back of her thigh, then even higher, inside her short shorts.  She couldn’t be close enough, every cell wanted to cling to him, to practically be a part of him.  Her hand smoothed into his hair, the action causing his sight to catch with hers.  “I am exhausted,” she said in a soft whispery voice.  “But I still want you… so bad.”

JC was grinning again, all sexy and appealing.  He kissed the corner of her mouth and then just in front of her ear.  “I’ll take care of you,” he spoke softly against her skin.  “You don’t have to move a muscle.”

Ellie chuckled, her voice coming out a little hoarse.  “I plan on moving a couple.”  Now she was giggling at herself.

Clearly delirious.

Why had the day been so draining when she’d laid around all day?  Oh, that’s right, she’d rescued her addict sister at a gas station nearly two hours away.  Emotional turmoil was always more exhausting than the physical.

Both of her hands smoothed up to his cheeks, stubbled and a little rough, as his mouth found hers again, still grinning.  “You’re dingy when you’re tired,” he said after another moment.

“Mmmm…” she agreed with a  hum.  “I like that you want to take care of me, though.”

His lips brushed over hers once more, his tongue delicately slipping against hers.  “I do…” he said, and then kissed her again more thoroughly.  It was crazy how quickly he could make her heart race  and her body tingle.  “…completely and thoroughly want to take care of you.”  Then he ran one lone finger down her neck, across her collarbone and straight down the center of cleavage, as far as her flimsy shirt would allow.  “I want to satisfy every inch of you.”  His voice had come out husky; thick with obvious desire.  If she’d been just tingly before, now she was totally electrified.

“How did I get so lucky?” she asked him, both her hands now braced loosely around his neck.

He smiled, wide and handsome.  “I think I’m the lucky one,” he said, then didn’t allow her to respond, swallowing her voice as his mouth pressed into hers, needy and passionate.  Her head was practically spinning when he let her catch her breath, reaching past her to switch off the lamp on her nightstand.  The room was instantly dark.

The sudden absence of his warm body had her searching for the blankets, but he was back only seconds later, his shorts gone and probably tossed away somewhere carelessly.  He sunk into her and it was like instant relief washed over her.  Then he covered them both with the bedding and nestled his face into the crook of her neck.  Light as a feather, his lips puckered against the warm flesh just below her ear.  Her arms curled around him instinctively, smoothing down the muscles along his spine.  His body was so warm and so strong, but his skin was smooth, soft.  It was the best thing she’d ever touched, ever felt.

She hooked both her legs around his.  She needed him closer, as close as possible.

JC was humming with appreciation as he made a path of kisses down her chest.  The tone of his voice was almost as pleasing as the moist pressure of his lips against her skin.  Ellie smoothed a hand into his hair, sucking in heavy, weighted breaths.  “I want you.”

“Mmmm… I want you too…” he didn’t look up when he answered.  Instead he smoothed a hand up her waist, inside her tank top while his mouth continued with the trail across her flesh.

Her eyes closed, her insides a rushing river of desire.  “I want you now…” she clarified.

He chuckled, still husky and deep.  “You have me,” he said, his face returning to hers, his lips meeting hers.  She wrapped her body against him even more, if it were even possible.

In one swift movement his hand swooped up her side, taking her shirt with it until it was up and over her head.  Then his warm stomach stretched out against hers, his chest touching her chest, although he didn’t let all of his weight crush into her.  When his lips found hers again she was smiling and she knew at that moment that she couldn’t hold it in.  She needed to say it again.

“I love you…” But JC beat her to it.  “I love everything about you.”

“You just read my mind,” she told him.  “I was going to say it.”

He kissed her again, sweetly and delicately.  “You said it first earlier.”

“I meant it.”

“I meant it too,” he assured, smoothing a hand down the side of her head.  His face fell against hers, but his lips didn’t touch her.  “I thought I’d be the one to say it first.”  Then his mouth fell to hers, his lips lingering softly against her lips, his tongue touching hers delicately, just for a moment.

She smiled, even though his lips were still on her, barely moving.  “It felt good to say it,” she confessed.

He was smiling then, too, against her.  “It felt good to hear it and to say it,” he murmured.

Her smile turned into a giddy chuckle, but only lasted a quick moment.  “You’re so amazing,” she sighed.  “I love being with you.”

With another appealing hum, he pressed his mouth into hers once more.  “I love being with you, too,” he agreed.  “You’re the one that’s amazing.”  Then his lips were joined with hers once more.

She was giggling again moments later when he let her have a breath.  “We could go on like this all night.”

“We could…”

“You have to stop agreeing with me,” she smirked, smoothing both hands around his sides and up his sturdy back. 

“But I do agree with you.”  He stared at her long enough to cock his head to the side and raise one half of his brow.  His elbows securing the weight of him on either side of her, he shifted and brought a hand to her face, his gentle touch skimming down her cheek.  It was all so loving… He was so loving. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt such emotion come from a man. 

“You won’t always,” she said playfully.

“But I do now…” he was smiling, his other hand at the other side of her face.

“You agree that we should stop talking then?”

He pressed another brief kiss against her mouth.  “Only if were not talking because our lips are too busy.”

“Hmmm…” Her hands smoothed along his spine, down his lower back, until her touch felt the firmness of his muscular behind, half pushing his underwear out of the way in the process.  “I like that idea,” she told him.

When he kissed her again, it wasn’t playful or brief; it was hungry and passionate and thorough.  She felt him finagling the rest of the way out of his briefs and then a quick moment later he was carefully slipping her panties down her thighs, enough so that she could wiggle out of them and kick them out the side of the bed.  Through all that their lips had barely parted ways and when the warmth of his sexy frame weighted into her once again, there was nothing but skin to skin contract—warm and strong and soft and absolutely amazing against her.

She’d never felt such a desperate need for a man to be a part of her.  As desperate as she’d wanted him the first time, the feeling had only intensified.  She wondered how it could possibly get any stronger.   It already consumed her in every possible way.

Her entire body ached.  She was so caught up with desire, she could hardly form a coherent thought, let alone a word or sentence.  She was thankful that she didn’t have to, because she was just about to try and murmur her feelings when he finally eased his way inside of her, his kiss not waning in the slightest, as he completely and thoroughly filled her up.

Against his mouth, she gasped lightly and he automatically gave her space to breath, all the while his eyes bore down into hers with so much sincerity.  Instantly she was clutching at his neck.  She didn’t want his kisses to stop.  It was like she’d been stranded in the desert and he was her drink of life.  She needed him.

Pulling him back down to her, he grinned something sexy as his lips returned, just before his tongue tangled intimately with her own.  It was then that his hips began to work their magic, the dance beginning as she met each thrust with perfect synchronicity.  Desire swelled inside of her; pooled to the center where their bodies joined, but spilling over to every other inch of her heightened flesh.  At that moment, he was her entire world—being with him was the only thing that mattered.  She was completely and utterly consumed.

He seemed to be in just as deep, his pleasure far from contained as he breathed weighted breaths in between deep, passionate kisses.  His fingers were tangled loosely in her hair at the top of her head.  If her fingernails would’ve been sharp, she probably would have left scratch marks up and down his back.  And as the intensity escalated, their need for each other grew almost indescribable.  She realized he was just as close, as his kiss had turned so hard that her lips were almost numb.  Even still, through that, he didn’t kiss her hard enough.  If it were at all possible to kiss him more, she would have.

When his mouth broke free for just a quick moment, her lips throbbed, and even still she wanted them back immediately.  The quick rush of breath in his chest was felt against her as he whispered something about “coming so hard.”

It was at that moment her eyes shut, her head tilting back involuntarily as she felt herself tightening around him intimately.  She whispered a curse, and his lips were on her instantly, silencing her as he thrust into her hard and deep.  She almost wanted to cry, the pleasure was so great.

Her whimpers turned into moans as he met each spasm of pleasure with perfect timing, lifting his lips just enough to breath a quiet curse into her mouth as he was obviously coming with her.  She felt him tense and sputter, while pushing even deeper inside of her, her walls clenching tightly around him as she started to cry out, his lips silencing her again.

And just when she thought it was over, it wasn’t.  The tremors kept coming and coming and coming.  Until finally neither one of them moved an inch, except for their lips that hadn’t stopped kissing the other.

After another moment he pulled back with a smile, only to come right back so he could plant soft, delicate pecks all round her mouth.

She was grinning too.  She’d never felt so completely satisfied in all of her 30 years.  NEVER.

“THAT—” he started to say.

But she silenced him quickly.  “Don’t talk,” she said.  “Not yet.”

So he didn’t.  Instead he kissed her again.

And she was smiling again.

A few moments later, he’d lifted his face, ready to talk.  She could see it.  But she pressed her thumb to his lips to stop him.

She wanted to talk first.  “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt in my life.”  She could have said it was the most amazing sex—and it absolutely was—but it was so much more than that and she wanted to be sure he understood.

He was smiling wide when he kissed her again, letting his tongue delicately toy with her bottom lip before he raised up again to meet her stare.  “Damn you,” he whispered lightly.  “That’s what I  was gonna say.”

Softly she smirked.  “You have to stop agreeing with me,” she grinned.

But JC was already shaking his head no.  “I kind of like agreeing with you,” he told her softly, kissing her one more time.  “Specially when it turns out like THIS.”

© BrandyRae 2008