Ellie realized that somehow she’d managed to get herself into the most intimate position with JC yet, as her body was completely pressed up against him.  She also realized that it felt super nice.  Really, really, really, super nice.  So nice that she was absolutely tingly from head to toe.

If it weren’t for the fact that the image of her nosy neighbor reading her divorce papers in the kitchen popped into her head, she may have just stayed there all night.  Instead she had a near panic attack and pulled away quickly.

JC was already quietly apologizing.  “Shit.  I did not mean to do that.”

But Ellie's mind was completely in a different place.  “She’s in my kitchen with my divorce papers!” 

Ellie didn’t hang around to catch his opinion on the whole matter, instead she high-tailed it back out in the open.  Gabby was walking out of the room just as she was walking in.  “I was wondering where you went,” the woman remarked.  “Sweetie, you okay?  Hey, I know what it’s like to go through a tough divorce.  If you need someone to talk to, my door is always open.”

“I appreciate—” that, she started to say, but the pleasant interruption of the phone ringing stopped her.  “Hold on a sec while I grab that,” she told Gabby instead.

She tried catching her breath before she answered it, but she was sure she still sounded a little winded.  The past two minutes had contained enough action to cover the average ten, and her head was still spinning from the lip lock she’d just shared with JC—again.  

“Hey.  Act surprised, like this call is urgent and then tell her that she needs to leave.”  It was him.  Oh, how badly she wanted to smile at the fact that he was on the phone, speaking softly from the other room, on his cell phone, obviously, in an effort to help her get rid of Gabby The Annoyance. 

“What?  Everything okay?” She’d never faked a conversation before.  It felt a little weird.

She expected JC to be quiet the whole time, but when the soft and sexy words “I really want to kiss you again” came through the phone, she nearly lost it.

“Can you hold on for a sec?” she spoke into the cordless receiver and then pulled the device from her ear, covering the mouthpiece.  “Gabby, I hate to be rude, but this is long distance and I really need to take it.”  She was heading towards the woman, trying to usher her towards the front door. 

Thankfully it was working.  Gabby was backing towards the door.  “Just remember what I said… If you need anything I’m just right across the street.”  Funny, that was the second time she’d heard that in one day.  The first offer had been way more tempting, though.

Opening the door, Gabby stepped out onto the front porch. 

“Thanks,” Ellie said.  “I appreciate it.”   Gabby took two more steps backwards, stopping just before falling down the single step.  “Oh, and thanks again for the muffins,” Ellie added, wondering why the hell the woman was bringing muffins over at 8:30 PM anyway!

“No problem.”  Gabby flashed a Restalyn enhanced smile and finally turned away, scurrying across the street.

Releasing a breathy sigh, Ellie shut the front door and locked it.  Turning around, she found JC right behind her.  Not a word escaped him, but his eyes were speaking mouthfuls.  Next thing she knew, his lips were on her again—both passionate and delicate, a mix that made her insides dance and spin.  His fingertips slipped up the side of her face, tangling in her hair, and she just wanted to die.  Her head was telling her that kissing him was wrong in the most sinful of ways, but the rest of her did not want it to end ever.

Her hands found his jaw line, her thumbs slipping across his 100-percent male skin and her fingers enjoying the tickle of his short hair.  “I can’t handle this,” she finally managed to breath.  “It’s too much.”

Slowly JC’s lips fell away.  His face still close enough that she could feel his breath.  Her hands remained at his neck, a move she wasn’t quite ready to give up.  She had the strongest desire to just lean her head into his shoulder, but she held back. 

“I’m an asshole,” he said.  “I shouldn’t have done that, either time.”

“No,” she looked into his deep blue eyes without any hesitation this time.  “I’m glad that you did.”  She let a tiny smile spread across her cheeks.  “It’s just, I’m going through so much… and I find myself really—” She stopped herself.  JC looking at her kind of funny.  Surely he wanted more of an explanation. 

“Really what?” he asked.

Ellie smirked.  “Really enjoying it when you kiss me.”

He half smiled, almost winking at her.  Damn, he was sexy.  He went from cute to sexy in a matter of a couple days.  It was ridiculous, but it was the truth.  She hated that she could want a man so much so quickly, especially considering the circumstances.  “Me too,” he confessed, his demeanor soft and gentle.  It was a side of him she liked very much.  She hadn’t witnessed soft and gentle from a man in a very, very long time.  “But I’m thinking I should probably go.”

“You’re probably right.”  Her words said one thing, but her stance said another.  Her hands were still resting against him, and his fingers were still against her cheek. 

“I’m starting to feel like I’m taking advantage.”

“Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that…” Ellie remarked.  “I was the one that kissed you the first time today.”

JC was smiling again.  “This is true,” he agreed. 

He was just so damn irresistible.  If only this was happening at a different time and place.  Maybe then her conscious wouldn’t be bothering her so much.  “If only I hadn’t been served those divorce papers today of all days…”

JC could totally understand where she was coming from.  Well, sort of.  Honestly, she didn’t seem all that upset about the divorce papers.  He was dying to know more about the circumstances surrounding her defunct marriage, but he wasn’t quite ready to ask. 

He wasn’t quite sure why he had attacked her twice now in the past ten minutes.  Other than the fact that he just really enjoyed kissing her.  He kept reminding himself that he’d been trying to behave the past few weeks.  Of course, that could have been part of the problem.  He was freakin’ horny as hell.

“What do you mean by that?” he found himself asking.

Her brow furrowed in between her eyes.  “This just wouldn’t seem so bad then.  You know?  I mean, what’s wrong with me?  I am not usually this easy.  I swear.”

JC full-on chuckled at that.  “It was a few kisses.” Hot steamy kisses, but that was beside the point.  “It wasn’t like we had sex or anything.”

The husky smirk that came out of her then caused him to ache in the worst places.  Because as soon as he mentioned the word sex, it became obvious that she’d been thinking it.

Three weeks… He silently reminded himself.  Don’t give in now, you idiot.

He may have been trudging along, being a good boy for the past three weeks, but up until this point he hadn’t met anyone quite as worthy as Ellie.  Was cleaning up his act really worth saying no to her?  Not that she’d asked, but he was guessing a little intimacy is what she really needed.

Unfortunately, that also brought on the reminder that Ellie was a woman scorned.  Even if she didn’t act like it.  This woman was going through a rocky divorce.  This was extremely bad territory.

Her hands fell away from  him and as much as it disappointed him, he was sort of glad.  If she hadn’t of made the mood, he might not have either.  “I’ll go,” he said simply.

She stepped to the side and reached for the door handle.  “I hope things won’t be weird between us now,” she said.

JC shook his head no.  “I meant what I said earlier.  If you need anything, handy or otherwise, just give me a call.”  Had he just offered himself to her?  Well, shit.  He hadn’t exactly meant to.  Not consciously, anyway.  Of course, he wasn’t going to be rude and take it back.

“I appreciate that.”  If she’d caught the underlayment of his words, she didn’t show it.  He was glad.

Finally backing out the door.  They said there last goodbyes and he headed home, hoping to God that Gabby wasn’t watching from her window.

As soon as Ellie watched JC make it safely inside his house she picked up the phone to call Jill.  She was in DESPERATE need of some advice after all that had just happened.  Maybe her best girlfriend would have some idea what had come over her and where all this craziness had come from.

When it rang for a third time, Ellie was literally praying that the woman would answer.  Finally, as she was just sure it was going to voicemail, Jill picked up and answered, completely out of breath.

“Uh, did I interrupt something?” Ellie was asking, her mind still in a very sexual place.

“Yeah.  My workout,” Jill answered stoutly, still panting.

“Oh.  Sorry, but I REALLY need to talk to you.”

Jill immediately smirked.  “Hold on,” she said.  Then Ellie could swear she heard the girl gulping down water.  Then she let out a noisy breath and said, “What’s going on?  Everything okay?”

Of course, Ellie did realize that she should have been explaining how she was served her divorce papers, but that was not her reason for calling in the slightest.  Just more craziness!  But Ellie wasn’t a beat-around-the-bush kind of girl.  She just blurted it all out.  “JC came over for dinner.  We kind of kissed again—three different times.”

Instead of saying anything, Jill instantly started laughing.

“It’s not funny.  Jill, it’s not funny…” Ellie repeated, hoping it would make her stop.  “Why are you laughing?”

“For chrissake, El.  Just screw the guy already.”

“Jill…” It came out as a quiet gasp.  As if her friend’s words were shocking.  They weren’t.

“You obviously like him, and it would make you feel a helluvalot better.”

Well, Ellie definitely wasn’t arguing that one!  “I got served divorce papers today.”  She figured she might as well just get it all out in the open.

“Even more reason why you should be engaging in some casual sex,” Jill mouthed off.  “You did call Stephen, didn’t you?”

“The attorney?”

“Yes.”

“I have an appointment with him tomorrow.  You’re on a first name basis with this guy?”

“El, you know better than to ask me questions like that.  Would I refer you to someone that I wasn’t on a first name basis with?”

Jill’s connections were insane.  Of course, she was Beverly Hills born and bred.  Her father had just retired as one of the area’s most renowned plastic surgeons.  He was filthy rich, just like most in the area, and he knew everyone.  Jill had taken her own route, though.  Her business matters were much more complicated.  “I guess not,” Ellie finally replied.

“Okay, so back to this whole matter with JC.  You know, I’ve met him before… a long time ago.”

“Keep going…” Ellie urged.

“I think he’s a good choice for you as far as hook ups go.  I’m serious.”

“I can’t just do that, though.”

“But you want to,” Jill replied.  “I know you do.  Does he take your mind off the old asshole or not?”

“Yes.  Definitely.”

“Just think of it as therapy…” Jill said with a chuckle.  “I’m sure JC wouldn’t mind helping you out in that department.”

“Just answer me this,” Ellie said, slouched down in that favorite chair of hers that was right in front of the front window.  The sheers made it easy for her to see out, but not so easy for people to see in.  At least, that was the idea anyway.  “Should I feel attracted to other men already?  I mean, shouldn’t I be busy wallowing?”

“Well I suppose if you want to be miserable… but you had to know this was coming.  I mean, when’s the last time you had sex with the prehistoric fart?”

“He is only 45, Jill.  That is not old!”

“Why are you defending the jerk after all he did to you.  Now answer the question.”

With a defeated slump, Ellie caved.  “Our last wedding anniversary.”

“That was in September!  It’s March!”  Ellie could hear Jill counting it out.  “That’s six months, El.  That’s just sad.”

“I think I need to go now.  I’m feeling the need to wallow.”

“Call JC!” Jill was shouting practically.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” she told her friend and hung up.  Then she collapsed flat on her back, staring up at the blank ceiling.  Why hadn’t she known her marriage was failing?Why did she even care?  Honestly, she didn’t miss James in the slightest.  They’d hardly spent any time together since their first year of marriage.  Yes, he’d given her everything her heart desired and then some, but the more she thought about it, she wasn’t sure love was ever a factor. 

He’d wined her and dined her and made her feel like the most special girl in the universe, and in turn Ellie had mistaken all of that for love.  Honestly, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she didn’t really know what true love actually felt like.  That’s what caused her to feel depressed more than anything.  She hadn’t cried over her divorce, but she wanted to cry over the mistake of the marriage in the first place.

JC hated to admit it, but over the course of the next few days he found himself watching for her.  Not obsessively or anything, but definitely enough to irritate himself.  Every time he’d leave the house, his eyes just automatically gravitated towards her address.  Each time he walked by the front windows, which for some reason was more than usual, he was peeking out to see if he’d catch a glimpse of her.

What the hell was it about this woman that had invaded his brain so deeply?

When he’d left her house after their all-too comfortable dinner and then even more comfortable make-out session, he’d had one helluva time getting her out of his head.  First he tried locking himself in the studio, which normally did the trick.  Not this time.  It was ridiculous and he hated it. 

Mainly it was those lips and that damn sexy little walk she had.  Those were the worst.  As soon as he’d get one part of her out of his head, the other would pop in. 

After one full unproductive hour in the studio, he gave up and went to bed, flipping through the channels on the TV until one in the morning, all the while debating on whether or not he should send her some kind of text message.  The urge was tough to suppress, but he finally managed and placed his cell phone in the nightstand drawer.  Out of sight, out of mind, he figured.  It had worked well enough. 

But his damn cell phone had been a curse ever since, because the urge was still hanging on.  He almost wished she hadn’t given him the number.  It was too easy to communicate these days with all the different electronic gadgets at everyone’s disposal. 

By Sunday, he was thoroughly annoyed with himself and bound and determined to stop thinking about Ellie Sanderson.  He had the perfect antidote.  He was going out with the guys.  Surely that would help.

It was pretty late in the evening when he was pulling out of the driveway, exactly at the same time that she was pulling in.

Shit.

It was the slight leap that he felt in his chest that really pissed him off.  He didn’t even look at her.  Not even to realize that she had someone else in the car with her.  Instead he sped off, his tires peeling out just a little.

“Jesus, what the hell is wrong people… driving like assholes.”

“Mom…” Ellie sighed, waiting for the garage door to open so she could pull her car in.

“You know I hate asshole drivers,” the stout 55-year-old responded.  If anyone ever wondered where Ellie’s occasional “potty mouth” came from, all they had to do was spend five minutes with her mother.  She was worse than a sailor, one might say.

“I know,” Ellie remarked, maneuvering her pricey vehicle into the safety of her garage.  She turned off the engine and hit the remote to shut the door before they’d even got out.  For some reason the prospect of JC meeting her mother was a little scary.  Sure, he might have just immaturely sped down the street, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t come back any second.

Popping the trunk, Ellie pulled her mom’s small piece of luggage out of the back.  It wasn’t part of the top-dollar Louis Vuitton set Ellie had sent her for Christmas two years ago.  No, it was the same raggedy suitcase she’d had since Ellie was a kid.  It didn’t even have wheels.

Why? Why? Why?

“Where’d the luggage go that I bought you?” Ellie asked, setting the light blue, raggedy thing down on the garage floor with a huff.  It was ridiculously heavy.

“It’s in the closet at home.  I told you, if I use it someone might steal my luggage at the airport.  Do you think I’m crazy?”

Ellie just shook her head, straining to pick up the bag again—it felt like there was as an entire collection of Encyclopedias inside of it—and quickly heading towards the house.  “What the hell did you shove in this thing?” 

She had to stop mid-way and take a break.  Her mom hip-bumped her out of the way and grabbed it.  “Wimp,” she remarked.  “Where’s my room?”

With a smirk, Ellie picked up her shoulders and followed her mom inside.  She loved the woman to death, but she was thankful she’d only be visiting for a few days.

It was almost one in the morning and JC was officially hammered.  More so than he’d been in quite some time.  The bad news was that it hadn’t really helped.  He found himself wishing that Ellie would walk through the door any second.  He wanted to flirt with her and shoot inconspicuous glances at her… and maybe if he got lucky enough, even kiss her… maybe even more than kiss her.  Okay, who was he kidding?  He definitely wanted to “more than” kiss her.  Unfortunately, no matter how hard he willed her to step into the club, it just wasn’t happening. 

With a quiet huff he slouched deeper into the booth.  There were people everywhere, close by, on his right and on his left.  Some were even very attractive woman.  One was practically unbuttoning her top for him. 

He wasn’t paying attention to any of it.

Instead, he was fingering his cell phone, thinking of all the obscene text messages he could send her.  He pictured the shock and awe on her pretty little face if he were to send her something really dirty.  Then he suppressed a smile as the thought occurred of her sending something naughty back.

Damn.  This was ridiculous. 

Next thing he knew his thumbs were skimming across the little QWERTY keypad.  He’d hit send before he could even check the spelling. 

Even in his drunken state, though, he remembered exactly what it had said.  It was simple and straight-to-the-point—I want 2 have sex with u—and probably made the prospect even that much more slim.  Too bad he was too intoxicated to realize it before he’d sent it.

Grumbling under his breath, he reached for one of the many shots that had just been set at the table and threw it back quickly.  He was going to need it if he wanted to live with himself for the rest of the night.

© BrandyRae 2008