Let That Be Enough:  Twenty-One

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The staircase seemed to have twice as many steps as it had earlier in the day and the delay getting to the top gave her even more time to think about what she was doing. On the one hand that gave her twice as much time to think of reasons why not to go with him to Johnny's office, but on the other hand it gave her more time to feel his hand on her back and take in the sweet smell of him that was too tempting for words.

"You ok?" His voice rumbled in his chest, as he lazily spoke to her.

"Hmm?" she answered back turning a bit to look at his face.

"You're all quiet," he said looking as if he was worried that she was upset. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said, "I guess the alcohol is getting to me. I got all hyper there for a second and now all I wanna do is cuddle up and go to sleep."

He skipped a step and stopped her for a moment, sliding his arm around her middle and bringing her body back against his. His chin went over her right shoulder and his mouth rested next to her ear, "I think that can be arranged."

His voice sent a shiver up her spine that literally made her body shake. She put a hand over his and leaned against his head so that his lips kissed the top edge of her ear. Her body moved again with the contact. "You think?"

His breath was hot against her skin for two breaths of air before he kissed her again. His tongue darted out and touched her skin for just a moment then he licked his lips. "You cold?"

She thought about it for a moment and if past experiences had taught her anything his comment was only another reason for his body to be pressed against her. "A little."

"I think we can remedy that," he said.

"Really?" she asked trying not to think about what his remedy for her chill would be. She could be getting herself into real trouble with this one, but at the moment with his hundred seventy pound body pressed against hers it was hard to refuse him.

"Yeah," he said, "But what I can do for you can't be done on the stairs...you know...Mom always told me not to play on the steps."

Her mouth opened for a moment starting to make a comment about what he might be thinking of doing then decided not to discuss it. "Momma's boy huh?"

He shrugged. "I just don't want to diappoint her."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah," he said and kissed her cheek, "But to do the job right we need to get up the stairs."

"Think we can do it?" she asked.

"It's just one foot after an other."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said and slid his arm from around her waste down to his thigh, giving her jean covered leg a squeeze before taking a breath, "Move this one."

She moved her leg.

"Now move this one," he instructed, "Just a few more steps then you can relax."

"Ok," she said and took the last few steps to the top.

Johnny's office looked different than it had earlier in the day. It was dark out, but the lights from the yard and the moon made patterns against the grey carpeting. "Is it really ok for us to be in here?" she asked.

"Johnny won't care," he said, "If I drove home with you drunk and got caught it might turn out to be an international incident so if I save hiim publicist and lawyer costs by sleeping on the couch then it's all good."

"Awe," she sighed out.

"Come on," he said starting to let her go so he could move past her. "There should be something to make a bed out of in the closet."

"Uhhh," she protested as he moved away.

He turned back to her and planeted a kiss on her lips before she was prepared to take it. "I'll be right back Zana," he said with a smile.

"Can I come with you?" she asked sliding her hand down his arm to link her fingers with his.

"I'm just going over there," he said pointing towards the closet.

She used her best pouting face and half smiled at him.

"Ok," he said, "But you have to do me a favor?"

Farzana wasn't sure if she should answer too quickly, but she decided to go along with what he was saying. "Sure."

JC took her arms and as he turned towards the closet wrapped them around her. "You ok back there?" he asked.

"Uh huh."

"Good," he laughed, "Here we go."

They walked across the room and behind Johnny's desk until JC got to the door of the closet. "I need some light so cover your eyes."

"Ok," she said and closed her eyes, chosing to rest her cheek against his back as her hands found their way into the hem of his jeans. She wasn't trying to make things more difficult for him, but the action seemed to make him move even slower.

She heard the closet door click open and he started to lean over a little, bringing her with him. Her hands moved to his thighs and she laughed, "Who would have ever thought we'd be hanging out like this?"

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"No," she said, "Definitely not."

"Good," he said.

"Is there a blanket in there?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, "And one of those air bed thingys like on tv."

"Really?" she asked opening her eyes. She blinked at the harsh light, "It's an areo-bed!"

"Yeah," he said, "That's what I said."

"I've always wanted to try one of these out," she said and moved away from him to help him pull the bed out of the closet.

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When her body moved away from him his breath rushed from from his lungs. The cold chill that went up his back was hard to ignore. It was a sense of loss he hadn't felt in a long time, long before he'd broken up with Bobbie, long before he'd probably even started to date Bobbie. He shouldn't have even reacted to it. He should have just gone on with his business, but he couldn't.

Relucktantly he followed her to the open part of the room and she pulled the matress out of the bag it had been stored in. "This is the coolest thing ever," she said, "In the commercials they have two sumo wrestlers that fight on it and it doesn't pop."

"And that's gonna help us?" he asked.

"No," she said. He saw her blush and wondered what was on her mind. He hadn't doubted that she was into him. She'd said it before, but their physical contact that day reinforced the idea. "It's just cool."

"Whatever you say," he said.

Soon the pump to the matress was plugged into the wall and she was blowing the thing up. He watched her leaned over concentrating on it and thought about taking a walk. If he was going to get into bed with her tonight it was going to take all his will to keep his hands off her. The night before he'd cuddled her against him and kept her safe, but tonight she wasn't in need of his protection and that was a dangerous thing.

"You ok?" she asked.

He looked up and she was watching him with this worried look on her face. "I'm fine Zana," he said, "I just was thinking."

"About what?"

He paused for a moment shocked to hear her ask him what he was thinking about.

"Are you shocked that I'm asking?"

"Umm," he said and sat back on the floor.

"People don't ask you that often do they?"

"They do," he said, "Just half the time it seems like they don't really care what the answer is."

"Well what's wrong?" she said and moved to sit Indian style on the far side of the bed from him.

"It's nothing. I just have this--It's stupid...nevermind."

"No," she said, "I wanna know...even if it is stupid."

He ran his hands through his hair. "It's just been a while since I've slept with someone that wasn't Bobbie."

She looked as if she wanted to yell at him for the comment, bringing up ex-lovers wasn't the best way to impress the person you were with at the moment, but he knew that the comment needed to be aired.

"You slept in the same bed as me last night and you and I shared the couch in The Keys."

"Yeah..." He motioned to the mattress. "This is different."

"Different how?" she asked.

"You and I have been drinking and well having you hang on me really doesn't help me be the angel that I need to be in this situation."

She tipped her head to the smile. "Why do you have to be an angel?"

"You're sooo bad," he said, "You should have a warning label."

"Me?" she asked, "I'm tame."

"Never," he said, "You just don't know how dangerous you are...or you're in denial."

"How am I dangerous?"

He thought for a moment for just saying everything that came to his mind, but he thought he might scare her a little and if later he wanted to back off a little he knew it would be harder to do if he just spilled his guts like that.

"You're talented and sexy and you are so innocent that I truely believe that you don't know how a smile from you can light up the room."

"Really?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah," he said, "And that's a bad thing because I'm not in the position to say no to you right now."

"Then don't," she said.

"See," he said, "That's what I'm talking about. You don't even know how that is NOT what you want to say to a guy when he's trying his best not to attack you."

"Why are you all crazy about it?" she asked, "I'm sure I can fight you off if I wanted to."

"Ya think?"

"Yeah."

JC let out a yawn on purpose. He wasn't liking the fact that they were sitting there talking.

"Tired?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Is that a ploy to get in bed?" she asked.

He laughed a little. "A little."

"Is there a blanket in the closet?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said and moved away from her to get the blanket.

When he turned back around she was pulling her jeans off. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I can't sleep in them," she said, "I'll toss and turn all night if I do."

"But--"

"Come here," she said boldly. He saw the look in her eyes and knew that she was on uncharted ground. She had no clue what she was doing other than being bold in her comments and actions.

He approached her cautiously and stood in front of her with the blanket. She took the blanket from him and threw it on the bed then put her hands on his waste. She looked up into his eyes for a moment then moved her hands to his wasteband.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Helping you get out of your pants," she said.

"Oh really?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, "I figure if I'm comfortable then you should be too."

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