"Wow, that's every day this week you've left before I have," Ronda said as he flipped the light off in his office. "Actually, you've been doing it a lot lately."

"Yeah? It's not like I'm canceling on customers or anything. My day is done. What's the point in sticking around?"

She shrugged. "No point. I'm just not used to seeing it, that's all. Usually you're here for an hour or two after I leave for the day. Do you have plans tonight?"

"Going downtown. It was what we agreed on for her staying put during the week."

"Hmm. Staying put means staying at your house?"

"Yes," he said cautiously.

"All week?"

"Well, she went home and everything. You know, she got changes of clothes and stuff. She's not locked in there like a prisoner."

"I hope not, I don't think I want to bail you out of jail."

"Yeah, well, I'd just call her for that anyway."

"And she'd go?"

"Yes," John said with a chuckle. "She already has. Not like recently, but yes. That weekend I came in here Monday beat up back in February?"

"That was over her?"

"No. Well, sort of, but no, not what you're thinking. I got into a fight, I got arrested, and I called her to bail me out. Like I know anyone else with access to that kind of cash at three o'clock in the morning who'd go downtown at that time of night to do it."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I'd haul my ass downtown for you at that time of the night."

"Well, it involved her, otherwise you'd be my first choice, Ronda. Always."

"Good to know, Boss."

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said with a shrug.

"Say it. I can see your mind working. Just out with it or you'll be bothered all weekend by whatever it is you want to say."

"So, you're all right then?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You've seen her this week every day and I'm guessing she hasn't gone home every night. Last week I know you saw her pretty regularly, too. That's going on three weeks in a row you've been with the same woman. That's a record for you. You're not suffering from withdrawals or anything."

"Very funny. I'm fine."

"Just be careful of her parents."

"What do you mean?"

"She starts spending every night at your place and they're likely going to take that to mean something more serious is going on then what you have in mind with her."

"I don't think her parents have any idea where she sleeps, even when she crashes at her place I'm not sure they're aware of it. Besides you don't know what I have in mind to do with her."

"You sure, John?"

"I'm positive. You were the one who told me to bring her flowers!"

"I didn't think she'd start spending the night right away."

"What did you think was going to happen?"

"I don't know. That you'd have a date. Talk things out."

"We did."

"You know ease into things like most people do."

"It's not like we just met, Ronda. I've known her for years. Not like I just started liking her overnight either."

"Well then I guess I can stop worrying."

"You really worried about me?"

"Of course I do. How you live, lived maybe for now, isn't good for anyone. I don't care who they are and how much they maintain they like living like that."

"It suited me fine."

"You say that, and I believe you mean it, but clearly by you getting this involved as quickly as you have. That has to tell you it ultimately wasn't good for you either."

She had a point he supposed. He hadn't thought much on it because there'd been no one but Claire who interested him like that in the slightest. He tried, too, but no one else did it for him. Whatever it was. He sure wished he knew. He'd spent a lot of time searching for it, too. He didn't mind being alone, but he had to admit the past three weeks he'd more than not minded. She'd been home when he got home from work every night so far. Some nights she went out after he got home and they had dinner, but she came back. The only time she'd gone home for any length of time in over two weeks now was the two Saturdays he'd had weddings. Otherwise, she'd been at his house most days, all day since the night they first went out.

Too fast? Maybe, but he didn't think so where they were concerned. They both knew they liked each other, more than liked each other. They'd known it four years ago. Liking her hadn't been the issue for him.

"You and Bill want kids?"

"Yes, of course."

"Would it matter to either of you if the other one was defective in that department?"

"John. If she loves you that wouldn't matter."

"You are in love. I'm asking you. If you found out would it bother you?"

She shrugged. "Hard to say. I'd like to say no, but Bill didn't think that chance existed when we got married. So it'd be different, you know? I mean would my life be incomplete and meaningless without a child? No, I'd like to think not."

"I told her."

"And she said it didn't matter?"

"Yes."

"Then take her word for it."

"She's twenty-two."

"I'm guessing she still knows whether it would matter to her."

"That's not too young? I mean, I doubt she's even thought of getting married let alone kids."

"I'm sure she's thought of getting married, John. Every woman has thought of getting married at some point growing up. Usually it's when they fall in love for the first time, whether that first love is reciprocated or not."

"Who was your first love?"

"Shaun Cassidy."

He chuckled at that. "You dreamt of marrying Shaun Cassidy?"

"Oh, you bet. I loved The Hardy Boys and he could sing, too."

"I'm not sure I can have you working for me anymore knowing that. Shaun Cassidy, Ronda?"

"Would it matter to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"If it was reversed and she told you she may not be able to have them."

"No, I wouldn't care, but there is no expectation on me to go forth and multiply either."

"True. We're very lucky, too, or something tells me there'd have been a lot of multiplying the past few years."

"Ha ha."

"You've told her, she knows the possibility exists. I'd say for now you've done what you need to do. If your situation gets more serious to where you're thinking of marrying her or something permanent then I'd suggest taking steps to find out if it's actually true. Like going to a doctor for tests. You said might, not definitely."

"No, you're right, I was told a chance."

"Well, when you need to know then worry about it. Until then you've been honest about it, just enjoy having a girlfriend, John."

"It's not so bad."

"You better not let her hear you say that or I'm guessing you'll spend the next week sleeping alone again."

"At least I'd get some sleep at any rate."

"Such are the sacrifices we make to make someone else happy, John. Welcome to a relationship."

"Good night, Ronda. Have a good weekend."

"You are going to show up at the wedding tomorrow, right?"

"Geez. Really? What did I do to deserve that?"

"I'm just teasing you."

"Yeah, yeah, now if you'll excuse me it's ninety degrees out and I have a beautiful woman laying out in my backyard in a bikini I'd like to get home to."

"Have fun."

He came home to find her exactly where he figured she'd be. Her backyard was by far bigger and nicer overall than his, but he loved the idea of her being in his instead of hers very much. She was exactly where he pictured her being when he drove onto his driveway. She even had the garage door open so he was able to drive right in. One of these days he'd invest in an electric opener. He got the impression the people he'd bought the house from hadn't used the garage to park their car in. He cared too much for his car to leave it outdoors.

He was surprised to see her standing by the door when he got out.

"Hi," he said. "Did I cut your tanning short?" She went to a tanning booth she'd confided to him to get a base tan before laying out. She was prone to burning otherwise, which he understood with her fair skin.

"No, I was waiting for you."

"You were?" He glanced at his watch. "Did we have plans earlier than I realized?"

"No," she said. She reached up then, grabbing the rope that hung there to pull the garage door down.

"You locking me in?"

"For a little while."

"You, too?"

"Uh huh."

"I see," he said, crazily getting a little excited at what she might have in mind that would require her to shut the garage door before doing it.

She walked up to him and he couldn't help but watch. She reached behind her to her back and a second later the strings holding her top in place back there fell to her sides. He slid his hands to the strings that went from the top around her neck and the bow keeping it in place, tugging on it.

"Hi," he said as he tossed the top into the seat of his car.

"Hi," she whispered before kissing him.

Fuck. He wasn't sure what to pay attention to. He very badly wanted to get her bikini bottoms in his car with the top, but then she was naked from the waist up and, well, that won out. She had the greatest breasts. Maybe he thought so because he just liked the idea that no one had touched her there but him. She'd liked what he'd done that day at school. He knew she hadn't lied about enjoying what he'd done with his hands that day.

She worked his shirt out of his jeans, sliding it up and off. It joined the top to her bikini and she kissed him, licking and sucking on his chest everywhere before encountering the waist of his jeans. She worked the fastening there, opening them and sliding her hand inside.

"Damn," he whispered as she gripped him very much as if her need was as urgent as his currently was. She crouched then, hands sliding to his hips for support as she took him in her mouth. Talk about a turn-on. He cursed under his breath as she worked his hard-on deeper and faster into her mouth.

And then she stood up and walked away.

"Uh, Claire," he whispered, opening his eyes. He hadn't even consciously shut them, but what she'd been doing there for the past few minutes felt very good. He watched as she walked to the front of his car, grabbing a towel from the workbench there that she'd obviously put there because he knew it wasn't there this morning.

"Why are you standing all the way over there?" she asked.

"I absolutely love what you're wanting to do here, but I don't have anything on me."

She unfolded the towel a bit and pulled out a packet and he groaned at the sight of her standing there essentially naked holding it. He didn't need her to ask him or tell him what she wanted. He was by her again quickly, grabbing the packet from her.

He slid his other hand to her head, drawing her to him for a kiss. He was aware of the fact that she slid the bottom to her bikini down and off, kicking them out of the way before breaking the kiss. She stepped away a little and he took the time to appreciate the view of her naked. He hadn't had the chance to see her during the day like this much since he was usually working days and he tried to do something that resembled dates with her on Sundays.

She turned around then, facing away from him, dropping her hands onto the towel that she'd laid over the hood of his car. Good thinking, too, because it would be warm with him just coming home. He tore the packet open, dropping the wrapper into the trash can he had there before sliding it on.

"What are you doing?" she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Looking," he said.

"Why?"

"Why? Because you're worth looking at. You look very nice against my car, Princess."

"Yeah?" He realized then that she was far more uncertain about this than she was letting on.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I could come just looking at you right now," he whispered, stepping behind her. He dropped his hands to her hips, sliding a hand between her legs so he could use his fingers to get her ready for him. He didn't need to do too much. "Hmm, how long have you been thinking about doing this?"

"Since you left this morning," she whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes," she said.

He slid inside of her then. He wasn't very nice or gentle about it. He couldn't help it and her asking him to be behind her told him she wasn't exactly looking for it that way either. She was still for the first couple of minutes as he thrust inside of her, but she didn't stay still for very long. She started responding, pressing herself into his thrusts, pressing her ass against the hand that was touching her there.

"You could've called me and asked me to come home for lunch."

"You'd do that?"

"For you? For this? I'd be home faster than you could imagine."

"I'll keep that in mind," she whispered.

"Good," he said.

"John," she cried out.

"That's good?" he asked as he slid a finger along her nub, pressing deeply into her.

"Uh huh."

He kept doing that, knowing he wasn't going to last too long like this. Taking her from behind was just too good, turned him on too much because he'd laid odds until about ten minutes ago that she'd never let him in her like this. He was very glad his imagination was wrong.

He slid a finger from her ass lower along the crevice there, pressing at the opening there with his pinky finger. She whimpered softly and came just as soon as he entered her with his fingertip. He cried out at the feel of her clenching around him in both places, finishing almost immediately after she did.

"You honestly think I wouldn't come home for that if you called me and asked me to?"

"Well, I don't know what you do for lunch."

"Trust me, having sex with you would be the best lunch hour ever."

"Do I have to call you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if you just wanted to and came home?"

"Oh, yeah, if you're willing, sure. I can't deny I've spent a good amount of my downtime at work this week thinking about you and the way you feel around me."

"Just there."

"Uh, no, your mouth, your hand, or just laying behind you and being between your legs."

"Me, too," she said.

"And you came up with this idea?"

"Uh huh."

"I love your imagination, Princess."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"I was afraid you'd worry about your car."

He chuckled softly.

"I think in this instance I'd think a scuff mark or two were worth it."

"Hmm."

"Does this mean we're not going up to your parents' lake house?"

"Oh no, I still want to."

"Good, because I had Ronda make sure next Monday and Tuesday morning are clear."

"I think you should bring your Jeep there, though."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh."

"You like it in cars, huh?"

She shrugged.

"Hey, I'm not going to say no to you. Whatever you want I'm game."

"Anything?"

"Well, within reason, yes."

"What's unreasonable?"

"Anyone else with male parts."

She laughed softly at that.

"I think I have all I need with your male parts."

"That is very good to hear, sweets."

She brushed her ass against him and he groaned softly, drawing away from her to take the condom off and drop it in the trash there.

"Thank you for being completely prepared."

"I was going to have you sit in the passenger seat."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. And sit on top of you."

"There would have been absolutely nothing wrong with that."

"Maybe next time?"

"Any time."

"M'kay."

"You sound unsure."

"I don't know…"

"Claire. You're fine. Did I act as though I was bothered or anything but very excited?"

"No."

"I swear to you there is nothing you could do or suggest that would offend me."

He bent over to pick up the bottoms to her bikini.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"As much as I don't mind you can't walk from my garage to my house naked."

"Oh," she said, stepping into them as he held them for her by her feet. He touched her a lot more than was necessary sliding them back up. Her legs were soft but slick from the tanning lotion she put on. He'd never had things like tanning lotion in his house until the past couple of weeks. She cried out, bracing herself against his car behind her when he started using his mouth on her. He slid a finger inside of her, groaning at the feel of her clenching around him. There was definitely something to be said to finding out all the different ways he could get her to say unladylike things.

He slid his tongue around her nub one last time after she came before standing a bit to pay attention to her breasts. The drawback of him being behind her he could only touch them with his hands. Not a bad thing, but he loved using his mouth on her here, too.

"What was that for?"

"Just because I can and love doing it. I need a reason?"

"No," she said softly as he nipped at the underside of her breast before sliding his tongue up along the side to the top there.

"I see, you're trying to get a tan over the love bite I left you last night," he said, sliding a finger over the spot.

"It's going to show with the dress I'm wearing tonight."

"Is that bad?"

She shrugged. "I guess that depends on you."

"Me?"

"You haven't been seen with me all of the time, only a few times. They may not put two and two together."

"And think someone else is giving you hickeys?"

"It could happen."

"Let them think what they want. I don't care. It's not going to be that visible, is it?"

"You haven't seen the dress I am wearing out."

"I guess I haven't. I'm looking forward to it now if you're telling me it reveals enough that this is going to show."

"It is."

"Maybe I should let you drive home tonight."

"Why?"

"So then you can pull off somewhere, get out and come sit on my lap. I, uh, don't think we'd fit in the driver's seat together."

"True."

"It'd be kind of fun."

"You'd let me drive?"

"Are you going to drink?"

"Are you going to put one in your wallet?"

"A drink?" he asked with a chuckle.

"No," she said, blushing.

"I could put one in my wallet."

"Then I won't drink."

"Really, Princess? The bartenders are going to think hell has frozen over. You haven't been out once all week and when you do go out no drinking."

"They might. They'll get over it."

"Thank you, by the way," he said, kissing her. "That was a very nice way to end my work day."

"I thought you might like it."

"I more than liked it."

"You'd really come home during the day?"

"For you? For that?" He chuckled. "Assuming I wasn't in the middle of something, yes."

"I don't think I'd call there and ask you to do that."

"Why not?" he asked with a frown.

"Ronda would know."

"I don't think Ronda cares. I think she finds my current situation amusing."

"Why?"

"She just does. I don't know. She seems to think she knew all along I wanted someone. And you could use my pager. I have it on me all the time."

"But it's for work."

"I pay for it so it's for whatever I want it to be for. The perk of being the boss. You page me I'll be here as soon as I can get here."

"I made spaghetti."

"Claire," he said cautiously.

"It's not bad and I didn't burn anything."

"Really?"

"Yes. My mother helped me."

"Your mother came here and helped you?"

"No, I called her on the phone, told her what you had at the house. She gave me a list of what else I needed and then she walked me through making it."

"Okay."

"You still think it's going to be bad!"

"No, I don't, I'm sure it's good. Let's go find out then and then we can maybe clean up before we head out."

"Together?"

"That was the idea, yes."

"I like taking showers with you."

"No more than I do, sweets, I assure you. And in case I forget, thank you for making dinner. You don't have to."

"I know, but I'm sitting here all day it seemed as if I should do something!"

"Your dad's going to freak out if you put off going to work so that you can stay at my house and learn how to cook me dinner."

"Yeah, he'd probably be a little mad about that."

He chuckled softly. Her dad would be more than a little mad if that happened. John couldn't say he minded the idea, though.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com