2004-11-30 - 8:33 p.m.

Margaret looked up from her doodling when she heard the door open. Her instinct was to call out to him, but she quickly shushed herself.

�Clay!� she whispered through ring-clad fingers hiding a big smile, and he sat the flower down on the counter as he ran around it to hug her. �What are you doing back in town?�

He looked past her to the large wooden doors that led to the studio, noticing that they were closed.

�Class in session?� Margaret nodded in reply. �I came back a couple days early to surprise her,� he whispered. �I have to fly back out on Wednesday�tour�s not quite over yet. She�s in the back, right?�

She gestured towards the hallway and nodded again. Clay took her hand and turned her wrist to get a better look at the Celtic cross on her forearm. �Is that new?� She flashed a proud smile. �It�s beautiful.�

�Thanks! I�ve had it for about two months now. I guess it�s been that long since I�ve seen you.�

Clay sighed and looked towards Holly�s office, picking up the large gerbera daisy. �Yeah. It�s been a long time.� He smiled at Margaret. �It�s good to be home.�

He stood just outside the closed office door and giggled to himself. She�ll love this. She�s a nut for this stuff.

He silently twisted the doorknob and eased the door open just a touch, then slid the head of the flower through the opening. All she has to do is look up. Any second now�

But there was nothing coming from the office. No gasp of recognition. No squeal of delight at the realization that her man was home. Nothing but the sound of rustling papers.

He pushed the door slightly forward, leaning in to get a peek at her. She wasn�t sitting at her desk. Where is she? A few inches more and I should be able to�I know she�s in there, but�

Clay was soon aware of her hushed voice coming from behind her desk. He realized that she was digging through the filing cabinet in the corner. He tiptoed in and shut the door behind him as quietly as he could.

Holly was too frustrated to notice him coming into her office. She�d been kicking herself for at least an hour for misplacing that envelope of pictures, and was cussing herself under her breath.

He smiled as he rounded the corner of the desk and saw her there, on all fours. She�s too hard on herself. If she�d calm down a little, she�d probably find what she was looking for. It had been months since he�d been home, and back then he was only breezing through town for one night before heading back out on the road. As incredible a night as that had been, it only served to make him ache more for her once he resumed his tour.

He stood behind her for a moment, admiring the view. He figured she probably wasn�t teaching a class today, because she wasn�t dressed for it. It�s as if she knew I was dropping by�wearing my favorite jeans like that, the little minx. He sniffed the flower and decided it was time to get her attention. He pointed the long stem towards her, and slowly lowered the barely-pink bloom to her back, where her soft skin was exposed below the hem of her tank top.

He brushed it lightly against her, and she stopped muttering. She reached back with her hand to shoo away the fly she imagined had lighted on her back, but felt dozens of delicate petals instead. She sat up on her knees and turned to look at the man who couldn�t contain his joyous laughter any longer. Her eyes widened and began to fill with tears. She never thought she�d find someone who would treat her so sweetly, someone she could love this much�embodied in a man who truly loved her in return.

�I�ve missed you so much,� she said, crushing herself against him, speaking between frantic kisses. �But what are you doing here? I thought you�you were�oh my God, what are you doing here?�

He kissed her on her bare shoulder and held her as tightly as he could. �I�m surprising the most beautiful woman in the world. Oh, and bringing her this.� He pulled back and brought the large pink daisy in front of her. �For you.�

She wiped away a tear with the heel of her hand, and wrapped her fingers around his on the thick stem, drawing it close to her face. �It�s beautiful.�

He brushed his hand along her cheek and watched her eyes close as she enjoyed the fragrance. �Of course it is, it reminded me of you.� He grinned at her quizzical look. �It�s sturdy and strong, but delicate�it�s soft�and it�s pink.�

�Pink? Pink reminded you of me?�

He ran a finger along the fair skin of her arm. Oh, right�she�s not exactly the girly �pink� type, is she? Not with all the black she wears. �Sure�you�re very pink. A lovely pale pink. And getting pinker, I see.� Clay tapped the end of her nose with his finger, then caressed the rosy center petals of the flower. �And then, you know�those other parts that�well, you know.�

She dropped the daisy on her desk and gave him a playfully stern look. �Now, you stop that. Don�t get me all flustered like that when I�m working.� She put her hands on her hips and sighed as she turned back towards the filing cabinet. �It�s got to be around here somewhere. Have a seat�I just need to find something. Then we can get out of here.� She took his face in her hands and gave him a quick but deep kiss before turning away.

He stood quietly behind her as she crouched again, flipping through a large folder. He watched the subtle movements of her shoulder blades and the way her hair brushed against them. The way the waist of her jeans slipped lower than usual when she knelt on the floor, pulling away from the small of her back. It felt like forever since he�d been able to just sit and watch her, and he didn�t want any interruptions. He rounded the desk again, locking the door, before returning to sit in her chair.

�What are you looking for?�

Holly sighed and pushed a strand of hair from her forehead. �An envelope of pictures taken last Labor Day when Suzanne held a bunch of free yoga classes. That day a photographer from the paper was here, and she sent me all these extra pictures she didn�t use in the feature�said I could use them for promo stuff as long as I�aw, damn it, where is it?�

He leaned towards her and put his hands on her shoulders, speaking to her in a calming tone. �What color is the envelope?�

�It�s white. It�s a big white envelope.� She let out a sigh as he kneaded her shoulders, and barely noticed one of the straps of her tank top sliding down her arm.

He rolled the chair forward so he could wrap his arms around her, positioning her between his knees and resting his chin on top of her head. �When did you see it last?�

Holly relaxed against him, surrendering to his embrace as she curled a hand around his bare calf. �She sent them to me earlier this year. February, I think. No wait, it was before that.� She felt him kissing the back of her head, working his way around to her ear.

�She sent it to you here?�

Goosebumps ran down her arms from the feel of his breath on her neck. �Yeah, she�she sent it to me here, but�I took them�� Her eyes popped open and she sat up suddenly, which startled him. �I took them home! I framed two of them for Suzanne for her birthday back in June! They�re not here because they�re in my desk at the house. Oh sweetie, what would I do without you?� She turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck. �Do you have any idea how much I love you?�

Clay�s hands slid lower, and he sunk a couple of his fingers underneath the waist of her jeans. �Tell me.�

The look in his eyes made her skin tingle. She brushed her mouth against his, tangling her fingers in the back of his hair. It�s getting so long�I wish John would let it stay like this for a while. But like he�d ever listen to me. She smiled as she moved her face alongside his, to whisper in his ear. �You are the most incredible man I�ve ever known, and I�m the luckiest girl. I�ve been waking up happy every day since�well, since you stopped taking lessons from me. Even when you�re not here, knowing you�re somewhere is enough. You�re out there, and for some reason, you�re mine��

�For some reason?� He wrapped his long legs around her, pulling his face back to look into her eyes again. �I�m yours because you let me.� He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. �So�when can we go? I�ve missed you so much, baby. The flight here was killing me.� He sat up straighter for a moment as she slid her arms off of his shoulders, raking her nails down his chest before spreading her hands across his thighs. �I couldn�t stop thinking about you. Everywhere I looked, I saw you�but instead, it was all these people. It�s one thing to have people kinda staring at you on a plane, but to want to sleep and just dream of how great your trip home is going to be, and worrying that someone might�see something.� Oh, don�t look at me like that�you know what I�m talking about. �Let�s just say I had to try to keep my mind on less�stimulating things.� He kissed the tip of her nose. �So, can we go?�

�Umm�� Holly looked over her shoulder at everything she�d pulled out of the filing cabinet. �Not yet. I need to put that stuff away. And I need to email Suzanne. Then we can go.� She gave him a quick kiss and turned back towards the open drawer.

Clay settled back in the chair and smiled. She�s killing me. She has to know she can�t just bend over like that and expect me to calm down. He slipped the flip-flops off his feet and tickled the arch of her bare foot with his toe. She giggled and stretched her foot back towards him, balancing herself with her hands on the floor. Oh, wow. She slid her foot up his calf to his inner thigh, tucking it just barely under the fabric of his shorts, then stopped and turned to smile at him over her shoulder.

�Patience, grasshopper�you keep distracting me and we�ll be here all night.�

Knowing that he was getting a little out of control made her decide to move a bit more slowly, deliberately arching her back, twisting and turning, giving him a show. His eyes were locked on her, taking in every movement, every curve. When her shoulder strap slipped down again, she twisted to pick up a box of business cards, angling herself so that he would be sure to notice she wasn�t wearing anything under her shirt�although she suspected he already knew that. She could see how he�d been looking at her. It was the way he looked the last time he came home for a night. That confident look that drove her crazy.

Oh, she is soooo good. Look at her. She�s definitely trying to kill me. He shifted in the chair, trying to get comfortable, and drummed his fingers on her desk.

�So�how long do you get to stay this time?�

Clay leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. �Wednesday. Don�t tell me you haven�t memorized my schedule, Holly. You know, there are plenty of women out there who know exactly where I am and what I�m doing every second of every day.� He playfully jabbed her in the ribs. Or they think they know�so far, nobody knows about you�which is exactly the way I want to keep it for now.

�Sorry, honey�I guess I have slightly more of a life than the women who track your every move. I know you have shows this weekend. So there.� She stuck her tongue out at him. �Besides, if I knew where you were all the time, you�d never be able to surprise me�and then how would you have any fun?� Holly closed the drawer and rose to her feet, grimacing at the sound of her knee crackling. �Oh Lord�your girlfriend is getting old and creaky, hon.�

My girlfriend�oh man, I love the sound of that. �Creaky maybe�but old? Look at you!� He sat back and drank her in�the dark, wavy, and slightly mussed hair, that feminine but muscular frame, those legs that went on forever. I�ve been feeling like the luckiest guy in the world with everything that�s happened to me�but nothing compares to this.

�Yeah, just look at me.� She looked down at her jeans and ratty old tank top. This wasn�t a typical day-at-the-office for her. She�d woken up with the goal of creating a poster to advertise a series of new yoga classes, thinking she could slip in before the studio opened and slip out when nobody was looking. It was days like today when she was glad the only mirror in her office was that small one on the shelf behind her desk that the feng shui practitioner gave her to reflect Sha out the door. Having a guy like Clay looking at her the way he was now�the way he always did, even when they first met�took her back to the time in her life when she felt young and beautiful, and not so jaded. She shoved her hands into her pockets, pulling the jeans lower on her hips.

�Oh, I�m lookin� all right.� He wished he could take a picture, a memento of her exactly the way he liked her. She�d never let him photograph her when she was dressed down like this, but in his mind, this was Holly at her sexiest. He held his arms out to her. �Come here, baby.� He drew her towards him, running his hands up the backs of her thighs and kissing the soft curve of her belly. �God, you smell good.�

She ran her hands through his hair, circling his ears with her thumbs. �Stop it. I didn�t even shower today.�

�I don�t care. I want to bottle this smell and take it with me on the road. Or maybe I�ll just steal some of your clothes.� She giggled and threw her head back, and he felt the muscles of her torso tighten. �Now, hurry up and write that email or things are gonna get dangerous.�

She took a couple steps back and motioned with her hands for him to put his legs together, which he did. She turned around and, straddling his legs, sat down on his lap. �Okay, point me toward my desk so I can work.�

Clay smiled as he turned the chair to face her desk and rolled her towards it. He playfully took hold of her arms and placed her hands on the keyboard. �Go ahead. And don�t dawdle. We�ve got�stuff to do.�

Holly turned on the monitor, revealing the picture of Clay she�d downloaded almost a year ago, which made him laugh and tease her.

�Who�s that guy?� Clay playfully shoved her shoulder. �Two-timing me already? Don�t tell me I�m gonna have to beat him up...he looks mean.�

She grinned and quickly navigated her Documents menu, bringing up a picture he didn�t expect. �Would you rather I use this as my wallpaper?�

Clay�s mouth hung open as he leaned forward, trying to cover the screen with his hand. �Oh my God, when did you take that??�

She took his hand and moved it away from the monitor. �What? You look beautiful when you�re asleep. And besides, when else would you let me take a picture like this, Mister Modest? And come on, it�s not like you can see any�naughty bits.� She traced her finger along the image. �Just a beautiful bare chest�a hip�a gorgeous long leg�� She twisted around to face him. �Are you mad?�

He was blushing, and was having a hard time looking at the picture. �I don�t know.�

�Sweetie, nobody gets on this computer but me. I�ve got a password and everything. I�ve got everybody�s employment information on here, payroll stuff�it�s not like someone can wander in here and find it.� She picked up his hand and kissed it, then clutched it to her chest melodramatically. �And besides, I miss you a lot when you�re away. And I�m so very, very lonely.�

He smiled. �Okay, on one condition. You let me take a picture of you�any kind of picture I want. Tonight.�

She sighed, and kissed his hand again. �Okay, you win. But you can�t tell John. I�d never hear the end of it.�

�Uh, same goes for you, honey.� He kissed her shoulder and leaned back, resting his hands on her hips.

She giggled and opened up her email browser, hooking her bare feet around his legs, and began her email to Suzanne, explaining how the poster would be ready before the weekend, but she wouldn�t have it to show her tomorrow like she�d planned, because of a �surprise visitor.� Suzanne would understand that. She knew Holly didn�t like using Clay�s name in emails, just in case they fell into the wrong hands.

The way she shifted her weight as she typed was beginning to drive him crazy. It was difficult enough to keep control when she was sitting still, just having her so close to him like that�but as she wiggled her toes and rocked back and forth, humming to herself contentedly, he wondered if she realized the effect she was having on him. Unable to move his legs, and with the fabric of his shorts pulled tightly across his lap, he found his position increasingly uncomfortable, and couldn�t wait for her to finish.

Clay slid his hands up her back, and slowly eased her shoulder straps aside. His long fingers coiled into her thick hair, making her tip her head backwards. He eased her towards him, and although she mumbled something about needing to finish what she was doing, she didn�t put up a fight. His hands trailed down her arms and locked her against his body.

He spoke softly, breathily, into her ear, as he held her close. �God, I�ve missed you. I can�t stand being away from you for so long. I hate it when reporters ask me how I like being on the road and I have to give them the answer I always gave before�how much I like it�when, really, every night I�m alone on the bus is like�torture.� He stroked her thighs, which she spread farther apart as she pressed herself against him. �Not that you don�t give great phone.�

Holly brought her hand up to tangle her fingers in the long hairs on the nape of his neck. �Oh, you too, sugar�but you know I�d rather feel your hand there than mine.�

He grinned and slid his hand slowly up her thigh, feeling her getting warmer and warmer the further he went. �Where? Here?� She arched her back in response. His other hand slipped under her shirt, finding its way to one of her small, but full, breasts. �How about here?�

Her skin was on fire from his touch. �Oh God, baby�I don�t know if we can�what if someone walks in?�

He brought his other hand up to cup her other breast and squeezed them both. �I locked the door�nobody�s going to walk in on us. As long as you can keep quiet��

She stifled a groan. �I�ll do my best, but it won�t be easy. You know what you do to me.�

�I know what I�m gonna do to you.� Clay took hold of her shirt and lifted it, and she raised her arms to allow him to pull it over her head. As he found a spot to place it on her desk, he didn�t notice Holly slipping a hand behind her back to take hold of him through his shorts, and almost let out a cry of his own.

She brought one leg around to meet the other, sitting sideways on his lap. She kept her hand where it was, while bringing the other to his face. �Shhh�who�s telling who to keep quiet?� She wiggled her fingers and savored the look on his face as he tried to keep from losing control. �Do you know how many times I�ve imagined you here in my office with me�like this?�

He worked his fingers underneath the back of her jeans, wrapping them around the waist of her panties and pulling them tight against her. �You mean just today? Or since we�ve been together?� His lips found the spot on her shoulder that always did the trick, and she clutched the back of his head, not wanting him to stop.

�Oh sugar, there were�oh god�there were so many nights I sat here alone, thinking about you. Even before I�d let myself�let you�oh sweetie, wait a second.� She sat up straighter and put her hands behind her on his thigh, leaned back, and slowly drew her leg up over her head.

His eyes widened at the sight. God, I love dating a dancer. He raised his arm and gently wrapped his fingers around her ankle as she shifted her hips, then brushed his hand along her calf as she lowered it on the other side of his legs. �Oh yeah�that�s definitely better.�

�It�s better�but I�m not done yet.� She leaned forward and began to slowly undo the buttons on his shirt. �We have got to get rid of this. I�m not having this turn into more of a porno movie than it already is.� She noticed his look of confusion. Oh, don�t tell me he doesn�t know what I�m talking about. Girl�s always totally naked, the guy just unzips his pants�wow, sometimes he just makes me feel filthy. It�s a damn good thing I don�t mind. �Never mind, sweetie, I�ll explain it some other time. We just need to get this opened up�gotta have that chest of yours.�

She unfastened the final button and pulled his shirt open, then slipped her hands along the smooth, nearly hairless skin along the sides of his waist. Leaning against him to place a line of kisses along his collarbone, she felt his delicate, coppery fur against her already alert nipples, a sensation she cherished so much it was a frequent presence in her fantasies about him. She loved everything about Clay�the warmth of him, the texture, the scent, the taste, the sound. She loved the way his selflessness governed so much of what he did, especially where she was concerned�although it was exciting when he just went after something he wanted, especially when it was her. She loved the way he�d let her slowly savor him, even though he was eager to move ahead and the increasing arousal had to be excruciating for him�but he got so much enjoyment out of watching her get herself worked up, he was always more than willing accept such thorough treatment.

Her hands slipped back up his chest and onto his shoulders, sliding the shirt off of them slightly. She ran her fingertips along the lean muscles of his shoulders, connecting-the-dots between tiny ginger freckles. She noticed his slight smile as he watched her eyes follow her fingers, and looked down, feeling suddenly shy. He brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead, and drew her to him. She brought her head to his shoulder and smoothed her cheek along the bare skin.

�Holly�oh, baby, I love you so much.� He softly kneaded her thighs as he whispered into her hair. �I promise�it�s going to be months before I go away again. I can�t keep up this pace any more, not when� every time I see you, it feels like we�re starting over. Finish one tour, start another one�I can�t do it. After this one�s done, I�m going to stay home�with you�maybe even�� She sat up and looked into his sparkling eyes. �I don�t know, I�m not sure how, but�I want to maybe take you to Raleigh with me. Meet my family. Mom�s been asking me for months. I could bring them here for a visit, but I think�oh honey, don�t cry.�

She couldn�t help herself. All this time, even though she knew he loved her, it had been such a secret, surreptitious relationship, that a part of her thought maybe it wasn�t as serious as she�d hoped. Not that she�d give him up for anything. Not that she didn�t cherish everything she had with him, because it was truly the most amazing relationship she�d ever had. But all the sneaking around to avoid paparazzi had started to feel like sneaking around to avoid�everyone. Sometimes she felt like he was cheating�cheating on the world, cheating on his fans�and she was the other woman. But now she knew. The sneaking around was almost over. If he was willing to bring her into the lion�s den�not only to meet his family and friends, but to be seen by the city of Raleigh, and all the people who know him there�

�I�m sorry, sweetie,� she said, sniffling a little. �I�m okay. I�m better than okay. I�d�I would love to meet your family. Now, don�t you start!� She�d noticed his eyes beginning to moisten, and she knew she would lose it if he got too teary. �I�m just feeling a little overwhelmed. A couple hours ago, I was sitting here frustrated and pissed off and�and now�now the world�s changed.� She shifted closer to him in his lap, running her hands down his arms. �But wasn�t there something you wanted to do to me?�

Clay grinned and twisted his hands around to take hold of her wrists. �You�re right. I did have something in mind�hope that�s okay.� He brought her wrists around behind her waist, tugging downward and gripping them tightly, and leaned in towards her, kissing her neck and shoulders. His lips brushed along her cool alabaster skin, and he smiled to himself as she arched her back, eagerly thrusting her breasts towards him. My God, she�s incredible. I can�t believe how perfect her skin is. Is it weird that these little blue veins are such a turn-on for me? �How do you live in California your whole life and not have a tan?� he whispered.

She giggled and, noticing he was heading downward, leaned back to accommodate him. �The sun and I are not on speaking terms.�

�That�s good. More for me.� He marveled at the way her muscles began to peek through the flesh of her belly as she dropped her head back. He loved that she was so fit and strong, and yet didn�t have that typical emaciated California look�she was a curvy, feminine woman who didn�t need hours in a makeup chair to be stunning, or an expensive designer wardrobe to turn heads. His soft, slightly-chapped lips found their way to her nipple and she pressed against him, wrapping her legs around the back of the chair to pull him even closer. He teased her by pulling away, only kissing her lightly for a while, and keeping her arms pulled back made it difficult for her to move anything but her hips�which she began to grind against him. �Now, you be careful, honey�not too much. This ain�t over yet.� He rewarded her for her obedience by taking her nipple between his warm lips, circling it with his tongue. It took everything she had to keep from crying out his name as he hungrily opened his mouth wider, relishing not only the sensation of her, but the knowledge that he would soon be bringing her even more pleasure.

Holly couldn�t take it any more. She allowed herself to relax, flopping back across his lap with a comical groan, her head hanging near the floor. �You�re killing me. You know that, right?� She lifted her head to look at him, returning the broad smile he was giving her. �Don�t you think it�s time I got out of these jeans?�

�Almost.� He held out his hand to her, and she pulled herself up. He slipped his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss, then whispered in her ear. �Me first.�

She dropped her hands to his lap while she continued to kiss him, unfastening the button. �You going to need any help�or are you ready for me?� It wasn�t long before she had the answer to her question. He softly grunted in her ear as she took him gently in her hand and freed him from his shorts. �Is it my turn now?� He nodded. �Then you hang on to this for me, okay?� She ran her fingers through the hair on his stomach one last time before getting up and standing before him.

He shifted in the chair, adjusting himself to be more comfortable, as he looked up at her. Her jeans were very loose, and were hanging low on her hips, emphasizing her curves. He loved these jeans on her. They were faded and worn thin in places, and had small tears along the back pockets. Although he knew she wore them when she wanted to be comfortable, he also knew that she�d realized that he preferred them over the rest of her jeans, and usually put them on in the mornings when he stayed the night. But today was just a happy coincidence.

Her hands quickly undid the buttons, and he mouthed the word slowly at her. She smiled and slipped her thumbs underneath the waistband of her panties and began to tug them down together when he put his hand up to stop her. �Turn around, honey.�

Holly turned away from him and looked back over her shoulder, then slid them about halfway down her hips. She bent over and slowly pulled them down her legs, then felt his fingertips brushing against the back of her thigh.

�I think this might be what I take a picture of later.� His touch was so light, goosebumps rose all over her body. She stepped out of her jeans and stayed bent over, knowing he would want her to. �Yeah, this is definitely it.�

She peered around her legs at him. �You want to take a picture of my ass?�

He smiled and ran his hands up her legs. �Well, it�s not just your ass, honey. This is just�fantastic. You can�t see the view I have here. It�s breathtaking.�

�I�ll take your word for it.�

She started to straighten up, but she knew Clay wasn�t ready for her to turn around yet. He rolled the chair closer to her, caressing the flesh of her thighs, her hips�then began to kiss her as he slipped a hand between her legs and brought it up to her center. She felt her knees buckling and she reached out to brace herself against the wall. He explored her warm folds before gently slipping a finger inside her. He could feel her body begin to tremble and tighten around him. �Oh yeah�that�s it baby.� He spoke softly to her, gripping her leg with his other hand, while he plunged a second finger inside.

She wasn�t as surprised as he was about how immediately responsive her body was to his touch. It had been so long since she�d seen him, and her daily fantasies only served to make her want him more. She could never make herself feel as incredible as he could�and today, he�d had her so turned on, even this simple act was all she needed. She held her breath to keep from making any telltale noises, and her body shook as she succumbed to her desire.

�Wow�that was�I mean, I hardly did anything�� Clay sat back in the chair as she composed herself and turned to face him.

�Trust me, you did plenty.� She ran her hands through her hair and smiled at him, taking a deep breath. She watched his hand drift to his lap, his long fingers wrapping gently around himself as he gazed up at her. �You�d better get ready, because you�re gonna be using that in a minute.� She knelt next to him and felt around the many pockets on his cargo shorts. �Okay, where is it? I don�t think I can wait any more.�

Clay�s smile faded. �I don�t�um�I mean, I didn�t��

�You don�t have one? But�I thought you had this all planned! You always�I mean, you locked the door�� She saw his look of confusion. �I�m sorry, I just assumed you�d planned this. I mean, you plan everything.� She kissed him on the arm before standing up. �I�m pretty sure I have one in my purse.�

He breathed a sigh of relief. When he showed up to surprise her, he�d intended to take her back to his house. They would spend the afternoon in bed, and he�d call for dinner to be delivered, maybe curl up on the couch and watch a movie�he never thought they�d be messing around in her office while so many people were just down the hall. He watched her open her purse on top of the console table along the back wall. He smiled as she muttered to herself. How can she be this cute? How can someone so gorgeous and sexy also be this adorable?

�I just know there�s one in here, I remember putting one in, just in case you went against type and got all spontaneous on me.� She winked over her shoulder at him, still sitting with his knees apart and stroking himself gently. �Don�t worry, any second now�wait�here it is!� She pulled a condom wrapper out of her purse, then frowned when she saw it was opened and empty. �What the hell? When did�� She looked at him and smiled. �Ohhh�I remember. You naughty boy.� She wagged a finger at him and resumed her search. �I really need to clean this purse out�this is insane.�

After another minute, she gave up looking. He recognized the sad look on her face before she said a word.

�It�s okay, Holly. Really.� He was a little surprised that she was upset about it, and got an idea he wasn�t sure he should mention. �You know, we could�I mean, we�ve never�well, I�ve never done it. I mean�what if we didn�t�use one?� Her eyes opened wide. �We could, right? I mean, how are we�timing-wise?�

Holly shook her head in disbelief. �You hit me with something like that and then you expect me to do math?� She walked over to him, grinning, and straddled his lap again. �Sugar, the thought of�that�wow, it would be incredible. I don�t even know what that would be like. But this isn�t the time for that. I mean, I don�t think we should risk�you want me to meet your Mom for the first time pregnant?�

He let out a nervous laugh. �Pregnant. Wow. Yeah, you�re right.� He put his hand on her belly, and whispered, �Pregnant�with my baby.� He looked up at her as she placed her hand on top of his. �Maybe someday.� God, I hope so.

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, her eyes brimming with tears. �Someday.� He kissed her on the shoulder, then on her neck. She pressed her lips to his as a tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn�t believe how much she loved him. This beautiful man kissing her, caressing her back with his warm, gentle hands, was exactly who she wanted to be with forever. Now she realized that he felt the same way. It was too soon to move that far ahead, and they both knew that, but it was going to happen. She silently thanked God, or any other �higher power� who happened to be listening in that day, for bringing Clay into her life, for allowing her to be happy again.

She sat up straight and ran a finger down the center of his chest, following the trail of hair on his stomach to where it thickened. �Now, if you think I�m going to leave you in this condition, young man, you�re mistaken.� She leaned against him, lifted herself slightly from his lap, and slid her body down his, settling herself between his long, outstretched legs. She put her finger to her lips to remind him to be quiet, and he couldn�t help but smile.

�I love you, Holly.�

�I love you, too, sugar.�

Holly emerged quietly from her office, holding the flower Clay had given her, and peeked around the corner to where Margaret was still sitting at the front counter. She knew the last class had ended, but she couldn�t see if the studio was empty.

�Is the coast clear?� she whispered. Margaret nodded with a knowing smile. Holly took Clay�s hand and led him out to the foyer. �If Suzanne calls, tell her I�ll talk to her tomorrow. I�m gonna be�busy.�

Margaret winked at Clay. �Yeah, no kidding. Don�t keep her too long�she does have a class to teach tomorrow.�

�Oh, don�t worry. I�d never keep her from her work.� Holly rolled her eyes, and pulled him towards the door. �Oh, come on, today doesn�t count��

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