A Treasure Worth Seeking
By: Shellie - shelliemg at gmail.com
Chapter 9Falling in love was a beautiful thing. Watching it from afar was almost as good. Almost, but not quite, Lauren sighed, shifting her feet in the sand as she watched the two lovers walk slowly down the beach, Ami’s small hand engulfed in Joe’s much larger one. She knew from being around him that when he had something flirty or sexy to say he’d bend over and say it near your ear. He was doing that now, standing still, bending until their silhouettes merged into one dark shadow. She turned away, feeling slightly voyeuristic as she watched the couple, spying on their private time, invading the moments meant for just the two of them.
She rested her hands on the steps beside her and dug her toes in the sand, watching their red tips disappear before she flexed her calves, raising them slowly, the white sand shifting until the red showed again. Caroline was napping. JC was doing the same in his house and Joey and Ami…well they were falling in love. In all, it made Lauren feel quite lonely.
She’d stared unsuccessfully at her computer for over an hour before giving up. She’d even tried reading the novel she’d picked up the day before at Publix but it hadn’t kept her attention either. In fact, there was only one thing these days that was. Josh. She found herself constantly battling mentally about why she shouldn’t be falling for him and how, regardless of those reasons, she just didn’t care. The fact that she was getting slightly more than friendly vibes from him wasn’t helping. Small, almost unnoticeable touches that she felt like lightening, spending almost all day every day with him and his friends and the way he’d taken to calling her "baby" in the past few days. That one was driving her insane. Baby from his lips… she shivered at the mere thought.
"Are you cold?"
She looked up, startled to hear his voice so near. How had she not noticed him approaching? She smiled up at him, the reds and pinks and oranges from the setting sun coloring his face, making his eyes shine. "No, I just had a pretty thought, that’s all. Wanna sit?"
She scooted over just slightly and he dropped down beside her. He was wearing long jean shorts and a plain white undershirt so wrinkled it was obvious he’d crawled straight from bed. She could see the faint coloring of his nipples through the shirt and marveled at how erotic the thought of them was. She knew that men’s nipples weren’t usually regarded as sexual the way women’s were but the thought of brushing his with her tongue until they were hard and shining from her mouth… She shivered again and looked away, embarrassed.
He leaned back against the porch behind them, laying his arm along the sandy wood at her back. "Where’s C?"
"She’s napping. I think the two of you were cut from the same mold."
He snorted softly. "Sleep is good and I have to catch up on it when I can."
"I find it hard to believe that Joe has that much trouble distracting Ami from her book. I’d think he would be quite good at… distracting."
"He doesn’t try. He kisses her good night and comes in the living room. I think he’s in love and it scares the shit out of me."
"They are beautiful together. I catch myself watching them and wishing that were me, young and free. Some days I feel so old."
"You are only 3 years older than Joey. He’s not that young and you most certainly aren’t old."
Lauren leaned back and JC bent his arm curling his fingers around her nape. She shivered for the third time but this time JC knew why. Her expression, her eyes, told all. He knew then that he was going to kiss her and hell or high water couldn’t stop him. His eyes dropped to her mouth, perfectly shaped and pink. Her tongue peeked out nervously, gliding along her full bottom lip and JC almost moaned. His body bent and he inhaled, filling himself with her soft scent as his lips brushed lightly across hers. She exhaled, her warm moist breath fanning over his lips and chin. He stopped the flow with his mouth.. She tasted like candy, sweet and warm and addicting. His tongue traced the lip where hers had trailed only seconds before. She whimpered and JC felt his blood boiled. He leaned forward, bending her back against the steps as he deepened the kiss. His tongue slid further into her mouth, gliding against hers, teasing, tasting until he couldn’t think clearly. Drunk, he eased back, kissing her soft swollen lips several times before raising his eyes to meet hers. Hers were big and blue, full of surprise, but also showing that she was pleased.
"Well…" he breathed and she smiled the kind of smile that made his heart beat almost as hard as the kiss had. "…I have something to ask you."
"Yes?"
"You don’t have to answer now, but when Joe and Ami leave…I’d like to invite you over for dinner. Like…like a date. I’ll cook for you, no KFC, I promise. If…if you want to. C is, of course, invited as well."
"I’d love to, Josh. Are you sure? I mean…I kind of have a lot of baggage for you to be taking out on a date or…staying in on a date or whatever."
"I don’t consider Caroline baggage. And I’m not making promises…just a date. Then we’ll take it from there. Yeah?"
She nodded. "Sounds great to me."
His smile raised the moon. "Good."
* * *
Lauren sighed for what had to be the millionth time since JC had left just a little after sundown. He was going to eat dinner with Joey and Ami and although she’d been invited, she thought it would probably be best to give them both a little thinking time. She could still feel the kiss on her lips. She could taste him there. She’d licked her lips a thousand times making her certain his actual taste was long gone, but if she closed her eyes…
It was well after eleven and Carrie had been in bed for a little over an hour. Lauren had been lying on the sofa in her pajamas, staring at a novel and for far too long she had been reliving the afternoon over and over again. Her eyes were drifting closed when a soft tapping came at her door. She lifted her head recognizing his shape in her window. "Come in." She tried hard not to smile but there was no way to avoid it.
He grinned as he entered. "Hey." He was carrying a book.
"Hey."
He shifted from one foot to another. "I um…well, Joey didn’t come back into the living room tonight. I think …well, there is major "distracting" going on at my house right now – Ami is definitely not reading a book - and it just weirded me out. I thought I’d see if I could read on your sofa but I see the spot is already taken."
"Hmmm. I think there’s room for two…or you can have that chair…"
JC smiled and slipped off his shoes, crawling over Lauren to slide his slender body between her back and the couch. He wiggled against her, his hips adjusting to the curve of her bottom. Finally comfortable he exhaled against her neck. He propped an arm on top of hers and opened his book with one hand. Sighing, Lauren stared at her own. She hadn’t been able to concentrate before he’d joined her, now…the thought made her want to laugh. Instead she closed her eyes, concentrating on the warmth of his body against hers, his scent, his breath…the steady inhale and exhale of his breathing hypnotizing her, lulling her to sleep.
She was disoriented when she woke, sitting straight up in her bed. Blinking, she tried to focus. Hadn’t she been on the couch? Hadn’t JC been there with her? Had it all been a dream? Her room was just barely lit, dull and gray during that part of the morning when the sun hadn’t yet come up over the horizon. Sliding from the bed she peeked out the door and down the hall. All was quiet. Insistent on finding out if he’d really been there she tiptoed down the hall. About three-quarters of the way she saw his feet, narrow and bare on the armrest. She smiled, continuing to step lightly across the hard wood floor. As she moved, more of his lanky frame came into view. Rumpled jeans, tee shirt twisted around his torso leaving a portion of his muscular stomach bare. Lauren reached out unconsciously, curious to see if the light sprinkling of hair above his waistline was as soft as it appeared. Just before she touched him she realized what she was about to do. Jerking her hand back she stepped away from the sofa. She searched his face but he was still sleeping. Sighing with relief she tiptoed back to her bedroom.
It was almost an hour before she emerged again. The sun was beyond up but it was still early. Glancing at the mirror in the hall she shook her head at her reflection. He’d asked her on a date, kissed her and now she was going overboard with her appearance. She’d blown her hair straight and even put on a little make up. Chuckling at herself she checked on her daughter, who was sleeping soundly – butt up – before she headed for the kitchen.
It was another good hour and a half before the back of JC’s messy head appeared above the sofa back. He was facing away from her, face buried in his hands. "Please…please tell me that is coffee I smell."
"We’ve had this discussion before I believe." She smiled at the back of his head before returning her gaze to her laptop. She compared what she was reading on the screen to the paper version lying beside her on the table. He stood and turned to face her, stretching his arms high over his head and again she found herself staring at his stomach. Averting her eyes she stood and began to pour him a hefty cup of coffee. When she turned around he was just a few feet away, looking at the cup she was holding longingly. "Here you go."
"You rock…and so does your couch. I think both nights I’ve slept on your couch have been better than all the night’s I’ve slept in my bed at home put together."
"We’ll you are welcome to barrow it anytime as long as you don’t move it."
"Depends on if I get coffee and breakfast every morning when I wake up. If so, I’ll sleep on your couch every damn night."
"I haven’t actually started breakfast yet but I was thinking about French toast. You like?"
"Oui."
She smiled heading for the refrigerator to grab the eggs. "You like lots of cinnamon or what?"
"The more the better as far as I’m concerned but you make it the way you like it. I don’t care." His fingers brushed over the touch pad on her computer. "You working on the edits your friend sent you?"
"Yes. She’s so good. I don’t know what I’d do without her."
"I’m sure you’d do fine. Is Carrie still asleep?"
"Yes. I looked in on her just a few minutes ago. She sleeps with her butt in the air. I don’t know where she picked it up from but I can’t break her of it."
He smiled and disappeared around the corner with his cup in his hand. Lauren was whipping eggs and cinnamon in a bowl when he returned. "She’s so freaking cute. You need help?"
"Sure, you can get the skillet out." She called out instructions and he followed them, the two of them working side by side in the small kitchen until Carrie called out from her room. JC went to get her, appearing a few minutes later with the young girl sitting on his shoulders, her tiny hands fisted in his hair. He’d actually dressed her in shorts and a matching baby tee before bringing her out. She was barefoot and her hair was curling wildly in every direction but the fact that he’d attempted to get her ready was adorable.
"Here we are mommy. Dry bottom, clothes that match. It was the best that I could do."
He’d even changed her diaper? "Good morning, baby." Lauren waved at the child who looked half thrilled-half terrified clinging to JC’s head.
"Down," the girl requested and JC bent, reaching up to lift her off of his shoulders. He had to coax her into letting go of his hair. It was quite an amusing episode. After a quick kiss for mommy, JC buckled Carrie into her chair as Lauren made their plates.
After swallowing a particularly large mouthful, JC sigh. "You are so the best neighbor I’ve ever had."
She laughed. "Really?"
"Well…Mrs. Fatone, she was pretty cool. She cooked all the time, good Italian stuff. But you are way cuter than she was." He winked, and in response, she blushed.