J/E's characters have been borrowed, and then borrowed again to amuse myself for fun. The profits from writing this have absolutely nothing to do with money, because I didn't make any.

This short essay contains adult language and sexual content. It also favors the character, Joe Morelli. If you find any of those to be offensive, stop reading now because this story will not be for you.

I actually wrote this right a while back after reading Chapter 19 from "A Plum of a Journey", by knm2009, so I could get some sleep. My brain would not turn off until I purged this from my system. After a bit of editing, I'm sharing it with you.

If you have not read knm2009's story, please do. It is a fantastically creative tale, which showcases the rocky relationship between Stephanie and Joe and what happens to each of them during and after an extended break.

Spoilers: With the generous permission of knm2009, I have included some excerpts from her marvelous story which led to my inspiration.

Kimberlina, you are the delightful dancing girl inside my music box. - T

Joe's POV – Ch. 17

The sound of her voice was turning me on more than I thought possible. God—I'd gone so long without anything, but there was nothing like the spark I shared with her.

… Need to respect her wishes. Need to be respectful until she's ready.

Leisurely, she slid her arms—one to hang over my shoulder and gently stroke my back, and the other to cup the base of my neck where she idly played with my overgrown hairline.

Usually the gestures would turn me on, but that night they had a sizzling effect over my body—like no other. I almost wanted to warn her away.

She knew the hold she had over me and slowly licked her lower lip before bringing it between her teeth.

"Christ," I whispered, staring at her mouth.

Her breathing picked up. "Are you ready to trust me fully, Joe?"

My eyes snapped to hers, and I nodded.

"Are you ready to start anew?" she continued in the same voice.

With each kiss throughout the night, I could feel the passion and love ratcheting up a notch.

But when our lips fused together then, it was unlike any kiss we'd ever shared before. It was passionate and wild—yet tender and loving. It was deeper than anything I'd felt in my entire life.

Giving a little growl, I reached for her again.

"More than ready."

Joe's POV – Ch. 19

"What?" I shrugged. "You kept saying no to me about my staying, so I convinced myself you were all right. As soon as I left though, I knew there was no way I was going to leave you alone all night."

Smiling wide, she happily proclaimed the truth.

"You love me."

I shook my head, jokingly trying to lighten the mood. "Sometimes I wonder."

In the past, I certainly had wondered how the hell she'd been able to get such a hold on me, but not anymore.

"Hey! That's not very nice! You better plan on sleeping on the couch if you don't take that back."

My eyes brightened. "If I take it back, does that mean I get to sleep in your bed?"

…"Nope. I'm still in slow mode." The seductive smile she gave me meant she wasn't going to last. "There are plenty of blankets in the guest room for you."

"Oh come on, Cupcake. You know that thing is too small for me."

"Lenny slept on it just fine, and he's bigger than you. There's no reason you can't. I had to sleep in the guest room at your house, and it sure as heck beats that lumpy thing at your current place."

I groaned. "Stop being right; it's a turn on."

She snorted. "To you, everything's a turn on."

"No, just stuff you do."

"…What're you going to do about it?" she asked teasingly.

… "I'm going to play dirty," I announced in a rough voice.

Steph's POV

Joe's lips were on mine; pulling me as close as possible and making me lose my train of thought.

His deep chocolate eyes were dilated almost black when our mouths separated.

"I don't know if I can stay in the guest room. It might be painful." He ground his lower body against me and grimaced.

"Good thing there's plenty of cold water," I said between gasps of breath. "I have a shower massager, but that won't help you much."

"None of that is going to help me," he groaned before adding in frustration, "Why are we waiting again? I'm going to fucking die before you give in."

…"The outcome will be worth waiting for, Joe," I promised. "Just a little longer."

Joe's POV

"You could kill a man with all your teasing. …" I exclaimed.

…Almost never could you call Stephanie a stupid woman. She knew what she was doing at all times—especially when it came to me, only I don't think she realized just how much of an effect she had with me.

She patted my cheek. "Just a little longer, I promise."

"You're worse than a medieval torturer," I whined playfully. The wait would be worth it. It had been in the beginning of our relationship, and it would be now.

Knowing that, however, didn't make it any easier. It was going to be hard. Who was I kidding? I already was so hard.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I scrubbed my hands over my face.

"Take a shower and then go to bed," Steph suggested. "You'll cool off and be as good as new in the morning."

"I'll be dead by then," I returned sardonically.

…I mindlessly gathered my clothes and towel to bring to the bathroom. Shucking my day old clothes, I turned the shower on and stepped in before the water had a chance to warm.

Picking up the girly shower gel, I took a sniff and found that although I wouldn't regularly bathe myself in it, the vanilla honey fragrance relaxed me a little. Besides the Dolce Vita, it was the underlying, enticing essence of Stephanie.

Lathering up my body, I started thinking…

There is no way in hell I am going to punish myself further with a cold shower. We like to let women think that's what we're doing. A man has two options when dealing with a painfully hard erection. Start reviewing sports scores until we're sufficiently distracted or relieve the pain manually.

The tension in my shoulders melted away as the hot, wet stream pulsed against my back. Steph always had the best muscle massagers. I grabbed her designer shampoo for a quick lather and rinse.

I loved her scent, so clean and fresh. I imagined being in her bed right now, my face buried in her neck, the scent of her hair, her soft body writhing under me. My nether regions twitched at the thought.

I wonder which setting Steph used when she―

In one swift motion I pulled the shower handle from its harness seat and aimed it at my abdomen. I closed my eyes for a few seconds after each turn of the dial.

Nope, too soft. Next. Mmmm, that's better but not quite enough. Next. Nope. Next. Ouch...shit that hurt. Next. Oooh, a combo stream. I'll bet that's it.

Startled by the click of the shower door, I quickly replaced the shower handle in its seat and turned around. A naked Stephanie sauntered towards me. I scanned the length of her trim body. She was even more voluptuous than I had remembered.

Her hands reached around my neck and fanned under the water stream.

"Uh-huh. Just as I thought. I was going to warm you up in the cold shower. Seems pretty perfect in here to me." Her fingernail traced a path along my hairline.

She gave me an amused look as if I'd been caught in a lie.

I stared into those deep blue eyes. I could get lost in her eyes for days. They twinkled with the innocence of an angel. What a perfect camouflage for a woman with the body of a goddess and the seductive allure of a she-devil.

She gently placed her lips to my ear, "I thought you might need my help since you were playing so very," she paused, "very dirty earlier."

Her tongue darted out to taste my earlobe and sucked gently. I felt an electric shock travel from the back of my neck, down my spine, to the tip of my toes. In an instant, every square inch of my skin blazed with tingles. If at all possible, I became even harder.

Although I'd been excited by her presence, I was in a state of utter confusion.

"I thought that―"

She put her finger to my lips.

"You know what your problem is, Morelli?"

She squirted some shampoo into her palm and began to wash my hair. A second wave of the soapy aroma filled my nostrils. Her touches were sensually erotic. I wasn't about to reveal the fact that I had already washed.

"No. What's my problem, Plum?"

Her fingers paused for a beat as she rolled her eyes. She tilted my head back under the spray and combed her fingers through my hair as she rinsed the lather.

"Your problem is that you think too much. Just clear your head and leave all the thinking to me. Relax and let me take care of you."

"I can do that. I've been thinking about a certain body part that you can take care of. That would definitely relax me."

"It's been a long time, but from what I recall, taking care of that certain body part is anything but relaxing," she said and reached for the vanilla body wash.

"Yeah, but afterwards, it's better than a bottle of Ambien. I recall you passing out cold after we did it. You could have slept through the space shuttle launch." I chuckled, "Just think, I could market my rocket as the cure for insomnia."

She set the bottle down and threw up her hands.

"You know what? Just forget it. This was a stupid idea."

"No, no. It's a great idea. I love this idea. I was just getting relaxed. Here." I put the bottle back in her hands and handed her the pink scrubbie.

She glared at me for a moment and then looked at the items in her hand. She wasn't moving.

"I'm sorry. I was just messing around."

I hope that I didn't just screw myself out of messing around.

I took the body wash from her and squirted some on the pink scrubbie in her hand. She still didn't budge. I took her hand with the scrubbie, placed it against my chest and stirred it around a little.

"Aaah, this is relaxing," I said.

Pushing my hand away, she shook her head with a smirk and began to cleanse my skin.

I relaxed as much as one could with a gorgeous, naked woman caressing every inch of your body with a loofah. I wasn't sure where she was headed with our erotic shower time, but I hoped it ended with lots of sweat and penetration.

I knew this time was going to be special. It would have meaning and was more than just sex. I just hoped the actual sex part wasn't too far away because, damn, it had been a long time.

"I know you were probably expecting to see me dressed up in some sexy little number."

I pulled her into a soapy embrace and traced feather-light circles on her back.

"Nope. This is perfect. Wet and naked happens to be my favorite look on you."

"I just thought that the shower just seemed to be the best place to― you know, start over with a clean slate."

"Mm-hmmm," I murmured kissing her neck. "I'm sure there's a sweet metaphor in there somewhere. I'm not supposed to be thinking right now. Let's save the intellectual talk for later."

Like when were too exhausted to think about it.

She removed the shower handle and adjusted the setting. Her fingers trailed along my body following the water flow as she leisurely rinsed me. I fought to maintain control of the primal instincts begging me to pin her against the wall and bury myself deep inside. This was her show. I had to be patient, for now.

She put the shower handle back and said, "Okay, do me."

I was momentarily frozen. She just declared open season. I couldn't decide where to start. I reached in between her legs and she swatted my hand away.

"My hair. I want you to wash my hair. Yeesh, you can think a little bit, Morelli."

"Oh! Gotcha."

My soapy hands returned all of the delicate touches she had performed on me. I preferred a hands-on approach to lathering her sexy body. The areas which drew a moan or a shiver were noted for future reference. Removing the shower handle, I rinsed her goose-fleshed body.

"Mmmm, that was nice and relaxing," she said in a lazy voice.

Her hand ran the length of my arm and she took the sprayer from me before I could put it away. A devious smile formed as she adjusted the flow to the 'ouch' setting. I watched her face contort as she put on a titillating show of spraying herself. I couldn't believe my eyes. It turned me on so much that I gave myself an involuntary tug.

She changed the setting and put the shower handle back. I immediately lunged for her. Plastering her body close to mine, I kissed her hard. Our limbs frantically touched and caressed every part of each others bodies. She tasted sweet and kissed me back with such intensity that I had to break away and look into her eyes for confirmation.

Did she want this as much as I did?

I planned to spend the rest of my life with her and wasn't about to push her if she wasn't completely ready.

God, I hoped she was ready.

I cupped her smooth, firm butt cheeks and pulled her tight against my hard erection. She shifted and rubbed her stomach against me.

"Oh, Jesus," I sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.

Pretty sure she was ready.

I kept one hand busy by massaging her bottom, holding her body close to mine. The other snaked around her neck during our impassioned kiss. I couldn't believe this was finally happening. Breaking the kiss, I leaned back to gaze into those deep blue pools once again.

She was so beautiful.

I had always known we were meant to be together. She drove me nuts as a kid. She made me insane as an adult. And yet, I couldn't imagine my life without her. Whenever were apart, I missed her like crazy.

Lady fate had planted Stephanie in my neighborhood for a reason. We were destined to be soul mates.

She cupped her hand to my cheek and I nuzzled into it.

"I love you so much, Cupcake."

The corners of her lips turned up into an affectionate smile.

"I love you, too, Joe," she said wrapping her hands over my shoulders.

She pushed up on her tip-toes to reach my lips. I bowed my head closer and she traced my bottom lip with her tongue. Our mouths fused and tongues mingled. No matter how tightly I held her, it wasn't close enough.

I felt her hand drift slowly up my thigh. I breathed a raspy moan into her mouth as her hand closed softly around me.

"You like that?" she asked.

"Yes," I panted. "God, I want you so much right now."

"Want more of this?" Her hand rotated around my hard shaft.

"Yes," my voice deepened.

She increased the pace of her gentle strokes and mimicked her movements with her tongue. Her fingernails scraped along my rib cage. Everywhere she touched became an erogenous zone.

I released my grip from her neck and slid my hand down to cup her breast.

"So perfect," I sighed tenderly.

I began to lightly trace my fingers around the curves avoiding the sensitive center. Her nipples hardened from the gentle touches.

It seemed her beautiful, perky breasts had been molded to fit my hand. I loved their perfect roundness and size.

I'm an honest to goodness breast man. This works out perfectly for us because Steph loved to have her breasts man-handled.

Her hand stilled on me, "Joe, I...I need you to―"

Steph was always shy about dirty talk, but I knew what she wanted. I hungrily took her porcelain breast in my mouth. I sucked and gently tugged her hard nipples between my teeth. A purr-like moan erupted from her throat. I knew she was enjoying this as much as I was. She spurred me on with her feather-light strokes along my shaft.

My mouth sought out the area below her ear and I passed my lips back and forth grazing the surface. I teased her like that for a few seconds before drawing a patch of skin into my mouth and massaging it with my tongue.

"Cupcake, you taste so good."

Her lustful groan vibrated against my lips. She repositioned herself within our molded embrace. Smoldering kisses danced across my pecks. Her tongue brushed a circle around my nipple.

"Mmmm, so do you," she purred.

Her path of nibbles, kisses and licks continued capturing water droplets down my chest. My stomach contracted as her playful tongue dipped in and around my belly button. Sheer anticipation caused my muscles to clench as her lips dragged along my abdomen.

I realized my erratic panting and tried to steady my breath. I was afraid of hyperventilating and passing out on her.

"Relax," she said and stroked my chest.

I tried, but I couldn't relax. I attempted to shift my focus to the pulsing water striking my back, but all of the exciting action was happening in the front. I knew what was coming next and was looking forward to it.

She lowered to her knees in front of me and began caressing my hips. Leaning forward, her velvety pink tongue darted out to trace around the rim and glide across the slit. Her tongue retreated to savor its first taste.

"Mmmmm."

Oh God, how I loved this woman.

Using only her mouth, she kissed, licked, and teased my rigid manhood. My erection twitched and danced in reaction. Her shimmering eyes met mine for constant approval. Seeing her perfect body from my point of view was such a turn on. Lewd and lustful ideas crept into my thoughts.

She let her taste buds to glide along the underside from the base to the tip. Without removing her feathery tongue, she sealed her warm wet lips around the engorged crown. Keeping steady pressure with the flattened surface underneath, she puckered her cheeks and sucked with an artistic savvy.

The throbbing arousal became too intense for the sensitive nerve endings.

"Stop!"

There was a moist popping sound as I jerked her head away.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, the exact opposite. It's been so long. I'm afraid I'm not gonna last."

"Then don't," she grinned at me sideways.

Her hands slid from my hips to scrape my inner thighs which didn't help matters any. I was ready to blow at any second, but I preferred it to be inside her. I want to fuck her against the shower wall in a raw carnal frenzy. I needed to feel those sexy long legs wrapped around my waist, her nails digging into my flesh, as we both came in a sweaty, trembling explosion.

"Just give me a minute," I panted and tried to regain some composure.

As much as my body was pleading for release, I didn't want this to be over in two seconds. I had more control than some horny teenager getting his Popsicle licked for the first time. Didn't I?

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked.

"Sweetheart, I hope you never stop."

"Okay. Let's see if I can cool you off a bit," she said and stood up.

She took the shower handle and began adjusting the temperature. I had expected the water to be arctic ice cold when it first touched my foot. Instead, it was more like cool pool water on a hot summer day.

Starting at my toes, she sprayed the tepid water up my foot, to the shin, past the knee, and paused at the junction near the top of my thigh. She followed the same path down and shifted to my other leg and repeated the cooling process.

There was a moment of suspense each time the water swept up my thigh, whether or not she would directly spray the specific body part that needed cooling off. I was thankful that she never did.

Her mouth was partially open as she contemplated my facial expressions. I forgot to mention that she was playing with my nipple the whole time she did this which made it difficult to remember the purpose of drenching my lower half.

Noticing my still rock-hard erection, she turned the water temp down a few degrees and continued to cool off my legs. With every casual pass, she made the water a little colder. When I was about at half-mast, she turned the water temp back up and put the sprayer back in its holder.

"Think you can hold out a little longer now?"

"I'll try. It's been a long time since you've had your hot little mouth on me. I'm going to remember this moment for a long time."

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"With my life," I replied.

Was there any other response when a woman had her fist wrapped around your most prized possession?

"Good. Cause you're gonna love this."

With a partially shrunken willie, she was able to put my entire length in to her steamy mouth as I grew. It's a fabulous feeling being sucked to full length. It seemed the cold water actually did help.

She began moving her head back and forth along the shaft. Tilting her head at various angles created indescribable sensations. I twisted my fingers in her wet curls and watched her take me further into her mouth with each forward motion. Her petite hand slid along the rest of my length that didn't fit. Her talented actions didn't require any guidance.

"So, you planned all this?" I asked.

"Mmm-hmmm," she hummed.

The vibration of her lips caused me to growl a throaty moan. It felt like I had been dipped into a hot tub with pop rocks bursting at the surface. I wanted her to do it again.

"When were you planning on letting me in on this little surprise of yours?"

She looked up at me and said, "Kinda takes an element out of the whole surprise, don't you think?"

Although it had been only briefly, my penis chastised me for causing her to remove her mouth. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Only questions with an affirmative answer from now on.

"Are you doing this so I will last longer later?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

Another electrified jolt traveled through me, making my testicles jump. This was getting good.

"You're really good at that."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Do you have any idea how fantastic your making me feel right now?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

The fingers of her free hand stroked up and down her inner thighs. To me, it seemed like a physical cue that her body was craving attention. I reached down and she pushed me back up by my chest.

"I need to touch you. Please, let me touch you."

"Mm-mmm."

A negative response drew the same tingle. I had to do something to help her out.

"Are you thinking about what I'm going to do to you later? How I'm going to play with your body?"

"Mmm-hmmm."

The hand stroking her thighs disappeared in between her legs. The combination of her humming moans and reckless self-pleasuring was almost enough to push me over the edge.

I asked seductively, "Are you thinking about how good it will feel when I'm sliding in and out of you, having your legs wrapped around me tightly, while I'm kissing your neck?"

Because, that's what I'm thinking about.

"Mmm-hmmmmmmm."

The surreal view was obstructed, but I imagined in graphic detail what was happening down below from her vigorous movements. I felt the familiar tightening in my groin.

"I'm so close, Cupcake."

"Mmmmmmmmm."

She began to massage and tug at my balls with her slick fingers. Meanwhile, the tingling hums continued to surge throughout my entire lower body, curling my toes.

"Shit! Don't stop," I begged.

She sucked and bobbed with focused determination. I needed to busy my hands. Cupping them to her bustling head, I gradually pulled her deeper, trying to not seem demanding.

It all happened so very quickly, but I remember every sublime detail as if we were moving in slow motion.

I reached a point of no return and the explosion began. There was a brief moment of searing pain, followed by instant relief as I released months of what I'd been holding back. The frenzied adrenaline rush was like the bungee jump at the State Fair. It was a thrilling ride I never wanted to end.

I vocalized a baritone roar and twisted my fingers in her hair to still her passionate advances. The churning in her throat caused her tongue to massage the underside, thus prolonging the alleviating waves.

This was the amazing moment I had been waiting for. The feeling of pure bliss when you let go and everything is right in your world. The Etch-A-Sketch of your mind is shaken and wiped blank, empty of any thoughts. If you were to die at that exact moment, it would be okay.

No worries about which bills needed to be paid, when to schedule the next vet appointment, or if you remembered set the DVR for the Rangers game. In those few joyful seconds, you are totally free.

The next best part is the afterglow when you return from your out of body experience. It's a harmonious feeling to be gazing into the adoring eyes of the woman you plan to share your life with. It's a feeling of security and closeness. There is no doubt, only solace, because you know that this kind of euphoric encounter will happen again and again.

Slowly, she drew her mouth back down my shaft and lightly swirled around the sensitive tip to capture every last drop.

I released her hair and braced one arm on the cool shower tiles before my legs gave out. I exhaled deeply, liberating the last breath I held in at the end.

"My God, Cupcake, that was…" I was at a loss for words. "Wow!"

She gently placed her hands on the front of my thighs and leaned back on her heels. I gazed down at her, reeling with immense emotion, as she traced her tongue around her rosy lips.

The satisfied smile of a job well done formed on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but a gentle rapping at the door halted her words.

Quickly, I snapped back into reality. Now, very aware now of my surroundings, my eyes darted toward the direction of the knocking.

"Joe? Is everything ok in there?" Steph asked from behind the closed door.

I looked down at the milky substance coating my fingers and caught a glance at the remnants dripping down the tiles. I thanked God that her timing hadn't been any earlier. I ran my hands under the stream and unholstered the shower handle to rinse the wall. The water had turned cold and I shut off the valves.

"You've been in there a while and it kinda sounded like you were in pain," she said, but her tone was more like a question.

"I'm fine, Cupcake."

I grabbed a towel and roughly rubbed the water from my hair.

"Hang on a minute. I'll be right out."

I grabbed another rolled-up towel off the shelf and wrapped it around my hips. Still dripping wet, I opened the door swiftly to see her startled face.

I wrapped my arms around her small waist and pulled her close.

"Oh! You're still wet." She futilely tried to push me away.

"Sure am, sweetheart." I leaned in close and whispered into her ear, "Let's see how wet I can make you."

When she shivered, I knew my double meaning wasn't lost.

"It's a good thing you took a cold shower. Otherwise, I'm sure there wouldn't be any hot water left for me in the morning," she said with a sarcastic grin.

The angle from which she stood reflected the hallway light in her eyes. Those big, beautiful, sparkling blue eyes. I couldn't look away.

"What?" she asked.

My mouth came crashing down upon her lips and she melted into me. I felt her fingertips glide up my chest. She gave a firm, but gentle push breaking us apart. The look on her face said it all. It was a look that told me, as hot as she was right now, it wasn't gonna happen.

"I have fantasies about you in the shower, you know," I said and wrapped one of her brown curls around my finger.

"Yeah, well, clear those thoughts out of your head, mister. I'd hate for you to punish yourself with an unfulfilled fantasy."

I chuckled at her response and kissed her again.

"You were wrong about the shower massager," I said after breaking our kiss. "It was just the thing I needed to... relax."

"We'll, that's good," she responded. "I'm headed back to bed before I get any crazy ideas seeing you in that towel."

"Probably a good idea. G'night, Cupcake. Love you."

She took a few steps and I playfully swatted her butt. She let out a squeal and scurried towards her room.

Before closing the door, she returned, "I love you, too, Joe Morelli, and don't you ever forget that. I'm going to show you just how much very soon."

I strolled into the guest room with the biggest grin on my face and flopped onto the futon from hell. There is no way in hell Lenny fit on this lumpy contraption. He must have lied to avoid hurting Steph's feelings.

My thoughts began to wander. I analyzed the fictional shower conversation. Deep down, I knew it was a sign. It was my subconscious telling me that our trust issues had been resolved. It was truly time to move forward and start a new beginning. We unconditionally loved each other and from now on, everything was going to be okay.

I have had some great fantasies about the woman I've wanted to marry in the past. What had just happened surpassed them all. I'm definitely saving this one in hopes of a future reality.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to take her out and show her a good time. By the end of the night, she'll be begging for me, just as I had imagined her making me beg minutes earlier. I deviously began plotting tomorrow night's repayment in my head, but quickly drifted off into a pleasant slumber.

Suddenly, the door clicked open. I fought to open my heavy eyelids after being roused from a slumberous state. A sliver of light, shining in from the hallway, grew on the off-white wall. The sound of the door dragging on the carpet was evident.

A few seconds later, her timid voice whispered, "Joe, are you awake?"