A/N: Thanks again for the reviews!… Am getting kinda stuck now but am trying so I apologise for how bad this chapter is! X

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

4

The rest of the week went by quickly and before Sharpay knew, it was the weekend once again. She went to a baby shower on the Friday for one of Kelsi's associates who'd she was also close to. The last-minute cake and all was a grand success, Troy called religiously when they were not working together in the office, once again trying to convince her to go to dinner. Sharpay didn't get home until late, so she slept late on Saturday morning, awakening only in time to do a cursory cleaning of the apartment, then shower and dress and meet several friends for the matinee they'd had tickets for for weeks. The show was as good as they'd hoped it would be, as was the dinner they shared afterwards. By the time Sharpay was back in the apartment, she felt relaxed enough to read long into the night. Hence, when her front buzzer rang early on Sunday morning, she had to practically pry her eyes open and drag herself from bed.

The sight she met in her peephole brought her fully awake. So much for security precautions, with neighbours who defied them by holding the door open for strangers.

"Go away Troy! I'm sleeping!"

His voice was muffled through the door, though distinct nonetheless, "You had all last night to sleep. And I've got breakfast. Come on, open up. The damn coffee's spilled all over the bag and it's burning my hands!"

She pressed her forehead to the door, knowing that if she ignored him long enough he'd leave. But she couldn't ignore him. She'd never been able to ignore him. Straightening, she slowly released the chain, slid back the bolt and opened the door.

Without so much as a hello, Troy dashed past her and headed to the kitchen, which wasn't hard to find since Sharpay's apartment consisted of a living room, a single bedroom and bath, both of which were off a short hall, and the kitchen, which lay just beyond an archway at the far end of the living room.

"God, what a mess," she heard him say as she slowly approached. Having set the bag on the counter, he was flinging the moisture from his hands into the sink. Then he began to search for a cloth.

"In the cabinet under the sink," she prompted quietly.

He opened it, tore off a lengthy strip of paper towel, mopped his hands, then wadded the towels beneath the sodden bag and went to work unloading what he'd brought.

"Bagels and cream cheese," he announced, placing each package on the counter. "And orange juice." He set the half-pint cartons beside the rest. "And the coffee that didn't quite make it I'm afraid."

"I could've made coffee. It's easy enough."

"I know," he said, only then turning to face her. "But I wasn't sure…" His gaze fell and his voice slowed "…if I'd…be, uh welcome…"

Only then realising- and with instant dismay- that she wore nothing but her short, silk nightgown, Sharpay turned and fled to the bedroom, returning only when she'd thrown on her robe and put on her slippers.

Troy had already taken plates from the cupboard and was in the process of setting things on the table. "You looked fine the other way."

"It was my nightgown, for God's sake."

"I know, I know," he muttered beneath his breath, then raised his voice. "But it covered everything. You needn't have worried. Not like I haven't seen it before." He shot her a teasing grin, which she rolled her eyes at. "Here, have a seat. Uh, on second thought, you'd better not." He gave her a sheepish grin. "I couldn't figure out how to work your coffee maker."

She gave him a well-what-did-you-expect-since-believe-it-or-not-this-isn't-your-home-after-all look, then went by without a word and set up the coffee. She turned to find that he'd already poured her juice into a glass and spread cream cheese on a bagel half, and was seated at the table. He patted the chair next to him. "Have a seat like a good girl. I can't eat until my hostess begins."

"Seems to me you're very much the host." She put one hand on the back of her chair and the other on her hip. "What are you doing here, Troy?"

"Having breakfast with you- at least I will be once you sit down."

"I told you I didn't want to go out with you."

He held up a hand. "Unnh. We're not 'out'. And you said no to dinner. You didn't say anything against breakfast."

"I thought it was understood," she said, but she sat in the chair anyway and watched as Troy took a mammoth bite of his bagel.

"Look Troy, I don't want to sound nasty but I wanted the weekend to myself. I need some break from work."

"This isn't work. This is fun."

"But I told you I didn't want that."

"I thought we were friends."

"We are but-"

"I'm a friend taking care of you at the moment, and I'm telling you to eat."

Giving in she finally started eating her bagel, "Did everything go well in Manhattan?"

"Very well, there's a company there, Loman's, looking for a buyer, seems like a sound investment. But it's your turn. Tell me about your baby shower."

"It was fun… nothing else really to tell."

"I bet you'd like to have a baby"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well the way you sounded on the phone when you told me about it."

"Well maybe a little but I'm more focused on my career."

"But you admit that you'd like to have a baby?"

"Why does this feel like an inquisition?"

Troy only shrugged, "I'm just curious, I'd have pictured you surrounded by little kids and a loving husband, well in my head that husband is me, and the kids aren't the first fantasy that comes to mind." He smirked at her, and his eyes were glazed with lust. "You're more comfortable with me now I can tell."

She looked at him puzzled for a moment "oh?"

"Sure. Just look at you. You're fresh from bed, sitting here in your nightgown and robe having breakfast with me."

"I'm only doing this so you'll see reason, I'm a mess in the morning, my hair's all over the place and I have no make up on."

Troy's voice grew very quiet. "You're not looking through my eyes, and I see something very different."

"Troy don't"

"I see a gorgeous women, who looks that much softer and desirable coming straight from bed."

Sharpay jumped from her chair, but he caught her wrist and, tipping her off balance, brought her down on his lap.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he asked.

"Not for a minute. Now let me up." She was holding her body rigid, but Troy seemed unperturbed.

"Not until I show you how you affect me first thing in the morning."

She tried to rise, but his arm tightened about her waist. When he put his lips to her neck, she began to squirm.

"Hold still," he commanded, his breath warm against her skin. "You smell so good."

"It's…it's the fabric softener…" she pushed against his arms, but to no avail "…that I put in …the wash…Troy let go!"

He didn't bother to answer, but began to lightly kiss the underside of her jaw. She closed her eyes and tried to rein her senses, but the war she was waging was hopeless because she could smell the clean, lemon-tinged scent of his hair, could feel the liquid heat of his mouth, and could fully appreciate the strength of the body that imprisoned her so effortlessly. He was male from head to toe, and, God help her, he made her feel female.

A final moan of protest slipped from her throat and then he was kissing her, warming her from the inside out, showing her the unbelievable pleasure to be gotten from the meeting and meshing of lips and teeth and tongues. Before she knew it she was clutching his shoulders, bunching the wool of his sweater in her fists as though she were drowning and needed a lifeline.

He kissed her again and again, taking the briefest of breaths between forays. She couldn't pull away because he suddenly seemed her sustenance, more so even than air or light or the blood that pumped so rapidly through her veins.

Her lips were against his hair then, and she was cupping his head while his mouth moved lower, lower. His hands, which had been stroking her from shoulder to hip, mover frontward, gently raising her breasts without quite touching them, until his face was buried between them. For a minute she wondered if she was the receiver or the giver. Troy seemed to be feeding off her nearness, as though she offered him something he couldn't live without. She knew it wasn't so, but for the moment she was willing to believe that she was different and special and even desirable. He muddled her mind, but she loved it. It was fantasy playing at its most glorious.

Troy then stood with her in his arms, never breaking the contact between them, and stumbled into what he hoped was her bedroom closing the door with his foot. As clothes began flying everywhere, they both knew it was just round two, and the game was far from over.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Sharpay groaned as her front buzzer went for the second time that day. Lifting the covers she realised she had no clothes, with the buzzer continuously going, she had no choice but to grab the closest thing to her, Troy's black sweater. Pulling it over her head, she cast a glance to the naked man in her bed and silently cursed herself for allowing it to happen again.

The door went, and it snapped her from her daze. She made her way to the door,

"Alright I'm coming just hang on". Sharpay opened the door and her eyes immediately widened as the faced of her brother, Gabriella and Kelsi stared back at her. "Uh… hey guys… what…what are you doing here?"

"We thought we would surprise you… and it seems to have worked, if your eyes get any bigger we could eat biscuits off them." Ryan stated, clearly oblivious as to why she would be dressed in only a sweater, a mans sweater to be exact. Gabriella and Kelsi weren't so oblivious though and both eyed her suspiciously with a slight smirk.

"Nice…sweater" Gabriella commented her smirk growing.

"Yeah…well you know how I like to be comfortable at the weekends." Sharpay stated weakly, knowing both females knew exactly what was going on.

"Right, do you like to be comfortable when you're having sex too?" Kelsi added.

Ryan nearly choked on his own saliva, "Guys …Shar's not having sex, I mean it's just you here right?"

Sharpay hesitated not knowing what to say. "Uhh …ye…um…"

At that exact moment Troy Bolton walked out of her bedroom, clad in only some boxers, scratching the top of his head, a huge satisfied smile on his face.

The three fully clothed people in the apartment looked from Troy and then back to Sharpay, who in turn looked down completely mortified. Kelsi and Gabriella exchanged knowing looks and smiled, Ryan's eyes widened and his jaw was only a few inches from the floor. Sharpay had her eyes closed, arms wrapped around her body, hugging herself and biting her lip, Troy shot them all a sheepish grin,

"Sooo…anyone for coffee?"