Thanks for the reviews and support on this one. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Kate

- - -

CHAPTER TEN

Tatum left the room she'd be sleeping in and headed for the kitchen. Her mind was racing wildly. She was alone with Jeff for four days and Beth wasn't here. This would be much more awkward than she thought it would've been. Who was she kidding?! This was just Jeff.

The same Jeff who had kissed her not half an hour ago. The same Jeff who was- dancing around the kitchen to Ice, Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. She stood in the doorway, watching him as he rolled his hips in a circular motion just before he turned around to open the fridge and saw her. Tatum had liked the sight of him doing that and smiled a little nervously at him as he continued to sing along with the CD.

"Nice moves," she said to him.

He grinned and started moving his hips again, slower though and made a gesture to come over and join him. "Wanna dance?" She couldn't stop herself from moving forward as he grabbed her hands and pulled her close. Tatum blushed. She was not a good dancer but one of Jeff's hands pressed against her lower back, pressing their hips close together. The song ended and another started. It was Right Round.

Jeff was humming as she blushed at how close they were. He shifted and lifted her up slightly, moving until he had her pushed back into the bench, his arms trapping her.

Tatum lowered her head as he leaned down. He stopped and smiled before kissing her cheek. She made the mistake of looking up and was caught in a very passionate kiss. He put one knee between her legs and lifted up, moving her higher until she was level with him and he leaned her back a little.

Tatum's hands eased him back a little. He watched her as she fidgeted nervously before he pulled back. "Pizza is for dinner, cause I'm not in the mood for cooking tonight," he remarked and walked over to the fridge.

Tatum didn't say anything as she tried to calm down the racing beat of her heart. She opened her mouth a few times, still unsure of how to react to what he had just done. This was going to be a very long stay. Looking at him, she watched him bend down to look in the bottom of the fridge for something. Did anyone else who watched him ever notice how girly he could be? Just the thin hips and very nice strut he had. The butt moved like a girls would. She snorted, covering her mouth to try and stop herself from laughing as she realised what she was thinking and that her mind was beginning to play tricks on her. Jeff straightened up and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

She shook her head, cheeks bright red, before quickly leaving the room. Jeff watched her go and looked at the now empty kitchen before sighing heavily and heading down the hall leading to Tatum's room. Knocking, he leaned against the door. "Tatum?"

"Yeah?"

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No."

"Then can I came in?" Another no came from the other side of the door and he pulled a face. "Well, I'm gonna go and get dinner in ten. You can come if you want to." He was hoping she would, but she refused and he nodded. At least he hadn't done anything or so she had said.

- - -

The pizza boxes had been dumped in the bins outside two hours ago and Jeff was stretched out on one couch while Tatum was curled up in the recliner, reading a book. He smiled as he watched the way her lips moved in whispers as she read and her eyes scanned the pages quickly. Yawning, he stretched out and scratched his stomach before rolling onto his side. Tatum looked up and he patted the spot in front of him.

"What are you reading?" he asked. She got up out of her chair and walked over, crawling onto the couch and laying up against him on her belly while holding the book cover out to him. "What? The Lioness Quartet? Interesting."

She looked at him and smiled. He returned it and brought his hand up, pushing her hair out of her face. Fingering a strand of the dirty blonde locks, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Have you ever thought about changing this?" he mused, pulling back and giving the strand a very light tug.

She shook her head.

"I wouldn't know what colours to make it," she replied. He got up, crawling over her and then heading to his room. Flicking the light on, he heard her follow him as he looked through all the pots of Manic Panic hair dye that were covering his chest of drawers.

"Found it," he said. She walked over to him and took one of the pots out of his hand. It was raven black. Mm. That didn't sound too bad. When he handed her the other jar, she gawked at it.

"Not electric banana," she told him handing that jar back to him.

He chuckled and shrugged, picking up the next one and covering it. "No peeking. Come on."

"Wait! No. Show me which colour you're gonna put-" Turning around, he lowered his head to kiss, shutting her up.

"It's a surprise. Trust me, I won't let it turn out wrong, promise," he told her before guiding into the bathroom of his room.

- - -

Tatum sat there, wondering just what Jeff had done to her hair, he'd applied the colour to her hair out in the lounge room, covering the pot from her. He had her leaning back over the bath as he rinsed her hair out and talked to her about the next few weeks. With Matt and him both involved in Wrestlemania it would mean she would have to stay with Gil, not that she had a problem with that.

After extensive hair dying and straightening all the time with her eyes closed, he put her in front of the mirror and told her to have a look. She opened her eyes and they widened.

Her hair was raven black and Jeff had put electric lizard green streaks in it. She fingered it for a second before turning and hugging him tightly. Jeff smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"I love it. Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

- - -

Jeff watched the lightning strike outside his bedroom window out beyond the forest. He hated storms, especially when the power was out, like it was now. Tatum had gone to her room and he was now laying there, bored.

Sighing, he rolled over onto his stomach and had just shut his eyes when he heard a knock on the door. "Yeah?" His heartbeat kicked up a few paces as the door opened. What the hell was happening to him?

- - -

Tatum had been laying in the dark, shivering. She hated storms and the new room left her more than a little on edge because it was so dark and there was only a few pieces of furniture. A crack of thunder and lightning made her jump and squeak. Her heart was racing a thousands miles a minute.

Climbing out of bed, Tatum got her sleeping jacket - only half pulling it on - and blindly walked out of the room, nearly running into the door frame on the way. She tripped slightly in the hall just before she reached the door of Jeff's room.

Sighing, she knocked gently. Hearing him call out, she opened the door and slipped inside.

"Co- Could I join you? Its cold." She looked at the ground before she heard him move.

"Come here." He pushed the covers back and Tatum smiled, saying thank you before she removed her jacket and climbed in with him, snuggling in close to his side. He chuckled as she did and couldn't help but sigh when she felt his hand on her side. "What made you-"

"I'm afraid of storms, and don't feel comfortable in- well, its scary in that room," she admitted, blushing a bit as he laughed.

"You're afraid of the dark?" His arm went around her and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She huddled closer when thunder clapped outside, much louder this time.

Jeff smiled and pulled the blankets up over their heads, blocking out the lightning strikes. Maybe it was the sheer interest he had in kissing her or the static between them but Jeff had the sudden urgency to kiss her. And he gave in to the urge, his mouth finding and covering hers in a warm, sweet kiss. His skin was hot and he rolled over so he was on top of her as her fingers sunk into his hair and Jeff put more pressure into the kiss. His hands slid down her sides and he caught the end of her t-shirt, tugging it up as his hips moved instinctively. She stopped him and he leaned up on his elbows. Pushing the blankets off, Jeff rolled onto his back and patted his fingers along his stomach as Tatum rolled away from him. This was awkward. Jeff looked at her back and moved before his mind even thought of the move. His body curled up around hers, his hand sliding down over her stomach as heard her breath in heavily. Slowly, he put his lips to her shoulder and kissed down the silky smooth and honey tasting flesh. Trying so hard, Jeff kept his hand on her stomach as the other held her hair back. Her lips were parted slightly and he growled lightly, his teeth at her earlobe.

"I'll protect you," he whispered and felt her hand covering his own that was on her stomach. Slowly, he ran it up until he had firm hold on her breast and heard her moan softly as he squeezed lightly before letting her go and she rolled over, meeting his lips in a much more bolder kiss than he expected from her. His hand slowly slipped round her waist, pulling her tightly to him. Slipping one hand around her lower back to keep her close.

Jeff slowly broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, smiling gently, his hand reaching up to tuck a strand of her newly died hair back from her forehead. Thunder clapped outside around them and Jeff's smile grew as she curled up against him, this time managing to get to sleep. One thing was racing through his mind as he laid there for a little while afterwards; What the hell was he doing?