"This is adorable," Holly ran her fingers across the top of an espresso bookcase next to a tall case of DVDs. "Did you make it?"

"I can't take credit for that, no." Jude drew a hand across his beard and gave a fleeting laugh.

Holly's eyes scanned the book titles that were scattered neatly in the nine squares that made up the piece of furniture and smiled when she saw a yearbook.

"What?" He asked, giving a simple-infused grin as he noted the amused look on her face.

Holly removed the black-binded yearbook and held it up. "May I?"

Jude laughed and scrunched his nose. "Ya know I keep meaning to put that in a box and store it in the attic."

She opened the first page and then flipped through a few pages with her thumb. When she landed on a page full of senior head shots her eyes scanned the names, all of which began with the letters A, B and C.

"Fisher, Fisher..." Holly raised her eyes, smirking at Jude as she knew it was painful for him waiting for her to discover his photo.

"Will you believe it if I say I was sick that day?"

Holly's eyes finally scanned the last names that began with F and in the second row of the page she came across Jude's senior portrait.

An ear-to-ear grin spread across her face and she tapped it with her finger. "You're super cute," she gushed, mentally comparing his facial features. Holly held the book up in front of her and the two of them shared a laugh. "Shave the beard and you look the same."

Jude subconsciously touched his facial hair again. "I am getting some grays."

Holly put the yearbook down and shook her head. "You wear it well." She continued to smile and read the quote that he had chosen next to Jude's picture. "Let the good times roll."

"I was very deep when I was seventeen," he said sarcastically with a laugh.

"I miss that carefree mindset." Holly grinned.

"So just be carefree then."

She thought about it for a moment. Why couldn't she? Jude seemed to find the perfect balance of work and play. She guessed that was the key to both happiness and success.

"It's not that easy."

"Sure it is." He nodded.

Holly's eyes traveled to where his guitar was perched on a stand in the corner of the room. "Do you mind playing something?"

Jude looked over his shoulder and then retrieved the instrument before sitting on the couch, motioning for Holly to join him.

"I'll do you one better," he said, handing it over. "Free guitar lesson."

She chuckled. "I have zero musical ability."

"Neither did I at one point." Jude nodded with his head.

Holly had never really held a guitar and so she tried to look at least mildly competent.

"The strings all have a letter note." He pointed to each one. "E-A-D-G-B-E." Jude saw the look on her face as if to say, 'I'll never remember that'.

"Gotcha." Holly couldn't even fake a hint of confidence.

"Here's the way you remember." Jude motioned to each one again. "Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie."

Holly snickered and looked over at him. "Well that I'll remember." She strummed the strings with no rhyme or reason and then Jude retrieved a pick.

"Try to play each string by itself." He used his hand to demonstrate. "The trick is to curve your fingers like this."

Holly took a good look and tried to do as he said. Carefully she strummed the top string and then went to the second. The sound was muffled and she looked up at Jude.

"That's alright." He put his fingers over hers and repositioned her fingers just slightly. "I know it feels uncomfortable at first."

She followed his command and slowly strummed each string with an over exaggerated curve of her fingers.

"There ya go." Jude smiled wide.

"I don't know how you play so easily." Holly repeated the simple notes.

"Lots of practice."

"This takes a toll on your fingers huh? I've only played a few notes and I already feel it."

"Yeah they toughen up," he explained. "You get used to it." When Holly looked back up at him he nodded at her. "Want to try the first few notes of Stand By Me?"

"Sure."

Jude motioned to a few places on the guitar for Holly to hold down while strumming the opposite end with the pick. Slowly she heard the familiar tune begin to evolve though it was done piece by piece.

A smile formed on her face and Jude remained encouraging. "Now do two notes at a time without looking at the pick," he said.

Holly fumbled on the first two tries but then found herself managing the first two notes and then the second pair without a hitch.

"That's better, see." Jude's wide smile made her grin back and she nodded, attempting the next two notes.

"It's so fun hearing it come together."

"Yeah it's great."

Holly could hear the genuine joy in his voice. It made her feel warm inside. "I don't know how you do it."

"Practice," he said again.

"I mean going up on stage," she added. "It must be so nerve-wracking."

"It's fun... a little exhilarating when there's a big crowd."

"I bet." Holly flatted her hands over the top of the guitar and looked at him. "You should give lessons."

"I am right now," he reminded her.

"Right." Holly smiled wide and placed it in her lap, leaning her arms over the top of the guitar now.

Jude sat just a few inches away and continued his playful antics. "Your turn."

"For what?"

He leaned closer to her. "To return the favor." Jude kept his lips dangerously close to hers, still grinning, but never allowed them to touch.

Holly couldn't help it when she felt his breath enter her mouth and leaned the rest of the way, at first leaving a long, closed-mouth kiss on his lips.

When Jude's eyes closed and he smiled against her she followed his lead, pressing her eyes shut and kissing him with more passion this time.

Jude moaned into her mouth when he felt her set the guitar to the side and allowed her to gently pull him on top of her on the couch so her head rested on top of one of his decorative pillows.

Holly didn't let up, kissing him hard and let out a deep breath when she felt him instinctively pull up on her left leg so it was partially wrapped around his waist.

She didn't have time to think about boundaries or if for some reason it might be wrong to cross a line with Jude so early on in their relationship. For once Holly decided to act on what she was feeling rather than search for reasons to hold back. She likes him, he liked her, they were both adults... there was nothing more to think about.

Holly adjusted so her right knee now traveled up past his waist and for the first time felt how aroused he was as his hips pressed against hers.

She engulfed a fistful of his hair when his lips traveled down her cheek to her neck but froze at the same time as he did when the doorbell rang.

Jude breathed heavily on top of her, painfully allowing his eyes to flicker open and turned his head toward the side.

Holly swallowed hard and kept her arms around him for a moment. She, too, couldn't get out a steady breath. When a series of polite knocks followed Jude looked back at her, sighing another time before pushing himself up off his hands and running through his hair.

Flustered, he glanced toward the door that was out of sight and straightened up his collar.

His words came out as Holly simultaneously thought the exact same phrase. "Who the hell could that be?"