AN: Just because I haven't updated in a couple days, I suggest that you read chapters eight and nine again before reading this one. I think this chapter might be bordering on an R rating.

My first review responses are at the bottom!

Chapter Ten

It's two in the after noon and Lexi and I are on our way to Abby's house for Jakes pool party. This should be pretty interesting. Trent is going to be there and I can't wait to meet him, I'm just very curious as to what Abby's husband is like. I hope I don't like him, then I won't have to feel bad about being in love with the woman that's divorcing him. I guess it would be easier if he really is as big an ass as everyone says.

We walk up to the door and push it open a little, letting ourselves in. Walking to the back, I spot Abby right away. She's wearing a wife beater with a black bikini top showing through it, a cut off jean skirt, little black flip flops and a pair of sunglasses on her head, holding her hair out of her face. She looks amazing; her body is incredible, her face sparkling in the sun. Maybe she is trying to make Trent jealous, showing him what he can't have. I look around the pool, trying to determine which one is the soon to be ex-husband but I don't see any other men around. I walk out the French doors, Abby turning around to greet us.

"Hi guys!" She walks up to Lexi, pulling her into a hug and kissing her head. "I missed your sweet face" She lets her go and stands straight up again, coming face to face with me.

"Hey" She smiles radiantly. She is the ultimate bombshell mom.

"Hey" I reach for her and kiss her cheek lightly and then I notice a man staring at me from the corner of my eye. Bingo! That must be Trent. I pull away from her because I feel like I'm being watched, the man making his way over to us.

"Hi, I'm Abby's husband, Trent" He shoves his hand at my body, between Abby and I; I think to make a statement. Abby roles her eyes at me behind Trents back. I almost laugh, but I am able to hold it in, thankfully.

"John Carter, good to meet you" I am going to be friendly, but what I would really like to do is rip this guys eyes out for hurting Abby so much. But I know that that wouldn't be such a good idea today.

"Likewise, Mr. Carter." He puts his arms around her shoulder, Abby obviously feeling uncomfortable with him doing so.

"Dr. Carter" Abby corrects him as she pushes his arm off her shoulder.

"Excuse me" He walks away, I think a little pissed that Abby isn't going to let him pretend that they are a happy, committed couple.

"Sorry about that" She's got an annoyed expression on her face. She seems uncomfortable with the whole situation and I think that she is apologizing to me because she knows that I have feelings for her.

"Don't apologize to me. I was feeling bad for you" I touch her waist lightly, but pull back, remembering that Trent is probably watching her like a hawk. It's a big bummer that on the one day the woman is wearing next to nothing I can't get close to her at all. I know I'm a total pig. But I am so attracted to her, how can I resist. Well, it will be easy to resist when Trent is around because I definitely am not in the mood for a confrontation.

I turn around with Abby, spotting Susan sitting with Sophie in the shade at the table near the pool.

"Give me that little angel" Abby holds out her hands and Susan hands her the sleeping baby, Abby draping a blanket over her shoulder and rocking Sophie back and fourth. I look at her and smile; she loves that baby so much. She is so maternal, so nurturing and warm. I love that part of her more than anything. Just watching her cuddle the baby makes my heart flutter terribly. I look over at Susan and notice that she is noticing me staring at Abby. She gives me a funny look and then motions her head towards Trent who is hanging out on the other side of the pool. I think the look says, "Try not to go there with the ex around". I shake my head at her and turn around to see an excited Jake running up to his mommy and me.

"Can Lexi stay and help me open my presents?"

"Of course she can" Abby looks back at me for my approval and I shake my head yes at her. I just hope that Trent isn't going to stay around after the party. Then it would be me, Abby and Trent hanging out with the kids. I'm not sure that I can deal with that but I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

Jake jumps back into the pool to play with all his friends leaving the adults and baby Sophie to chat at the table. Abby pulls up a seat next to me, laying Sophie down on her lap and gently running her hands over her back.

"Susan, I don't know if I'm going to let you take her home with you when the party is over." Abby jokes with Susan, never taking her eyes off the baby.

"Well, that's fine, I'm sure you'll want to return her to me once she keeps you up all night fussing"

"No, I won't" She says to Sophie in a soft baby, sing song voice, a smile still on her face. "She's a little angel" I stare at her stroking the baby as she looks up quickly, catching me watching her. I don't even care; I'm caught, good. It's about time. Maybe this way I won't have to tell her how I feel; maybe she will just see it and feel it. I continue to watch her. She knows now that I am and she continues to smile at the baby then at me. In another world we could be this little girl's proud parents, a happy family.

A couple hours later the party is winding down, as children start to disappear one by one from the swimming pool.

"Excuse me Abby" I look up quickly and almost fall out of my seat, its Trent standing right over us. I look away for a second, fantasizing that if I don't look his way, he won't see me sitting close to his wife. But Abby doesn't do anything but look up at him; she's not scared of him, not intimidated by his cool demeanor. He gives me a quick accusing stare and then turns back to her.

"I've got to get to a meeting; it seems like most of the parents have picked up their children already." She nods her head at him. "Can you walk me out; I want to talk to you"

Abby gently hands Susan the baby who has been sleeping in her arms for the better part of the party. She gives me a quick raise of her eyebrows as she gets up, not grabbing his outstretched hand. I watch her walk away, following him to the door. I can see the back of her from where I'm sitting and I can't help but look, trying to figure out what they could be talking about. I hope she doesn't kiss him. I keep saying it over and over in my head. Don't kiss him, don't kiss him, don't kiss him! I hear Susan telling a story in the background as I keep one eye on Abby and Trent and the other on Susan, trying not to be so obvious. I watch as Trent reaches for Abby, like he is going to kiss her, but she pulls away and he leaves angrily. Yes! She pushed him away! I smile slightly to myself as Susan gets up and places Sophie into her basinet.

"Carter. Earth to Carter!" She's talking to me; I must be in la-la land.

"Ya, ya, sorry" I look up at Susan with a shake of my head.

"Were heading out, we've got to get Sophie home. You sticking around?" She winks at me and I laugh a little at her insinuation.

"Yes" I say it like a giddy teenager, as I feel too soft hands on my shoulders.

"Thank you for a having us, Ab" I turn around seeing that it is Abby standing behind me, touching me like I am hers.

"Oh, thank you for being here" She smiles at Susan and moves around me to hug her goodbye.

I look to the distance to see that the sun is starting to set, creating a slight breeze in the air. Abby takes a seat next to me, pulling a chair close and I notice her arms have sprung goose bumps. I grab the bag that I packed for me and Lexi and pull my sweatshirt out of it, placing it around her shoulders, unfortunately covering my view of her beautiful body.

"Thank you" She pulls the sweatshirt closer to her body and shivers a bit, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. I scoot my chair closer to her, reaching my arms out to warm her up as her hair starts blowing in the wind.

"Jake, Lexi, its time to get out of the pool now, its starting to get cold" She calls out to them as I grab her arm, lifting her out of her chair and on to my lap as I continue to rub my hands down her arms to warm her up. I mover her on to my knees so she isn't sitting that close to me, but surprisingly, she scoots her butt back so she is fully on my lap, leaning against my body. I rub down her arms a little more and then wrap mine around her, resting my head on her shoulder. I'm so glad that all her guests are gone and that I can be alone with her.

"Mommy, can I open my presents now?" Well I guess not truly alone. Jake pops out of nowhere and I almost push Abby right off of my lap. I'm not sure if he should see his mom being close with another man, but she doesn't flinch at all, so I guess I won't protest either. I'm sure he's too young to understand that we are being semi intimate by her sitting on my lap. The kids pull up a couple seats at the table, Jake toting a big trash bag of presents over his shoulder.

"Sure sweetie, bring me a pen and paper so I can write down everything that your friends got you" She asks Jake to get her what she needs, maybe that means that she is comfortable on my lap and doesn't want to get out of it. Jake grabs the first present out of the bag and it happens to be the one from me and Lexi. He shreds through it and as soon as the item is revealed, his face lights up like the sun.

"Play station 2!!" Jake shrieks and Abby turns around in my lap.

"John!" She firmly calls out my name as if she is going to punish me.

"What?" I play innocent.

"That is way too expensive!"

"Oh, please" I shrug her off as Jake comes running into our laps.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He quickly hugs me and then walks back to Lexi to thank you her too.

"Can we play now mom, can we?" The kid is jumping up and down like a monkey, so excited.

"Sure baby" Abby smiles at me and mumbles a genuine thank you into my ear as I smile back at her. The kids scurry off with Jakes new present, leaving us alone again by the pool. I rub my hands down her arms and over the tops of her upper legs, bringing her closer to me as she stretches her neck out and strains her back.

"Your back still hurting you?" I move my hands over her, gently massaging her. She scoots her body up a little bit, making room for me to get my hands between us to give me better access to her back.

"Ya, I can't seem to get that spasm under control for the past couple of days."

I turn around and look at the Jacuzzi, a light bulb going off in my head.

"You should take a Jacuzzi, the hot water should loosen you up a little" She turns around in my lap again, looking at me and then back at the inviting Jacuzzi.

"Come with me?"

I nod my head at her; this is a dream come true, Abby and I alone in a hot tub. I lift her off of me and pull the sweatshirt off of her shoulders as I get up. Moving closer to the Jacuzzi, I pull my shirt up and notice Abby watching me as my head pops out of the bottom of it. I smile at her; we are both not hiding the attraction anymore as we undress in front of one another. She unzips her jean skirt and lets it fall to her feet, stepping out of it and throwing it on the empty chair next to her. She then lifts her tank over her head, stretching her body as I steal a peak at her before her head comes out from the other end. Here she is, standing in front of me in a black bikini, her sun kissed skin glowing in the dusk, her blond hair flowing in the wind. I step down into the hot tub, Abby dipping a toe in first to test the water.

"It's not too hot" I grab her hand as she walks into the water, taking a seat in front of one of the jets. I sit across from her, wanting her to be the one to move closer to me. I don't want to push her, so I will make the subtle moves and let her react to them and hopefully make others in response. I watch her settle into the water, her long hair half way wet, pooled around her shoulders.

"So what did Trent want before he left?"

"He wanted to say goodbye to me privately so he could try to kiss me" She says it shaking her head, as if it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Did he succeed?" I ask her even though I already know the answer; she doesn't know that I was watching.

"Nope" She shakes her head, proud of herself.

"Good for you" I feel her foot against my leg under the water, but I'm not really sure if she meant to touch me or not. I reach my hand down, picking up her foot and putting it in my lap, massaging it intensely. She closes her eyes, comfortable with my assault on each one of her toes.

"He was angry at me when he left, he asked who you were" Her eyes are still closed as she leans her head back on the edge of the hot tub. I watch her enjoying herself.

"Oh, really" Ha! That little fucker asked about me! I let her foot go and pick up the other one, rubbing it the same, except I let my hands travel a little bit up her leg this time, massing her smooth skin. "What did you tell him?" This might sound like a stupid question, but I guess this might be my way to ask her what's going on with us, but I don't think I am going to get it out of her that easily. Besides, it's not like I have told her how I feel.

"I told him that you were a good friend that I work with and that I like to spend time with you." I nod my head at her. That's a better answer than I thought I would get. "And then he asked me if I was sleeping with you" Whoa! I almost choke on my own saliva. The thought of that alone makes me quiver. Why would he think that? Did I give off a vibe that told him that I was interested? I probably did, I just can't help myself.

"Was it that obvious?" I joke sarcastically.

"Ha" She laughs at my comment. "He's the total jealous type" She opens her eyes, looking at me as I am still rubbing up and down her legs.

"Well, unfortunately for me, he has nothing to be jealous of" I joke with her, although I mean it, hopefully she'll catch that I wish he had something to be jealous of.

"Well, I beg to differ. Don't you think he would like to be sitting here with me in a Jacuzzi rubbing my feet?"

"Actually yes, I would think that any man would like to be in my position right now" We smile giddily at each other, Abby rolling her eyes at my comment. I don't think she knows how hot she is.

"Well, come on. I'm cute but I'm not that cute" She pulls her foot away and I miss it instantly. I wasn't really ready to let her go yet.

"Oh, please, your beautiful" I say it nonchalantly as she stands up in the water and lifts her hands to pull her hair out of her face and into a knot on top of her head. She bites her lip and lifts her eyebrows at my comment. She then settles back into the water, although this time, right next to me and resting her hand on my knee under the hot water.

"Well that's good, because I'm single now, ya know" She's joking around and flirting, she is adorable.

"So does that mean that you're ready to start dating?" I lift my hands and splash my head with water, letting drops run down my face to cool myself off. It's getting hot in here, not only from the water, but from the closeness and conversation that we're having. I let my hands fall back into the water, resting one of them on top of Abby's and intertwining our fingers.

"I was thinking about it" She replies quietly, almost in a shy manner.

"What were you thinking?" She moves a little bit off the step, her hair starting to fall out of the knot that she put it in. With her fingers still attached to mine she dunks her head into the water and raises back out of it, her hair slick and dripping now. I think that she's teasing me, avoiding my question, soaked and half naked. My body quivers for a second as I look at her, not speaking, and I am suddenly very aware of a growing bulge in my swim trunks. I quickly flash myself a vision of my grandparents to deflate it. I then yank Abby's hand, pulling her body into my lap, her back against my chest.

"What were you thinking?" I whisper into her ear, commanding an answer. She turns around on my lap, straddling me, my hands running up and down her bare sides, my brain flashing me pictures of the geriatric ward to keep me from poking her. She swallows hard, her eyes locked on mine. I'm trying to read something from the lustrous expression on her face, but I don't want to assume anything.

"I was thinking . . . yes" I run my fingers up her back, bringing her closer to my body. I look down at her sitting on top of me and then look up to meet her eyes again. "Yes" She says again in a raspy whisper, biting at the bottom of her lip. She reaches out a hand under the water and slowly rubs it down my chest and back up again, then up my neck to the side of my head. She is so close to me, touching me, torturing me.

"Say it again" I ask in a low tone, her voice unbelievably sexy with each "yes" that she whispers.

"Yes" She bends her head down and kisses my shoulder, her soft lips traveling up towards my neck.

"Yes" I repeat back to her. I bend my neck back to give her better access, closing my eyes while my hands travel up her back to cup the back of her head. She kisses my jaw line and whispers into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "Yes" I open my eyes and stare into hers, our faces centimeters apart. I cup her face, my lips meeting hers gently as she slides her hands down my arms. The kiss is soft first, not rushed, perfect and gentle and filled with emotion. I open my mouth, my tongue begging for entrance and she brings me in, passionately massaging my tongue with hers. I open my eyes for a second to make sure that this is for real, to look at her and know that she is here, right in front of me. I continue to kiss her, my hands wondering down her sides and back up into her hair. A groan escapes my mouth as she pulls back from me, looking at me and smiling the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I lean in to kiss her lips one more time before she speaks.

"We wouldn't want the juveniles to catch us" She whispers to me, both of us suddenly aware that the kids could run out here at any second.

"No we wouldn't" I stare at her, her hands trailing under the water, up and down my chest. I look down into the water watching her glide her hands over my body.

"You're torturing me here" I say it in a low, shaky voice, Abby mischievously smiling at me, like that's what she meant to do. I position my hand over hers to stop her from rubbing my chest, if she continues to touch me like this, there will be an embarrassing scene and I don't think either of us wants that. She lifts her body off of mine, catching my drift, the water around me suddenly cold without her presence. I step out of the Jacuzzi into the chilly evening air, grabbing a towel and turning around to wrap it around Abby. I grab another one from the chair behind me, placing it over my shoulders and then pulling the ends of Abby's towel, bringing her body closer to mine. I run my hands up and down her arms; drying her and then pulling her into my towel, letting hers fall to the floor. I wrap my towel around us, looking into the house to make sure that the kids aren't around. She looks back also to be sure, turning her head, leaving her neck exposed for me to place delicate kisses along her skin. She laughs a little, placing her hands on my chest and pushing me back from her as I laugh too. We both know that we have to stop or we are going to get caught. It's like we are teenagers who want to make out, but someone's parents are home and we will have to make other arrangements. I can't wait for those other arrangements.

It seems that we have stepped away from each other just in a nick of time as I see Jake running up to us behind Abby.

"Mommy, were hungry" Abby turns her head around and steps out of my towel as I pick up my sweatshirt from the chair and place it over her shivering, bikini clad body.

"Okay, sweet pea I'm going to order us a pizza or something" She looks back at me, the expression on her face asking me what I think about that. I nod my head, anything you want gorgeous, I'm whipped already!

"Ya, pizza Lexi!" Jake runs back into the house, Abby and I following him into the den where they're playing his new video games. I sit down on the floor next to the kids, feeling like I should give them some attention so they don't suspect that something is going on with their parents.

"Okay Jake, me against you buddy" I pick up a controller, giving Abby a wink of my eye. Turning back to the television, I feel her hands on my shoulders quickly before she steps away

"I'm going to take a quick shower" I turn around and watch her walk away, my sweatshirt not quite covering her butt. I stare for a while, unable to turn around, wishing that I could have gone with her to shower.

"John . . . John, its starting, I'm beating you!" I turn my head quickly, the children laughing at me as Jake proceeds to kick my ass at the video game.

A half hour goes by, Abby still upstairs, although I heard the water stop running ten minutes ago. The door bell rings and I get up to answer it, opening the door and handing the pizza guy some cash out of my back pocket. I walk the pizzas to the kitchen as Abby comes running down the stairs.

"Where did the pizza guy go?" She looks to the front door and back at me.

"He left" She caulks her head at me, giving me a stern expression. She walks to her purse and pulls out a twenty dollar bill.

"Well here"

"Are you kidding?" I guess I should tell her that my family is loaded. She's never going to pay for anything when she's with me. I'm going to spoil her rotten!

"John, take it"

"Abby, it's on me" I pull her body to me, stealing a quick kiss before the kids run into the kitchen. She smells like shampoo and soap, her hair still damp and starting to wave at the ends.

"Remind me to tell you something later" I run my hands through her hair as she looks up at me with a questioning gaze. "Its no big deal, just something I want to tell you" I pull out of her arms as I look into the den, noticing the children getting up from the television.

An hour later, the children are parked in front of the television, watching Shrek for the tenth time, Abby and I lounging in the kitchen drinking coffee. We are so comfortable with each other. There is no awkwardness at all. I look at her smiling and she looks behind her, confused at my expression.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Just you" I reach my foot out under the table, lightly tapping hers with mine, just to have contact with her. We look at each other again in silence, both of is leaning our chins in our palms on the table. I look over into the den at the kids and then back at Abby, thinking about how we can be alone sometime.

"What if you bring Jake over tomorrow night and we leave the kids with a sitter . . . and then maybe we can go out . . . just the two of us" I talk almost in a whisper, aware of the children in the next room. She shakes her head vertically at me and whispers a "Yes".

"Yes?" I joke with her, raising my eyebrows, alluding to our episode in the hot tub. She knows that I want to hear her say it again, by now we both know that forever her throaty "yes" will drive me crazy.

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