How heartbreaking was that episode? I was (relatively) fine, right up until the Max/Lauren scene in her room. That totally left me a sobbing wreck. I hope this chapter goes some way to making you feel a little better. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Reality Bites.

Lauren sneaked back into the B&B and up the stairs. She used her key to open his door and then she was in his room and she could see he was still asleep in his bed. Had it really been less than an hour since she'd left him? It felt like longer. She walked over to the bed, pulling off her clothes as she did so until she was naked. She lifted the covers and slipped underneath, taking a minute or two to stare at her cousin as he lay sleeping in front of her.

She moved forward and smiled when she felt his arms open and wrap around her. He pressed his lips against her forehead tenderly, even as he slept. The gentleness of what he'd just done was the breaking of her and she began to cry, pressing her face against his chest as the tears that had been threatening since she left the cafe started to fall.

"What's wrong?" he whispered hoarsely about a minute later, having been woken by her body shaking in his arms.

She couldn't answer him straight away and his hand brushed up and down her back to soothe her. "I think I just lost my two best friends..." she sobbed.

"I think I'm a bit insulted..." he told her softly and she slapped his arm.

"Don't be silly... you know what I meant."

"So what happened?"

"They were asking me about you... or rather my mystery boyfriend. They wanted to know why I was hiding him from them." She lifted her head off his chest and looked at him, "I couldn't exactly tell them the truth though, could I? I told them I wasn't ready for them to meet 'him' so they've said they won't lie to my parents for me... for us." She dissolved a little again against him and his arms tightened around her.

"Hey, babe. It's okay..." he told her softly.

"That's just it though, isn't it... it's not okay. This is never going to be okay, is it?" She lowered her face and took a deep breath. "I hate all the lies..." she whispered.

"Maybe we should stop this then...?"

"NO!" she gasped. "I don't want this to stop. I like our arrangement, Joe."

He rolled them over so he lay on top of her, "I like it too but we agreed we wouldn't let it affect our family... and that should go the same for our friends. I don't want to come between you and your friends and I don't want this to affect our friendship either."

"You can't say that to me when we're lying like this, Joe."

"What do you mean?" he asked, a slight smirk on his face.

"Joe, you're naked... I'm naked... I don't want to talk about us ending this when all I can think about now is the thought of you fucking me." She whispered.

"You're thinking of me fucking you?" he said, his smirk growing. He shifted above her and she felt his erection pressing against her thigh. "You mean like this?" he said, pushing into her quickly. Lauren arched her back, her eyes closing as she was once again reminded of just how blessed her cousin had been.

"Joe..." she whispered. Her hand lifted and she stroked the side of his face, feeling the slight growth on his face that she liked more than she thought she would. Prior to this arrangement she'd only ever seen him smooth faced but staying with him overnight she found the facial hair he sported in the morning suited him and gave him a darker, more edgy look that she liked more every time she saw it. He smiled at her and bent down, kissing her, his tongue mirroring the actions of another part of his anatomy.

It was hard and fast and both were soon gasping for air as they both strived for that moment of perfection together. "Babe..." Joey groaned, burying his face into Lauren's neck as he reached that crescendo seconds before Lauren did. He collapsed on top of her for a few seconds before rolling off her, so they were lying side by side, staring up at the ceiling. "So we're going to carry this on then?" he asked softly, glancing at her briefly.

She smiled softly, her heart beginning to race as she heard the slight vulnerability in his voice when he spoke. "I bloody hope so after that..." she whispered. Her heart sped up further when she felt him slip his hand into hers, lacing their fingers together and squeezing her hand gently. She could get used to this.

TBC

A/N: Thoughts?

COMING SOON... TO A FAN FIC SITE NEAR YOU... THE HOLIDAY... I wonder what that might be about? :-)