I have a little confession... I've recycled a little of the dialogue during this chapter from another story I've written... so if you've read all my stories and some of it sounds familiar... that's why! I was just feeling lazy and struggling to get the scene to flow properly. Enjoy!

So we start with the next morning... how are they going to react to the night before... and what now for our favourite pair?

Chapter 10.

Lauren awoke to the feeling of Joey's lips kissing across her shoulder and then up her neck. "What time is it?" she murmured. She had to admit it was a pretty amazing way to wake up… and she wondered briefly how she would cope tomorrow morning… not waking up in Joey's arms. She'd got used to it over the last three mornings.

"About half nine." He breathed against her skin.

"So today's the day we go home…" She whispered. "The end of our weekend…" she added softly. There were lots of things she wanted to say and ask but she didn't… not wanting to hear his rejection.

"It is…" he said, kissing her shoulder once again, his arm tightening around her waist. "We have a little while yet." He murmured as his mouth climbed higher up her neck and across her jaw. His hand was splayed across her stomach and he slowly moved it down, slipping between her legs and starting to stroke her gently. Lauren moaned and pressed her body against his hand. He pushed a finger into her and she inhaled sharply. "You're so beautiful lying here like this." He breathed into her ear, his lips kissing her softly. His hips pressed into her bum, informing her of his own interest in what he was doing. She shifted slightly in his arms and he wondered if she was going to stop him, instead though she twisted around so she was facing him and wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He pushed another finger into her once she was back in his arms, feeling her body loosen up a little as she became used to the intrusion. "Is this what you want, babe?" She nodded her head, seemingly unable to vocalise a response. His free hand moved and climbed up her body to cup one of her breasts, his thumb brushing across her nipple. "Lauren..." he moaned, his arousal increasing as he felt her body react to his actions.

"Joey, make love to me..." she pleaded with him, suddenly finding her voice.

"Are you sure?"

She took charge of the situation and pushed him so he was on his back. She moved slowly so she was straddling his body, her body rubbing against his obvious erection. "I'm sure, Joey." She said, smiling as she looked at his stunned expression… clearly he hadn't been expecting her to take control.

"Bedside cabinet… it's the last one..." he whispered, moaning softly when she reached across the bed and grabbed the foil square, brushing various sensitive parts of his body in the process.

"Is this okay...?" she asked him softly, hesitating to proceed with her plan once she was sitting upright again. He nodded quickly, lifting briefly off the bed and kissing her softly. Her hand pushed his body back down so he was lying on his back once more, and she positioned herself on his legs.

She was staring into his eyes and Joey could see from the look on her face that she was as into this as he was. Nevertheless he let her control things. Her eyes slowly lowered down his body until she was checking out his manhood. "Lauren," he moaned huskily. The intensity in her expression was almost enough to push him to the brink.

"Impressive..." she teased him cheekily, voicing a thought she'd had the previous night but hadn't been able to vocalise. She reached for him and stroked him with enough surety to tell him this was something she was good at. Something he was pretty clear on already after the night before. After a minute or so she removed her hand and tore open the condom, rolling it expertly onto him. She leant forward and kissed his stomach, slowly crawling up his body. Joey's body felt like it was on fire; each time her sensuous mouth touched him it felt like his heart was going to stop. When she kissed his nipple, sucking it gently into her mouth and moaning he almost came. By the time Lauren reached his mouth Joey was in sensory overload and his hand swept into her hair, brushing the strands behind her ear as he cradled her head. He was so caught up in the kiss he almost missed her slowly lowering herself onto him. It felt like he was in heaven and he could've happily spent the rest of his life doing just what he was doing now. She pulled her mouth from his, gazing down on his face and looking into his eyes. Her eyes were sparkling as she next spoke, "Joey, I think there is something you should know… I enjoy sex very much… as long as it's very good sex..." She whispered. "Can I tell you what I really want from a relationship though?"

"Of course..." he said softly, wondering where this was going.

"I want someone who is going to love me… someone that will treat me right and take care of me… I want someone who's going to make love to me, rather than someone to just have sex with," she whispered to him, her mouth against his ear which he knew was so he couldn't see her face. She pulled away from him, sitting up. She moaned slightly as her movement pushed his length deeper into her.

Joey tried to keep looking at her face, he really did. However her breasts were crying out for his attention and his eyes lowered to stare at them in wonder. She chuckled as his hands lifted from the mattress and he grasped one in each palm. He pushed himself upright and lowered his mouth to one of her breasts, kissing it reverently and then worshipping it with his tongue, in a repeat of what he'd done the night before.

Lauren moaned gently, her body rising and falling on his length at a tortuously slow speed. He was almost seeing stars with the intensity of what they were doing and he could tell Lauren was just as close. She leant back, writhing on him, trying to reach that sought after high… for both of them.

Joey looked at her, the desire he could see on her face pushing him to take control. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her upright, their bodies pressing against each other. She looked surprised but also excited by him taking charge as he pushed himself to his feet and carried her across the room, pressing her back against the wall. She was sure he remembered what she'd told him about the sex in the alleyway outside the club and how she hadn't enjoyed it… so she thought it was a brave move by him to try this in this position. What she hadn't told him was that she'd never enjoyed this position… never quite achieving satisfaction… in fact, it was a position that did nothing for her at all. That being said, she was prepared to try it with Joey… knowing he had to have the confidence to do this with her now. All thought about what he was doing stopped when he kissed her softly, his hands lifting her feet off the floor and wrapping them around his waist as he did so. This took her by surprise… this was definitely new… and she could already feel the benefits, his cock sinking deeper into her. He stilled, letting his mouth worship hers, his hands roaming over her body, her arousal climbing as her nerve endings ignited. She tightened her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, if that were at all possible. His mouth moved to her neck, sucking hard against the sensitive spot he'd located so easily the day before. Lauren could hardly breathe, already getting more out of this encounter from the last minute or so than she ever had before in this position. Joey's confidence to do this with her now didn't seem like such a stupid idea. He lifted his mouth from her skin, pulling away slightly and studying her face, "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Pretty fucking amazing…" she breathed.

"I know you said wanted someone who would make love to you…" he started and her heart began to sink… was this the moment when he said there wasn't any future to their relationship? He clearly saw the disappointment on her face and he kissed her tenderly, "Let me finish, babe…" he whispered against her lips, "I like the idea of us making love… it was pretty amazing when we did that last night…" he said, "and I'd like to do it again… at some time in the future…" Lauren's heart lurched as he answered several silent questions with just a few words, "but what I'd really like now… if you're okay with it… is to fuck you really hard…" he said, his voice deepening and turning gravelly, "To show you that sex against a wall can be pretty fucking amazing too…" he said, echoing her earlier words to him. "I promise I will make it good… for both of us…" he told her. "Does that sound like something you'd want to try?"

"I think you've persuaded me…" she whispered, staring into his stormy eyes. He smiled at her and she failed to notice as he slipped his hand between their bodies and his fingertips danced over her clit, setting off fireworks within her and making her gasp.

"I want to hear you scream my name, babe… I don't care who hears us…" he said. She started to pant as he continued to tease her clit. And then he moved his hips and Lauren moaned. He pulled almost all of the way out of her and she realised he was supporting her weight against the wall with one hand… those hours of lifting weights had clearly been useful… He sank back inside her, twisting his hips slightly which had a quick impact on her.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk…" she moaned, closing her eyes as she let the sensations he was creating wash over her.

Joey chuckled, "Oh, I plan to, babe…" he growled, his hips moving away from her once more. He pushed into her a little faster this time and Lauren saw stars. He did it again, slamming his hips back against hers much harder as he slid back inside. Lauren wasn't sure how much longer she was going to last, every part of her he was touching felt like it was tingling… She lost count of the times he thrust against her, his hand moving away from her clit and both gripping her hips tightly as he moved forcefully against her. She was sure she was going to be sore once this was all over… but right now, she didn't give a fuck about it… She was having far too much of a good time to worry about it. His hands were holding her in place against the wall now and when he pushed back into her he was adjusting the angle each time, never letting her work out the pattern he was using. She could feel his cock inside her and she was convinced he was getting harder, filling her more, going deeper with each stroke. All of which she was sure was impossible, given his size and girth when she'd looked him over not more than thirty minutes earlier.

Her orgasm hit her hard and suddenly. She screamed his name until her voice cracked, tears streaming down her cheeks and she couldn't stop smiling as she kissed him deeply, wanting him to get the same level of joy from the experience. "Come for me, Joey…" she breathed, her hands cupping his face as she stared into his eyes. He closed his eyes, biting his lip as he rammed into her body three more times, his cock exploding within her over and over again. Lauren kissed his face, dotting them over his cheeks and across his jaw as he worked through his peak… her body starting to climb again from the intensity of what he was going through. Finally he sagged against her, still enough strength in his arms and legs to hold her in place. Lauren slowly lowered her legs to the floor, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him close as they both calmed. "I think you kept your side of the bargain, Joey…" she whispered against his damp skin. "Thank you…"

Joey smiled. "We should go and have a shower… we need to start packing…" he whispered in her ear.

"I think you've fucked all the energy I had out of me…" she giggled.

Joey lifted her once more, his flaccid cock slipping free from her body. He carried her through to the bathroom and started the shower, placing her on her feet inside the tub. He took a few moments to remove the condom and dispose of it and then joined her. He pushed her under the warm water while he grabbed his shampoo. Soon he was lathering it into her hair, massaging her head at the same time until she was moaning again. He then washed the soap out again before picking up his shower gel and repeating the process but this time on her body. She was soon done and she went to grab his shampoo, wanting to do the same for him but he stopped her. "We don't have time, babe…" he said. "Why don't you get out and start getting dressed while I finish off?" he suggested.

"I'd rather spend time with you…" she told him.

He smiled and kissed her, "We have plenty of time for that…" he said simply and Lauren's face coloured. She moved past him and grabbed one of the towels, wrapping it around her body and then climbing carefully out of the bath.

*JL*JL*

Joey left the bathroom a few minutes later and Lauren was sitting on his bed, staring around the room, a frown on her face. "What's wrong, babe?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what to wear. I don't really want to do the 'walk of shame' in the clothes I wore last night…" she said, "Not that I'm ashamed… I just don't think it's anyone else's business what happened between us…" she added quickly as she realised what she'd said.

Joey walked over to the closet and grabbed a top and some shorts of his that she could borrow. "Take these… bring them back down when you've finished packing…"

"Do you know what the time is?" she asked suddenly. "I can't miss my train…"

"You didn't drive here?" Joey asked, surprised by what she'd said.

Lauren shook her head, not looking at him as she pulled on her underwear from the night before. "I don't drive…" she said.

Joey could tell there was more to the story than she was letting on but didn't push her on it. "Why don't I give you a lift back?" he said, "I'm going to London anyway… and this way means we get to spend more time together…" he added. "We can sort out what happens next…"

Lauren looked at him quickly but soon turned her focus back to the clothes she was putting on. "Do you have a hairbrush I can use?" she asked him, not answering his offer.

"Sure." Joey said, picking it up and passing it to her. She started to run the brush through her hair, wincing as she encountered many knots. Joey could feel her watching him as he threw on some clothes. He couldn't say he didn't like the feelings her gaze invoked.

"I'm going to go back to my room…" Lauren breathed, picking up the clothes she'd been wearing the night before along with her clutch.

"Hey…" Joey said as she almost reached the door. She turned to look at him and Joey quickly strode over to her, "We're okay, right?" he asked her softly. She nodded but he couldn't help but think she was lying. "Then what's wrong…?"

"Nothing…" she said. Another lie.

Joey kissed her, pushing some of her damp hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Go and pack your stuff… bring it back here… and then maybe when you come back you can tell me the real answer to that question…" he whispered, kissing the tip of her nose. He opened the door for her, squeezing her hand as she took a deep breath and then left the room.

*JL*JL*

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on his door again and Joey knew it was Lauren. He was pretty much packed… just a few items in the bathroom to retrieve but he went to the door first and opened it, seeing an awkward looking Lauren with one case and one large carryall. "Come in, babe…" he said, smiling at her. Lauren picked up the bag and Joey grabbed the handle of her case and pulled it into his room. "I just need to grab a few things from in here…" he told her, disappearing into the bathroom. He picked up his things and headed back into the bedroom, "You ready to answer my question yet?" he asked.

"What question?" Lauren asked evasively.

Joey sighed, walking over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and staring at her face. "The one where I asked you what was wrong… and you lied to me and said there was nothing wrong…" he said softly.

"What makes you think I'm lying…?" she whispered.

"Because I can see it in your eyes…" he said, "I know you, babe…"

Lauren pulled away from him, "You really don't, Joey…" she said, turning away from him.

Joey reached for her, pulling her back towards him, "You say I don't know you… and you're right… I probably don't… not as much as I want to anyway…" he admitted.

"You don't mean that…" Lauren whispered.

"Why don't I?" he asked, watching her face carefully.

"You made it clear, Joey… you don't want a relationship…"

"I didn't think I did… but I was kidding myself…" Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. "I know I told you that… and at the time, I meant it… There's a part of me that still isn't sure I'm really ready… I wish I could tell you otherwise…" He lowered his head, looking at the carpet and taking a couple of deep breaths. "Amy… was a huge part of my life, Lauren… in many ways she still is… Everything reminds me of her, babe… I know there will be times when you'll do something and it'll bring it all back… and I'll end up hurting you… which is the last thing I want to do…"

"Like I said… you don't want a relationship…" Lauren whispered, "and I'm okay with that…" she added, turning away from him once more and walking over to where her case and bag sat.

"Well, I'm not, babe…" Joey said. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward, his head in his hands. "I know she's dead… that she isn't coming back to me… that neither of them are…" he said softly. He felt the bed move as she sat down beside him. "For a long time… after the funerals… I lived in a bubble… I was numb to everything. I kept thinking she would come back to me… she'd appear at the door and tell me that it was all just a bad dream…" he breathed. "I can't keep living like that… I can't keep pretending… It's not what I want… and it certainly wouldn't be what Amy would want either…" He glanced at Lauren, wishing she would give him one sign that he was getting through to her. "She'd want me to be happy… she would want me to start living my life again... She'd want me to find someone who makes me want to live again…" He reached for her hand, settling his on top and squeezing it gently, "And that's you… I think I've known that since I met you on Friday…"

"You never said, Joey…" Lauren said.

"I was scared… scared to admit I could feel as much for someone else as I did for her…" he whispered. "The first time I saw you… across the restaurant… I swear I thought my heart stopped… You're so gorgeous… the most beautiful woman I've ever seen…" he said and Lauren looked at his face, "Yes, I'm telling you the truth…" he said. He lifted his free hand and pushed some strands of hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I never expected you to come over and talk to me at the bar… And it was so easy to talk to you… easier than I'd expected it to be. It was simple for me to talk to you… you made my pulse race…" He smiled at her as she continued to stare at him. "It was an easy decision to spend time with you… if I'm honest, it wasn't even a decision. I wanted to be with you... Then we came back here and you found out my secret… I should've told you before… I know that now… and I would've done… but it's difficult to talk about that time. I get a pain in my chest and I sometimes forget to breathe…"

"It's okay, Joey…" Lauren whispered.

"No, it's not… It's not fair to you…"

"I'm not expecting anything from you…"

Joey looked at her, "You should be… Do you know how much you mean to me?" he told her, "When I look at you I feel it deep inside… At first I thought it was because you reminded me of Amy… but it's not that… it was never that… Yes, there are similarities between the two of you… Apparently I have a type…" he said, smiling slightly, "but my feelings for you… they're deeper than I thought they could be… It's hard to believe that we've only known each other this weekend…" he stated, "It feels like I've known you the whole of my life…"

"I feel that way too…" Lauren admitted. She licked her lips and stared up at his face, "So what now?" she asked him hesitantly.

"I'd like to keep seeing you… if you'd like that too…"

Lauren blushed, "I'd really like that…" she whispered. Joey smiled at her, leaning forward and kissing her softly before pulling away from her again.

"Last night and this morning was great… and don't get me wrong, we'll definitely be doing that again… but I want our relationship to be about more than just sex…" he told her.

Lauren practically glowed and she smiled at him, "I like the sound of that…" she told him.

"Which bit?" he asked.

"Relationship…" she explained, "and the great sex… obviously…"

Joey let out a bark of laughter, kissing her again, pulling her into a hug, lifting her and placing her on his lap. "Thank you, Lauren…" he breathed in her ear.

"I should be thanking you too." Lauren said, her arms tightening around his neck.

"We should be going…" Joey said.

"I guess," Lauren said. She stood up from his lap, inhaling as he stood too, his hands on her hips, holding her against him.

"And we need to work out when we're going to see each other again…" he breathed into her hair, kissing the top of her head.

Lauren turned towards him, "When were you thinking?" she whispered.

Joey thought about it for a moment, "Is tomorrow too soon?" he asked, an edge of hope in his voice.

Lauren giggled, shaking her head. "No, Joey… I think tomorrow sounds really perfect…"

*JL*JL*

Lauren smiled as Joey opened the car door for her. "I'm not completely helpless…" she told him, starting to get in the car. So far he'd pulled her case and carried her bag down and had put them in the car. She'd seen the look on the receptionist's face as they'd checked out of the hotel and she was torn between feeling mortified at them guessing that they'd had sex and a sense of pride to have found someone as wonderful as Joey Branning.

Joey stopped her, pulling her against his body, "Didn't you say you wanted someone to look after you?" he murmured, his eyes flicking between her eyes and lips. "Well, I'd like to apply for that position… if you'd be okay with that…?"

She smiled at him, "I think I'd like that a lot…" she whispered. He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her gently, ignoring the jeering from a couple of guys who happened to be leaving the hotel at the same time as they were.

"We'd better get going…" Joey breathed against her mouth.

Lauren pulled away from him and got into the car, smiling as Joey shut the door and then jogged around to the driver's side of the car. She looked at him as he did up his seat belt and then started the engine. She smiled as he reversed the car out of the parking space. She hadn't realised how much she'd been dreading this weekend… hating the sympathetic looks on her friend's faces as they'd told her about it… she'd hated the teasing from her family… about how there would only be losers and desperate old men for her to choose from. She'd been insulted by their words, knowing that the way they'd been describing those men could've quite easily been used to describe her too. There was a part of her that had felt the same way… She'd never expected to find a man like Joey Branning here. He was the man she'd been searching for the whole of her life and she'd found him in the last place she'd expected. Joey glanced at her, reaching over and taking her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. Lauren smiled, turning her hand beneath his and lacing their fingers together. "It's been a great weekend, Joey…" she said.

He smiled, watching the traffic on the roads as he pulled out on to the main road, "It's been an amazing weekend… It feels like my life has started all over again… with someone I care for deeply… I can promise you one thing, babe…" he said.

"What?" Lauren asked, slightly breathless as she took in what he'd said.

"There are going to be plenty more weekends for the two of us… I promise…." He said.

Lauren smiled, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek, "I'm going to hold you to that…" she breathed in his ear.

A/N: So that is the end of the story… just an epilogue to go… although it's the longest chapter of the story… I did say the story was short after all… Also the story was called The Weekend… so it seemed appropriate to end it at the end of their weekend. I really hope you liked it… and I hope that I'll now be able to turn my attention back to the stories I've started… DON'T FORGET TO SEND ME A REVIEW… Back tomorrow… for the last time…