The Elle Word Chapter 25

House

Suddenly it was the first of August and the dog days of summer were here. It was scorchingly hot which meant Elle was wearing tank tops and shorts all the time, not a hardship as far as I was concerned. Of course, I would crank up the A/C and make the apartment cold, just so I could see her perky nipples poking through the fabric of her tank top.

We had been together for almost a month, which both delighted and amazed me. Who would have thought she could put up with me for so long?

We had fallen into a routine, which surprisingly didn't bother me. She generally got home from work first and would hang out at her place until I got home. She usually cooked for me on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday was poker night so I hung out with the guys and she did her own thing. Thursday was her yoga class so we got take-out on those nights. Fridays were usually pizza and beer on the sofa with some rented DVD's. On work nights Elle usually went to bed around 10:30. I always went into the bedroom with her and lay down for a while. We had sex probably 4 or 5 times a week. Sometimes I would fall asleep with her. Other times, when I was feeling restless, I would hold her until she dozed off and then I would return to the living room and watch TV or read until I felt able to sleep. On the nights that we didn't have sex, we often read to each other. We had finished "Skinny Dip" and started on another Carl Hiaasen book, "Stormy Weather."

On Wednesdays, I slept at her place. She didn't want to go to bed in front of my poker buddies. I had to figure out a way to convince her to do that, but for right now she slept in my bed 6 out of 7 nights, and that was good. On Weds when the guys left, I would go over to her place and climb in her bed. Sometimes she would wake up and I would get to tell her about my winnings. Other times she was sound asleep and I would just wrap my arms around her and doze off. Elle got some more bedroom furniture from Ikea, nightstands and a long dresser with a mirror on top. It looked more like a bedroom now and she was pleased with it. Now that she had finally unpacked all of the boxes, I needed to do some more snooping. She kept that silly purple dog parked on top of the bed. She would usually be hugging him in her sleep when I came over on Wednesday nights. It was cute; she looked so sweet and innocent. If she woke up when I climbed into bed, she would set him on the nightstand and wrap her arms around me. Otherwise I would fall asleep with my arms wrapped around the both of them. It was a little weird, but OK.

Sometimes I had to work late and she would be asleep by the time I got home. At first, she didn't want to stay at my place without me. I finally convinced her that I wanted to curl up with her warmth when I got home no matter what time it was. She got my point and stayed over when I was working late. She had to leave some lights on and she wouldn't sleep nude without me. She said she felt too vulnerable to do that alone. When I finally got home and crawled into bed, Elle would be wearing a tank top or camisole and some boxers. And that was OK, as long as she was there. I would wrap my arms around her and pull her close and fall asleep with my nose buried in her hair.

Even though we were together most of the time, we kept our separate apartments. My place was really too small for her to move her clothes over here. I cleaned out a drawer for her and she kept a few things in there. She had some toiletries in the bathroom, but most of her stuff remained across the hall. Generally when she needed to get dressed, she would just throw on a robe or one of my big shirts and then run across the hall to change.

I don't think either of us was ready for a complete live-in situation yet. Moving in together would be a big step and we would need a bigger place. That would be a big change that I was not ready for yet. I also knew that she needed her own sanctuary after becoming homeless when her relationship with David ended. Losing her home on top of everything else that happened had made her feel especially vulnerable.

The weekends were the best. The pleasure of waking up beside her was more than I could have ever imagined. Stacy used to jump out of bed even on the weekends. She always had something to do, somewhere to go. It wasn't like that with Elle. We would wake up together and just lay in bed, snuggling, talking, caressing. Morning sex was mind-blowing and afterward we would just contentedly lie in each other's arms. I was never much for cuddling but with Elle I couldn't get enough.

We'd stay in bed until her need for coffee took over. I bought a fancy new coffee pot with a timer. Elle would set it up the night before and the coffee would be ready whenever she wanted it. She would pad down the hall naked and come back with a mug for each of us.

I felt strangely relaxed around her. I slept in the nude again. I wandered around the apartment wearing just boxers. It was strange after wearing long pants to hide the scar for so long to have it out in the open. But it didn't bother her and I found after a short while, it didn't bother me for her to see it. I didn't like to tell her when I was hurting, but she would see me grimace and she would know. She would lay her hand gently on my thigh and in her sexiest voice ask me if I wanted a massage. She would work the tension out of my thigh with a nice massage. By the time she finished with my leg, usually my 3rd leg was feeling tense too and Elle would take care of him also.

One Sunday Jimmy came over to watch a WWF special that I had ordered on PPV. Elle was cooking some snacks across the hall so I opened the door to his knock. He had a 12 pack in his hand.

I grumbled: "Good. Just in time. The beer's almost gone."

I grabbed the 12 pack from him and headed to the refrigerator with it. He slowly followed behind me. I turned to see him staring at my legs.

I snarked: "So you've become a leg man now? I always thought you were a breast man. Me, I like a nice ass."

He looked up at me and said slowly: "You're in shorts."

"Stating the obvious, bro. It's HOT, what do you expect?"

He shook his head and said: "Wow, I haven't seen you wear shorts in years, no matter how hot it gets. This is different."

I just shrugged. Elle walked in just then with a big platter of chicken wings that she had just made.

As she set the platter down on the coffee table, she said: "Hey, Jimmy. Are you hungry?"

She stood up and Wilson's jaw hit the floor. Elle was wearing a pair of black silk boxers and a tight black and gray striped tank top that showed about 2 inches of her taut belly. There was a little picture of Tweety Bird right in between her breasts. By the way her nipples were poking through the fabric, I knew she wasn't wearing a bra. She often didn't wear one when we were home.

Wilson was just staring at her; he seemed unable to answer.

I elbowed him: "Stop drooling over my girl."

He closed his open mouth and looked abashed. "Sorry. Cute Tweety Bird."

I elbowed him harder: "Stop staring at her breasts. Mine!"

Elle giggled and said: "I'll be right back with the rest of the food."

I glared at him and we sat at opposite ends of the couch. Elle came back with a platter of little hors d'oeuvres. There were mini quiches and mini hot dogs on it. She set that down and went into my kitchen and came back with paper plates and napkins.

"You guys want beer, right?"

After affirmative responses from us, Elle headed into my kitchen one more time and brought back 3 beers and containers of potato salad and cole slaw. She distributed everything and then plopped down on the couch between us.

Jimmy looked at the spread and said: "Wow, Elle. This looks great. You didn't have to do all of this. Geez House, do you always make Elle do all the work?"

With a completely straight face, Elle replied: "No, he gets on top a lot."

She stared at Jimmy. I glanced over at him. His face was red and he was slack-jawed. A small smirk tickled the corner of her mouth. I could feel the corner of my lip rising. Her smirk grew bigger until she started giggling. I couldn't help it; I started laughing too. I pulled her half onto my lap and gave her a noisy wet kiss on the cheek.

"That was priceless, sweetheart. Look at Jimmy, he's still in shock."

She snuggled up against me, still giggling. I hugged her tightly against my chest and peppered little kisses on her cheek and neck. My hand crept around and cupped her breast. She giggled some more and shifted towards me. Her hands cupped my face and she crashed her lips on mine. I parted my lips and let her tongue slide into my mouth. My hand slid up her tank top, stroking her bare back.

In the midst of our make-out session, I heard Wilson chuckle:

"House, she is so perfect for you. Don't fuck this up, my friend."

That's not to say that everything was all sunshine and puppies. I would get wrapped up in a case and ignore her. Or my leg would be hurting more than usual and I'd snap at her. She'd make plans with Avi and Ricky and want me to come along. I would pout and not want to go, just wanting to be alone with her.

The first time we fought, I was working on a difficult case. I knew I had recently read a journal article about a patient with similar symptoms to mine and I was tearing through the apartment looking for the journal. Elle tried to help and I snapped at her. "I'm not that much of a gawddamn cripple that I can't find a journal article without your help."

Elle stepped back, hands held up in surrender: "No problem, babe. You know, if you want to be alone, if you need some space, you could just fucking say so, instead of biting my head off."

She stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

I swore and threw the journal I was holding across the room. I could see the handwriting on the wall. This would end up being like the last year of my relationship with Stacy. I'd ignore her, yell at her and she'd get pissed and storm out. Was this already the beginning of the end with Elle?

I was angry, but I still had a case to solve. I kept searching until I found the article I needed. I poured a big shot of scotch and sat down on the couch to read it. I got the answers I needed and phoned the ducklings to start running the tests. Then I sat on the couch and drank scotch while staring at the TV. This was my life before I met Elle. Did I want to go back to this? I knew I didn't, but what to do? The word 'apology' was not in my vocabulary.

At 10:30, the door opened and Elle entered the apartment. She was wearing a pale blue cami top with matching boxers. The fabric was so thin that I could see the outline of her nipples and the dark patch of her hair. I felt my pulse pick up the beat.

"Hey," she said softly.

I replied in an equally soft voice: "Hey."

"Did you find the article?"

I nodded. "Yeah, and called the ducklings to order new tests."

"Cool." She pointedly glanced at the clock and said: "It's bedtime for me."

I nodded again.

Elle walked around and stood in front of me. She extended her hand to me and said: "Come tuck me in?"

I was astonished. Was I forgiven for my little fit? Before she could change her mind, I stood up, took her hand and we headed down the hall.

Once we were in the bedroom, Elle pulled back the covers and switched on the bedside lamp. Then she walked back over and stood right in front of me.

"You know, Greg, sometimes we're going to fight. But you know the best part about fighting?"

I shook my head.

She took my hands and placed them on the waistband of her boxers. She encouraged my hands to push them down and then said softly: "The make up sex."

I licked my lips and slowly smiled. "Really? That's my favorite part, too."

I pushed her boxers down and pulled the cami over her head. She stood there, beautiful in her nakedness. I picked her up in my arms and gently laid her on the bed. I stripped my clothes off quickly, never taking my eyes off of hers. I climbed into bed and pulled her to me. And we made up. Twice.

We didn't fight often, but that was generally how our fights went. I would say something harsh. There would be a bit of shouting. Elle would storm over to her apartment and stay there for a while. Then one of us would cross the hall. It was usually Elle, returning for bedtime. She never asked for an apology and I never gave one. We just picked up where we left off before the shouting match. She would plop down on the couch and snuggle up next to me and we'd watch some TV. If it were bedtime, we would have some fantastic make-up sex. We never went to bed mad at each other.

Elle had not pressed me for any details about my leg or Stacy. I knew I should tell her about it, but I still wasn't ready yet. I had not pressed her for any more sad details about her past. I wanted to do my own snooping first. I kept hoping I would find some other photos or a yearbook or something that showed her existence between age 10 and college. I still wanted to know the real reason why she and Tony split up and how she got the cuts on her ass. And there was that comment about not being able to have kids. I wondered what that was about.

I had managed to get Ricky alone one night at Satchel's and ask about Charlie. He said: "Well you have to remember, this was before my time. I've been with Avi for only 2 years, so I'm the newest member of the tribe, next to you. I only know what I've been told."

He paused and shifted uncomfortably. He glanced around and seeing that we were still alone, he continued: "Elle had only been seeing Charlie for a few weeks. Apparently he was quite possessive of her. He was very jealous of anyone else paying attention to her. And you know how it is in the bar, guys flirt with her, bring her flowers. It doesn't mean anything to her; she thanks them for the flowers and nicely turns down their advances. That wasn't enough for Charlie. He started getting in their faces and being quite menacing. It was bad for business and Billy threatened to bar him if he didn't cut it out. So Charlie wanted Elle to quit singing here. Of course, she told him no. He started following her everywhere and apparently being quite the stalker. She told him to cut it out and of course, he didn't. Well, one night Tony showed up. He hadn't been in the bar for a while, cuz Nancy had just popped out one of the kids. So he shows up after a long absence and of course, they are happy to see each other. Tony grabbed her in a big hug; there was a chaste kiss and lots of talk about the new baby. Big fucking deal, right? Charlie went berserk. Not right there, cuz the guys could have taken care of him. No, he waits until they go back to her place and he proceeds to beat the crap outta her."

"Had he ever hit her before?"

"She says no. But Avi says he would see him grab her roughly by the arm and sometimes she would have bruises on her wrists. I think he was rough, but hadn't actually hit her until that night. So he beat her up and stalked out. Elle calls Avi and he takes her to the ER. She had lots of bruises, broken wrist and cracked ribs."

"Shit!"

"Yeah, no kidding. The police were called; she filed charges and got an order of protection. Well, you know how much good those things do. He was supposed to stay 1000 feet away from her. About a week later, he tried to grab her on the street and she ran into a store to get away from him. He took off before the police could get there. She was really scared of him and there wasn't much the police could do."

Ricky glanced around again before continuing. "So, out of desperation, she sicced Tony on him."

I frowned: "What do you mean?"

He raised his eyebrows: "Do I have to spell it out for you? You know who Tony's friends are. Charlie ended up with a broken leg and a shattered kneecap. They say he will never walk normally again. I don't know if Tony actually did it himself or just ordered it. With his temper, I could see Tony enjoying whacking a guy with a baseball bat. And Charlie was told to move outta New Jersey and never come back, never contact Elle again in any way or face the consequences. I heard he moved to Arizona."

I pondered this for a moment: "Tony took care of this problem for Elle. So Elle owes Tony in a big way, huh?"

"I don't think so. After all, it was Tony showing up at the bar that precipitated the beating. I think he felt responsible for it. It was more like HE owed her. He was happy to be able to help her. He's very protective of her. Tony wanted to teach David a lesson after he dumped Elle, but she forbid him from doing that."

I wanted to ask him more, but Gen and Theresa were approaching the table so we changed the subject. It was good to get this information. It was one more piece of the puzzle. I was glad to hear that this guy was no longer a threat to Elle. It sounded like Tony had taken care of the problem. Married or not, I still wondered about the depth of his feelings towards Elle and the real reason for their break-up.

We kept things quiet around work. I wasn't ready to have my personal life

up for scrutiny. Wilson and Cuddy knew, of course. And so did Chase, but he managed to keep him mouth shut for once. Sometimes we would see each other in the cafeteria, but we kept things professional. I hadn't even been back to her office for a repeat visit, although on slow afternoons, I did fantasize about it.

Elle had not had any more problems at work. Rivera had been on vacation and the other doctors were, if not appreciative of her input, at least they weren't nasty about it. I had not had to kick any doctor ass for my girl.

Things were going along surprisingly well for once in my life. Cuddy wasn't harassing me too much. Wilson wasn't lecturing me too much. Work wasn't too boring. My leg pain was somewhat tolerable although I still had my bad days and nights. Best of all, I had a gorgeous woman who seemed to be quite fond of me. Sometimes I wondered if she was just a hallucination. I was afraid that I would reach for her and find nothing but air. I found I liked to keep some physical contact with her as much as I could just to make sure that she didn't disappear. Elle just thought I was extremely affectionate and she grooved on it. But I knew that she was truly my new addiction. I dreaded to think what the withdrawal symptoms would be like if I ever lost my source.

Cuddy

I had a new case for House. It was only 9AM so I knew better than to expect him to be in at the ungodly hour. I headed over to the elevator to take it up to his office. As I was waiting for the elevator, I heard his distinctive step-tap behind me. What on earth was he doing he at this early hour?

"Dr House. You're here rather early."

"Cable's out, so no TV or internet. Figured I would just come in and either watch TV in Coma Guy's room or use my office computer to look at porn."

I looked him over. Still snarky, but he was looking better these days. He wasn't as gaunt as he used to be and the lines around his eyes were not as pronounced.

He caught me staring and said: "What?"

I smiled: "You look good. You look more relaxed and it looks like you've gained a little weight. Your clothes aren't just hanging on you anymore."

He snarked: "Yeah, well, regular meals and steady sex will do that."

"She feeds you well?"

A small smile appeared. "Yes, she does."

The elevator arrived and we stepped into it. We were the only passengers. Using his cane, he punched the button for the 4th floor.

I waited until the elevator started moving before I said: "Are you happy?"

He chuckled for a minute: "Who, me? Has hell frozen over?"

I didn't say anything; I just waited him out. I knew there was more, but wasn't sure if he would tell me or not.

Finally he simply said: "It's good."

I smiled: "I'm happy for you."

He snarked: "Aw, the twins miss me, don't they?"

I smirked: "Get over yourself, House. That ship sailed long ago."

He gave me one of those looks, the kind that used to make me weak at the knees. In a low voice, he said: "I still like watching your bodacious ass walking away from me and how good your legs look in those do-me pumps."

I laughed: "You'll never change, House."

"Nope, don't even try. It will be futile."

The elevator doors opened and we walked to his office.

When he had settled himself in his chair, I handed him the case file. "Good thing Elle likes you, just the way you are."

I turned and walked out of his office. Before I got out of sight, I glanced back and saw that he was watching me, as I knew he would. I smiled at him. He raised one eyebrow, smirked and then opened the case file.

I knocked on Wilson's door and then entered without waiting for an answer. We had not spent much time alone since our little tête-à-tête after the board meeting. There had been a lot of awkwardness at first, but we were getting back to normal.

He was charting when I walked in, but looked up and smiled when he saw me. "Good morning."

"Good morning. You're not going to believe this, but House is already here and it's only 9AM."

He chuckled: "It's not the first time. I think he's going to bed earlier because Elle goes to bed early on work nights."

"He's looking good, better than he has in a long time."

He shrugged: "She feeds him, she fucks him, she takes care of him."

"I asked him if he was happy."

He leaned forward, obviously interested: "What did he say?"

"A typical House answer, 'it's good'. But I think he is. He looks much better, more relaxed. You know, it's been a month since you came to my house to tell me about them."

He nodded: "Yeah, I know. You won the bet. I owe you. I'll hit the cash machine later and pay you."

I shook my head: "Don't bother. I don't want your money."

He smiled: "Seriously? Well, thanks. You know, seeing him this happy is priceless, isn't it?"

I nodded: "Yeah, after Stacy, I never thought it would happen again. Especially after she left the second time."

He shook his head with a small grin on his face: "You've haven't even seen the two of them together. He's different with her. Remember how Stacy used to complain that he wouldn't even hold her hand in public. House didn't believe in PDA's. All of that lovey-dovey shit belonged behind closed doors, preferably the bedroom door. That's all out the window now. He is so affectionate with Elle. He hugs and kisses her in the bar. He gropes her in front of me. If at all possible, he is in physical contact with her. He puts his arm around her. He holds her hand. I think she is his newest addiction. And he needs a constant hit."

I chuckled: "Well, as far as addictions go, this is a good one for him. If he is happy, he won't be in as much pain and he won't be popping as much Vicodin either."

I stood up to leave and as I put my hand on the doorknob, I looked over my shoulder at him. Softly I said: "And by the way, you don't have to worry. Your bun is not in my oven. I thought you might want to know."

I could see the relief on his face. I hid my disappointment. I really wanted a baby, and Wilson would be a great dad. But he was married and a child between us would certainly put an end to their wedded bliss. I wasn't certain just how blissful it was as James had been working a lot of late nights. But he wasn't cheating this time; I would have heard the rumors. Well, except for that little drug-induced quickie with me, he hasn't been cheating.

Softly, he said: "Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem. I'll see you later."

I quickly left his office and headed towards the elevator. As I passed the conference room, I could see House at the whiteboard He was listening to Foreman while he wrote the symptoms on the board. But I could still feel his eyes on me as I walked past the room. I put a little extra wiggle in my hips, just for him.

Wilson

I sank back in my chair and tossed my pen on the desk. When Cuddy told me that she wasn't pregnant, my initial feeling was profound relief. I knew she wanted to be, but I preferred it not be mine. My marriage was shaky enough and that would definitely send it toppling to the ground. But once that feeling passed, I realized that I also felt some regret. I'm 37 and I'm ready to have a family. I'd like to have a kid. My career is well established and I could cut back at work without a problem. But considering that Julie and I had not slept together in 3 months or so, I didn't see procreation happening any time soon. I needed to figure out a way to get our marriage back on track. I tried to think back to the reasons my other 2 marriages had failed. It was mainly due to my working too much and to my cheating. This time, I hadn't cheated. Well, except with Cuddy and that had been drug-induced. Still it was no excuse, but Julie had not found out about it. I had been smart enough this time not to confess my sin. I had been working late these last couple of weeks, but Julie was never home anyway. She was always out at some committee meeting or at her tennis lesson or something. When she would arrive home, I would offer dinner or a drink, and she would always turn me down. She claimed a long day and fatigue and would head right to bed. Alone. So even though I had been working late these last few weeks, I don't think she even noticed that I wasn't at home.

House had also been a disturbance with all of my marriages. None of my wives had liked him. They had resented the time I spent with him, and they hated it when I asked him over for holiday dinners. Of course, Julie hated him and I strived to minimize their time together. But I still had him over for Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners. After all, he was my best friend, and our friendship had survived all of my marriages. And the way things were going; it would survive this one too. Maybe there was something to that saying: Bro's before ho's. I wondered how Julie would feel now that House was dating Elle. Maybe she would see another side of him and be willing to put up with him a bit more.

I rubbed my hands over my face. What was the point? Julie didn't even want to spend time with me, why bother dragging House and Elle into the conflict? I needed to figure out what was wrong with my marriage before inviting anyone over for dinner. I pondered what I should try. Counseling? A nice romantic get-away? We could go to the Poconos for the weekend. I think I'll try that one first. I'm usually good with the romantic gestures. The counseling could wait. That would be the last ditch effort. What if she wouldn't go? I pushed that thought aside. I made a mental note to check for resorts later this afternoon when I had finished seeing my patients. I knew the resorts had rooms with heart-shaped Jacuzzis and champagne glass whirlpool tubs. Cheesy, yet romantic. I closed my eyes and tried to picture Julie in a heart-shaped tub. I shook my head to rid myself of the thought that she would just complain about getting her hair messed up. I tried to convince myself that a nice romantic get-away was just what our marriage needed.

I sighed and picked up my pen to finish my charting. I was glad that House seems to have found happiness with Elle. It had been a long dry spell for him. It was hard to admit, even to myself, but I was jealous. It had only been a month, and they were still in that sex-crazed stage where they couldn't keep their hands off of one another. Since I was still getting the cold shoulder from Julie, it was hard watching the incessant kissing and touching between the two of them. But he seemed happier than he had been in years, so I tried to be happy for him.

We had not spoken about his leg pain in a while, but I could always tell when he was having a bad day. The length of his stride was shorter and he gripped the cane so tightly that his knuckles would turn white. I wondered when he would get to the point of trusting Elle enough to help him with his pain management. After trusting Stacy as his medical proxy and the disastrous result of that decision, I wondered if it would ever happen at all. I resolved to work on my marriage first, and then in a few weeks, I would start nagging him again about seeing her for pain management.

Elle

It was a hot August. I was so ready to hit the beach again, but we were playing this weekend so that was out. I hoped Greg would want to go on my next free weekend. We had a lot of fun the last time.

It was hard to believe that it had been a whole month since that 4th of July weekend when we finally hooked up. It hadn't been all smooth; we had had a couple of fights. But all in all, it had been pretty good. I enjoyed his company and he seemed to enjoy mine. Despite his moods, I found it comfortable to be with him. We both liked simple pleasures, music, movies, and reading. We usually spent our Friday nights with rented movies, pizza and beer and it was great. We'd eat and then snuggle together on the couch while we watched movies. I would usually pick up the movies on my way home. This week I grabbed 'Basic Instinct 2', 'V is for Vendetta', and 'Stoned' which was a docudrama on the final days of Brian Jones. Greg and I were both huge Stones fans so I thought we would find it interesting. I knew he would order the pizza on his way home and it would arrive at just about the same time as he did.

I dropped the movies on his coffee table and then went to my place to change. A royal blue UF tank top and cut-off denim shorts was my outfit for tonight. I opened my lingerie drawer and pondered what to wear underneath. He loved to peel off my casual clothes and find sexy lingerie underneath. I decided to be especially naughty tonight. I put on a black lace shelf bra and matching black lace crotch-less panties. My breasts were completely exposed with the shelf bra, but it gave me a lot of lift. The panties were black lace with ribbon ties on each side and a slit in the crotch. I checked out my appearance in the mirror and smiled at my reflection. I knew he would love it. I was spending a lot of money lately on lingerie, but it was so worth it. He loved seeing me in sexy lingerie. Once he peeled off my outer layer of clothes, he would take his time looking me over and touching me through the lingerie. Sometimes he had me walk around the room and model it for him. I loved watching the desire build in his eyes and in his pants. He made me feel so sexy. I was really enjoying spending time at Victoria's Secret shopping for new outfits. Sometimes Gen would come shopping with me and we would have a blast. I had my eye on this black lace cutout teddy. I planned that one to be my next purchase. I quickly slipped on the rest of my clothes and went over to his place.

Greg and the pizza arrived about 10 minutes later. While he went into the bedroom to change, I grabbed the plates and beer and set up dinner on the coffee table. He returned wearing just a clean t-shirt and jeans. We put slices of pizza on the paper plates and propped our bare feet up on the coffee table as we settled in to watch the movies.

We finished the pizza and the first movie. We popped in Basic Instinct 2 next. There was a lot of nudity and it wasn't long before I felt Greg's hand stroking my thigh. I turned towards him and placed my hand on his cheek. A smile spread slowly across his face. He hit the pause button and tossed the remote on the coffee table. He wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled me onto his good leg. After a few nice gentle kisses, he started toying with my top. He pushed it off my shoulder revealing the black strap of my bra.

"Oooooo, black. Me likey. I want to see. Let's get this out of the way."

He grabbed the bottom of my top and slowly pushed it up. I lifted my arms to help out and grinned when I heard him gasp.

"Oh, baby. Look what I get to play with tonight. Ummmm, come to papa."

I felt his scratchy beard nuzzling in the valley between my breasts. All progress on shirt removal had stopped as soon as Greg saw the girls peeking over the top of the bra. My arms were still in the air while the top was hung up around my head.

I giggled at his enthusiasm. "Hey, finish what you started here. Get this off my head."

He murmured in a low voice: "Yes, mistress." He pulled my top off and tossed it on the floor. He leaned back slightly and took a good look. Then he said: "OK. I have to see the rest. Stand up."

He gave me a little push and I scampered off his lap. Obviously he was in a hurry to unwrap me tonight. I stood in front of him and let him unzip my shorts. Then I pushed his hands away and took a step back. I slowly slid the shorts down my legs. When they reached my ankles, I kicked them away.

Greg sucked air in through his teeth. "Nice." He drew that word out so long that it had 4 syllables. His hands went to my hips and toyed with the ribbons. "So do these untie?"

"I'll let you discover all the surprises these panties have for you."

"Surprises, huh?" His fingers gently traced the lace from my hip down towards the V. He slipped his fingers between my legs and I caught his look of surprise when he found my core sans fabric. He chuckled as he fingered my folds. "What a naughty girl you are tonight. Climb up here and give me a lap dance."

I straddled his hips careful to put most of my weight on my knees and not on his thigh. I snaked my arms around his neck and gently nudged his face into my valley. He nuzzled his face between my breasts and then he planted a kiss on each one. I smiled as I slowly ground my pelvis against his. His hands slid down inside my panties and rested on my ass. He pushed me even closer against him. I could feel his hardness straining against his jeans. His mouth found one of my nipples and he licked and sucked hungrily. I ground harder against him. I could feel the wetness pooling around my folds. I was going to start dripping any minute. Greg was going to have a damp spot on his jeans soon. He released my nipple and gave the other one a good tonguing.

With one hand he pulled my head down and smashed our lips together. His tongue demanded entrance and my lips parted for him. His other hand pushed my ass even closer to his hardness. The kisses were hard and passionate and I ground against him even harder.

He finally broke the kiss and said breathlessly: "Oh Gawd, you're so fucking hot. I'm about to cum in my pants. Unzip me quick."

I reached between our bodies and unbuttoned and then slowly pulled the zipper down. I eased off of his lap. He lifted his butt and I pulled his jeans down. I smiled when I saw that he had gone commando.

I teased him: "Didn't want those boxers to get in the way tonight? You horny boy."

He groaned: "Get those jeans down and get your ass back up here. I'm in pain here."

I tugged his jeans down to his knees and then said: "Yes, Dr House. Ooooo, you feel hot. I need to take your temperature."

I licked the head of his dick, and then I swallowed his length in one quick move. He moaned something unintelligible and I felt his hand on the back of my head encouraging my actions. I licked and sucked slowly, one hand caressing his balls, the other stroking the base of his shaft. After just a few minutes, he said: "Oh, Gawd, that's so good. But I want to cum in your wet pussy. Climb up here baby. And leave the panties on."

I gave him one last lick and murmured: "Yes doctor. Your temperature is way off the chart but I know just what to do to make you all better."

I straddled him again, tugging at the bottom of his shirt. "This is in the way. It needs to be removed for your treatment." He leaned a bit forward and I pulled the shirt off over his head and toss it away.

I rubbed my breasts against his naked chest and said: "Oh, that's much better."

He took his cock and teased my entrance with the head. "Ummm, baby, you are dripping wet. You need my treatment quick."

I slowly slid down his length until the lace tickled his balls. He shivered from the sensation and started thrusting up into me. I met him move for move. His hands were gripping my hips urging me on, harder and faster. We would crash together for a kiss, and then pull apart gasping for air. He suckled my nipple hard, making me cry out. His eyes never left my face. They would fall to half-mast occasionally but then he would pop them back open. I had one hand on his shoulder for support and the other hand fisting his hair. I couldn't help closing my eyes to focus better on the wonderful sensations between my legs.

"Open your eyes, baby."

I looked at him. It was difficult, as my eyes wanted to close again right away. We locked eyes and he raised his hand next to his face. He made a fist with the thumb sticking up. I moaned; I knew what he was going to do next. Eyes locked with mine, he slowly licked his thumb and then ran his hand down my belly. His hand wandered into my panties and I felt that thumb land on my throbbing clit. He rubbed softly at first, and then harder. I moaned and pushed harder against him.

He murmured: "You're so hot, so wet. Your pussy feels so good wrapped around my cock." It didn't take long for the sensations to build up. I felt that warm sensation start in my uterus. My thighs quivered, my vaginal walls spasmed and then I exploded. I cried out, hanging onto his shoulders for support. He thrust harder up into me and kept pressure on my clit with his thumb. It only took 3 or 4 more thrusts before he exploded inside of me.

He moaned as he came: "Oh, baby, oh baby, fuck me, fuck meeee."

I thrust against him riding out our orgasms until I collapsed on his shoulders. He gave my clit one last little tweak, and then pulled his hand out of my panties. He wrapped both arms around me and held me tightly. I snuggled my face into this shoulder and planted gentle little kisses on his neck.

It took a few minutes for our breathing to return to normal. Greg kissed my shoulder and then nibbled his way up my neck. He kissed my cheek and then pulled his head back to look at me. His hand was on my cheek and his thumb was stroking it gently. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. I could see it all in his eyes.

We slept until 10 on Saturday. When we woke, I got up and brought some coffee back to bed for us. It was a gorgeous day, hot, but the bluest sky you could ever ask for. Greg suggested a ride, so we took the bike out for a couple of hours. We found a diner, had a late breakfast and rode home. We had our usual Saturday afternoon nap and woke up at 5 so I could get ready for work.

The club was quieter than usual. I guess a lot of our regulars were out of town for summer vacations. We played most of our usual songs and then played around with some new stuff. Jimmy came to see us without his wife as usual. I still had not met the elusive Julie. She was always busy with committee meetings and such stuff. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't want to be with her husband on Saturday nights. Jimmy is such a nice guy; he certainly deserves better than that. I picked up the hints that they were having problems, but figured if Jimmy wanted to talk to me about it, he would.

Tony and Nancy were out of town, which was just as well. Greg was more at ease with Tony when Nancy came along, but the tension was still there. So it was a nice mellow night. We didn't make much money, but hell we didn't do this for the money anyway.

We finally made it home around 3AM. We slept until noon on Sunday and I made Greg a nice breakfast of challah French toast, bacon and eggs. There was an Alfred Hitchcock double feature playing at the local artsy cinema and I convinced Greg to go. They were showing the 3-D version of 'Dial M for Murder' and I had never seen it in that format. Greg thought it would be cheesy having to wear the silly little glasses, but I guess he went along to humor me. They were also showing my all-time favorite 'Rear Window'. I had never seen it on a large screen, so I was excited about going. Avi, Ricky and Jimmy met us there. We ate popcorn, tossing some at each other. The guys all laughed when I screamed at that scene in 'Rear Window' when Grace Kelly is in the apartment and Raymond Burr is coming back. I buried my head in Greg's shoulder and I could feel the vibrations of his body as he chuckled at my fear. But then he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I almost sobbed at the feelings that rose in my body. He made me feel safe, warm, and loved. We had never said that particular word to each other, but I felt it and I was pretty sure he did too. I wasn't expecting a big declaration of love, that wasn't Greg's style. But I felt so happy with him and he seemed happy too. Jimmy told me that he seemed less miserable overall and that he smiled more around me.

After the movies were over, we headed over to Satchel's to eat. I had my favorite potato skins and part of a burger. Greg finished the rest of it. It was just too much food for me. We hung out for a while, drinking beer and finally, since we all had work the next morning, called it a night around 8PM.

Greg and I went to bed around 10:30 and we made love again. It was slow and tender this time. When our bodies joined, it was as if two puzzle pieces had found their match. I felt like we were one body, one soul. He took his time bringing me to orgasm and when it hit, it was huge. He came right after I did and I could feel the strong force as he exploded inside of me. He rolled us on our sides, our bodies still joined. Tenderly, he stroked my cheek as he whispered: "So sweet, so beautiful."

His expression was so loving that my doubts were swept away. Words were not necessary; his eyes said it all. As for me, I knew that I had fallen completely in love with him. I expressed myself as best I could with my eyes and he smiled as he continued to stroke my cheek. I was sure that he could read me. I never wanted to lose this feeling that we had right now. It felt so right.

His dick softened enough that it finally slipped out of me and as always he sighed at the loss of contact. He pressed his lips to my forehead and then reached over and clicked off the lamp.

With his arms wrapped around me, I snuggled into his shoulder. He gave me a sweet, gentle kiss on the mouth and said: "Good night sweetheart."

I replied: "Good night cowboy."

I gave him one more little kiss on his chest and we drifted off to sleep.