A/N: I want to be sure I clarify one thing since some reviewers have mentioned it. This is an AU story, which means it isn't necessarily going to conform to whatever's going on in real life. So in this case, it means that the new guy in the pictures with Connie doesn't exist in this story and will never appear in this story. This isn't real life, it's an imagining of what we might like to have happen/happened.

I appreciate all the kind reviews!

Normally she wouldn't dress up for a table read. Super casual jeans and tops, glasses, no makeup and hair not styled. It was a casual day and she would typically approach it that way. But this time it was different. After 2 episodes where she had no scenes with Chip, for this episode they had a pretty good one. It wasn't near enough, but she was glad to get it, both for herself and for her character. It was clear they were moving ahead with pairing Rayna to Luke and she wasn't thrilled with it. Oh, she liked Will Chase, who played Luke, a lot. But she saw it as a diversionary tactic that she didn't believe fans of Rayna and Deacon would like. But she was a professional and she would give it her best.

The scene they would have in the episode was Deacon coming to her house to discuss the death of Lamar. It was meaty and it had tension in the beginning. Rayna had hung up on him when he'd called to talk to her about her father's death and he showed up to finish the conversation. At first she treated him coolly, but as the scene progressed it showed the deep connection the two had. Deacon knew Rayna the way no one else knew her. He could call her out on her shit and she knew it, because there was no one else who knew what was deep inside her except for him.

Most of all she was looking forward to seeing Chip. When they had met at the park, they had agreed to keep things on the down low until he'd talked to Patty. She knew it was a delicate thing and she wanted to support him in doing things in his timing. But they would be able to see each other and interact with each other at the table read and so she took a little extra care with her appearance. Not so much as to seem over the top, but she wore a blouse instead of a casual top and she put on a little makeup – some mascara, a touch of blush, just enough to look like she cared. She even had pulled her hair into a ponytail twist the night before so that when she brushed it out, there were some gentle waves in it.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to laugh. She hoped it wasn't too obvious to others, but she could certainly see she'd made an effort. She wanted to look pretty for him and it made her feel like a high school girl hoping to impress a boy she liked. She laughed again. He would notice though. He noticed everything when it came to her. She played a little with her hair and then looked at the time, realizing she needed to get going.

She saw him when he came in the room and he smiled when he saw her. He made his way around the room and then settled into the chair next to her. He bumped her shoulder as he leaned in. "Hey," he said with a grin. He gave her an appreciative look and she knew he'd noticed how she looked.

Her heart beat a little faster as she smiled at him. "Hey."

"So finally we get a scene together."

"Yes, we do. And I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too." He looked around and then looked back at her. "Maybe we could talk about it." He lowered his voice. "And maybe some other things too."

She nodded. A little jolt of anticipation ran through her. She wondered where things stood for him. "Sounds good." She looked around. "Here?"

"If we're both here, that would work. If not, we'll have to figure something else out."

She thought about that. "Can I call you? Or text you? Or send smoke signals?"

He laughed out loud, causing a few people to turn and look at them. The good news is that most people knew they were friends and looked away as soon as they saw who it was. "Or maybe Morse code?" He grinned. "I'll be here tomorrow, so why don't I give you a call around lunch time and we can work through the logistics."

She was smiling too. "Works for me."

He bumped her arm with his elbow. "Smoke signals probably isn't the worst idea. We'll need to be careful. On communicating."

She nodded, then considered something. "We're filming the funeral scene Friday. We're not doing our scene until next week. Maybe we could carpool over together?" Normally the crew would take care of getting them to a location, but since the scene was the first one in the morning, they could ride together to the shooting location. "And we could talk on the way over."

He smiled and it spread across his face. "I've always said you were too smart for me."

It was her turn to laugh, although more softly. "Not true. But thanks." She checked the call sheet. "We've got to be at the location by 9:30. I need to come by here for wardrobe, hair, and makeup so that I can be ready for the scene. What do you think?"

He seemed to consider that. "7:30? 7:45? Or is that too early?"

She made a face. "I hate to say this, but what about 7:00?" She smirked. "It takes me longer to get Rayna'd up than it does for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "So true. Uh, would my trailer work? Or somewhere around here."

"I think your trailer's not a good idea. Why not that back hallway we use sometimes?" There was a hallway back behind Rayna's bedroom that was often a quiet spot for them to talk about scenes and character discussions. "I mean, someone might see me go in your trailer and get the wrong idea."

"Well, in some ways it would be the right idea, but I get what you're saying. Yeah, that works for me."

She smiled when he said going to his trailer would be the right idea, knowing what he meant, but she didn't think it was smart at this point. "Okay, then, it's settled. See you then. 7:00? Can you be on time?" Chip was not known for his regular punctuality and it was kind of a joke around the set.

He laughed. "Yes, smarty pants, I can be on time." He leaned into her. "For you and you only."

She took a couple steps back. "Okay, see you then." She gave him a little longer look, then turned and headed for the back of the lot where Olivia and Yoby were waiting in her trailer. She could feel him watching her and she smiled to herself.

She really wished she had not suggested 7:00. She dragged herself out of bed and took a shower, then got dressed. Olivia didn't look a whole lot better than she did when she arrived to stay with Yoby. Since she wasn't going to be on set, it seemed more prudent to have her come to the house. Traffic was light that day and it didn't take her as long to get to the production studio. She parked out back, then got out of her car and headed for the building.

She figured some people had to be there, since she'd seen other cars out back, but she didn't run into anyone else as she walked through the building. It was quiet and all the lights weren't on yet. She walked back to the little corner off the hallway behind Rayna's bedroom set. She and Chip often met there to talk about scenes. They generally wouldn't use it for private conversations and she still thought it would be better to have whatever the other conversation was in the car.

She sat down on the floor and pulled her script out of her purse. She wanted to go over the scene at the cemetery. She didn't have many lines, but she wanted to put herself into Rayna's mindset and consider how she would be feeling. As much as Rayna wanted to pretend she didn't care about her father's death, it created tremendous stress for her, particularly since her girls and her sister had such sad feelings about it. Rayna would be stoic, unemotional, throughout the whole episode until the very end. Her interactions with everyone reflected how she felt after the revelations she'd heard about her mother's death and it colored how she approached it. Deacon's phone call would be one of those interactions where she didn't want to let the façade crack. It was easier to pack all those emotions in and pretend Lamar's death was not a big deal to her. And especially since Deacon had been able to pick up on how much she was holding in, that was why she'd hung up on him.

She picked up her phone and saw that it was 7:10. She smiled and shook her head. He cannot be on time, even for me. It was a small thing and it really wasn't something that bothered her most of the time. She knew he'd be profusely apologetic when he got there. She heard footsteps jogging across the floor, getting closer, until he burst around the corner and saw her sitting there.

He smiled apologetically. "I promised, didn't I?" She nodded. "And I'm still late. But not as late as usual."

She smiled. "That's true." He dropped down onto the floor next to her. "I figured we'd talk about the scene. I've got hair and makeup at 7:45. And whatever else we can save for the car?"

He nodded. "Sounds good." He leaned towards her and looked at her script. "So what were you thinking?"

They drove in silence at first. He was wearing a suit with a coat and sunglasses. She had taken off her coat before she got in the car and Chip had let out a low wolf whistle.

She looked at him and smiled. "Stop," she said.

"That dress, though. Damn."

He was right. The dress was very form fitting and unforgiving if you didn't have the figure to wear it. She'd had to admit she really liked it and knowing he appreciated it had given her a warm feeling inside. She stole a glance at him as he drove. He looked handsome in the suit and his sunglasses. She looked back out of the car window. They were headed to the same cemetery where they had filmed Rayna visiting her mother's grave, home to old money families in Nashville as well as country music royalty. Although Chip was in the scene, he wasn't the focus. The two of them would not interact at all. The scene they would shoot in Rayna's kitchen would be coming the following week.

"So, I started the conversation," he said, breaking the silence. She turned to look at him.

"You did?"

He nodded. "I want to be sure I do this the right way. At least in a way that doesn't focus on you."

She couldn't see his eyes, as they were covered behind the dark sunglasses. He wouldn't be able to see hers either, though, and somehow that seemed appropriate. The eyes said so much more than words did. "What did you say?"

He looked back at the road ahead of them. "I told her I wasn't happy. She wanted to know what that meant. Whether it meant I was involved with someone else. I know she meant you, even though she didn't say that. I tried to keep it focused on that I wasn't happy."

"Okay."

"She asked a lot of questions, like how long I'd felt this way, what it really meant, was I leaving her." He cleared his throat. "I explained that I just had started to want different things. That it wasn't something specific she had done, but that I was in a different headspace. She kept wanting details, which I guess is what I might want too, but I told her it was a general feeling. She wanted to know if I thought it could change, that we could go to counseling and work through things."

"What did you say?"

"I sort of didn't address it. I suppose we could do that, but I don't want to. Nothing's gonna change. But I really want this to be about the fact that we're in different places than we were back in the beginning. And she brought up the marriage being a lifetime thing again."

She angled her body a little towards him. "What does that mean exactly? Does it mean you have to stay married anyway? That you aren't allowed to get divorced?"

He glanced at her, then back to the road. "No, that's not what it means. It's a...concept, I guess. It's a church belief, which is like what Catholics believe, or believed, not sure if that's changed. The whole idea that you marry for life and that you can't get divorced or marry a divorced person. That you can't be part of the church if you do those things. It's not that fullly spelled out and there's nothing that forbids divorce per se, but if you're going to marry someone who's divorced, you have to have permission in order to marry in the church. There's a pretty narrow list of exceptions."

She turned to face forward again and leaned back against the seat. "So depending on what your intentions are, you might have to walk away from your faith?"

"I don't really know. It would seem so, maybe."

"How do you feel about that?"

He looked conflicted, at least the part of his face she could see. "I don't know. I do know I would probably lose some friends in my church over it. Especially those who really take it to heart."

She swallowed. That was heavy. She had not thought about the fact that there might be repercussions that were more personal than just doctrinal. "That's pretty significant, Chip. It's a lot."

He nodded. "It is." He reached for her hand and squeezed it tight. "It doesn't mean I won't proceed with it."

She put her other hand over his and sighed. "So if you do that, what could happen?"

"The most obvious is that she could refuse to agree to a divorce."

"You can do that?" Her own situation had been so simple. She and her ex-husband had figured out they weren't looking for the same things and had agreed to part ways. There were no other impediments though, like children or a religious angle. Of course, she knew that it hadn't been her plan to get divorced when she got married but, to Chip's point, things changed. What wasn't an obstacle in the beginning became one over time.

"Technically no. If I wanted a divorce or she wanted a divorce, there's really nothing that stops us from filing. But, as you probably know, there are people who will put their beliefs ahead of that and say 'I can't do that, because my religious beliefs don't allow for it'." He breathed in deeply. "I want you to understand that it's not a step I would take lightly or frivolously and it's not that I don't value those concepts, because I do. But I believe my life and her life and our kids' lives would be improved if we weren't in a situation where we stayed just because we believed we didn't have the right to acknowledge things had changed."

"You've been married a long time. I wouldn't say this is frivolous necessarily, but you know our relationship is at the root of it." It hurt her heart to say that and she looked down at where their hands were joined together.

"Connie, I hope you know you're not the root cause. If I'd been completely happy when I met you, what happened wouldn't have happened. Maybe it seemed impulsive to you, and maybe it kind of was in some ways, but I would never have put us in this situation – or you, really – if I hadn't already known that things had changed."

She believed him. One thing she'd learned about him was that he was genuine and didn't like to hurt others. She could only imagine how difficult doing this would be. "How do you think your kids will handle this?" she asked.

"I'm not planning to say anything to them just yet. I need to move the conversation forward with Patty and then I'll probably have to actually file for divorce myself. Then it would be time to let them know, although I suspect she'll resist and we'll have to have that conversation first."

"Then what?"

"They'll go back to LA, I guess. I'd be okay if they stayed here, just because it would be easier to be part of the kids' lives, but I don't know how it will go." He looked over at her. "I think it's gonna be tough and probably not quick. Are you okay with that?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We'll play things by ear, see how it goes."

He gave her a sad smile. "Thanks for pushing me in the right direction. I know you said you weren't going to give me an ultimatum, although you kind of did. But it was the right kind and you were also right that it didn't all need to happen today. Or tomorrow."

She smiled back at him. "I love being right."

He chuckled and it seemed to loosen him up and lighten the heaviness of the conversation. "I'm not surprised at all."

They pulled into the cemetery just then. She squeezed his hand, then let go of it. He put his own hand back on the wheel, and they ended the ride the way they started it – in silence.

While they waited for the crew to get things set up for the kitchen scene, they sat off to the side, not really talking much. She wondered how things were going for him, but she didn't want to ask. She didn't want him to feel as though she were pushing him in any way. Then he leaned over and whispered to her. "I want to see you." She looked at him, wondering what that meant. Was there news? He must have seen her confusion because he went on. "It doesn't have to be anything, but I just want to...see you, talk to you, about anything other than all this stuff going on."

"When?"

"Maybe a day I'm working and you're not. Or we're both working and leave at the same time." It was obvious he'd thought about this.

"How would that work exactly?"

He shrugged. "We don't ever know how long things will take. Things last as long as they last." That was true. It was probably why you never got anything but a call time, which could always change. Who knew how many takes would be necessary or if things needed to be moved around on a set or something.

"Well, then I think it should be when I'm not working. Logistically it would be easier."

"Do you work tomorrow?" She shook her head. "I do. So maybe tomorrow?"

She quickly ran through her schedule the next day in her head. She really didn't have anything on her agenda. She'd had a busy week and she had been looking forward to some downtime. "Um, okay."

He gave her a half smile. "Just to spend some time together. It doesn't have to be a thing."

He'd sort of said that before, but she kind of thought it would be a thing. She smiled back. "Okay."

He grinned then. "I'll call when I'm leaving."

She nodded, but didn't get a chance to say anything else because they were called onto the set. She did, however, feel an inappropriate tingle inside as she thought about the possibilities.

The next day was one of those late winter, almost spring rainy days that reminded her that real spring was still a little ways away. It was a chilly rain, mostly steady. Everything outside was gray. She pulled on a gray sweater at first, then decided it just exacerbated the gloom. She went back and found a pink sweater and paired that with her jeans. She brushed out her hair and decided she looked good enough. While she went through her morning with Yoby, she wondered when Chip might stop by. She knew his call time was 8 AM but sometimes call times got pushed, so she kept her mind off things by entertaining Yoby.

Her son had turned 3 that year and actually didn't need her to entertain him much. In fact, he would get exasperated with her when she didn't understand what a certain toy was supposed to do. He was into toy trucks and trains, picture books and drawing. He was growing into a little person and she was always fascinated by the conversations they would have. Having a child was so much more than she had expected it to be. She had imagined certain things, but everything was so much bigger, and better, than she had dreamed. The fact that he was a boy meant that she was learning along with him. He was so smart and she was proud of him. She planned to send him off to a pre-school program the following year at one of private schools close by.

At lunch time she made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the 2 of them. She sometimes worried that he wasn't getting a better meal experience, since she wasn't much of a cook, but she always made sure they had vegetables and other healthy foods, so a peanut butter and jelly sandwich once in a while wasn't a terrible thing. Of course, it was one of his favorites so he was thrilled. Does every kid just like the least nutritional food? She smiled to herself as she put the sandwiches on plates, added milk for him and water for herself as she put lunch on the kitchen table. Her mom friends had all told her what she was doing was fine, which always made her feel better.

While they were eating, she heard her phone buzz and she got up to get it. She smiled when she saw it was Chip. "Hey," she said.

"Hey there. I'm a little later than I thought I'd be. Is it still okay to stop by?"

"Yes. Yoby and I are eating lunch and then he'll have his after lunch nap, so it's good timing."

"Great. See you soon."

She disconnected and just stared at the phone for a moment. While she thought it probably wouldn't end up just as a talking thing, she was looking forward to seeing him anyway. With all the episodes where the two of them didn't have scenes together, they hadn't gotten much time to spend together. Rayna was moving in one direction with her new relationship, Deacon in another with his. She wished there could have been more around learning to be parents together, but that didn't seem to be in the cards, so it would be nice to see him and just talk. And whatever else.

His timing was perfect. She was just coming down the stairs when she heard the knock at the door. When she opened it, she smiled. "Hey. Come on in."

He walked in and smiled. "Damn, it's cold outside." He shrugged out of his jacket and she took it from him, hanging it up in the coat closet. He looked around. "Yoby still up?"

She shook her head. "Just put him down." She walked towards the den and he followed. She had turned on the fireplace and with the gloomy skies and the persistent rain, it helped make the room feel cozy. They sat on the couch, although not right next to each other. He was being respectful and she appreciated it, although it also felt a little sad. She stood back up quickly. "Oh, I should have asked if you wanted anything to drink."

"Nah. Since we ran over I don't think I can stay as long as I wanted to, so I'm good."

That disappointed her. "So how were things today?"

"Good. We were doing scenes at a gig Deacon was doing. It's when he finds out about Lamar. And I did my side of the call to Rayna." She had done her side a few days earlier. Someone on the crew would then work their magic to edit it into a complete 2-sided call.

She sighed. "I wish we had more scenes. I feel like their paths aren't intersecting as much as I'd hoped."

He smirked. "I think the point is to try to pull them apart. For now, anyway."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She looked back up at him. "I know we weren't going to talk about 'things', but I just wondered how things are. I know it's just been a couple days, but..."

He sighed. "Uncomfortable. No real movement." He looked away for a moment, then back at her. "I think I'm gonna have to move out."

That surprised her, although maybe it shouldn't have. "Really?"

"Well, that would be the logical next step."

She gave him an apologetic smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you have anything planned?"

"I'll wait until the weekend, then approach it then." He moved a little closer and reached for her hand. "I think all of this is gonna take some time. You know, in terms of how it moves along. Especially so that you don't get caught in the middle."

She nodded. "I understand."

He looked at her really earnestly. "I hate to say that it could be a while before we can be together. In public anyway. Will that be a problem?"

"I'll see you at work though, right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, of course. And privately too, I hope." He looked at her expectantly.

It was when he smiled that she would see flashes of that baby-faced man she'd seen in his pictures prior to meeting him. Even with all he was dealing with, there was still a lightness to him that made her happy. She couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure we can work that out. As long as we're very careful." She squeezed his hand. "Where would you live?"

"I'm thinking I'd get an apartment here. It looks like we might do some small shows after we wrap, so I can just find someplace here instead of going back to LA or somewhere else."

She nodded. "That makes sense."

He looked at her earnestly. "I'm doing this, Connie. I promise." She couldn't speak so she just nodded. She was afraid to get her hopes up, because she knew anything could happen. Chip seemed so sure, but it could get all turned around. Maybe Patty would persuade him not to leave. Maybe in the end his kids would be the reason he couldn't do it. She didn't believe it would be because of her, but things were so fluid and tenuous. She promised herself she wouldn't do anything to interfere. He pulled her into his arms then and kissed her. "I love you, baby," he whispered against her mouth. He pushed her back against the arm of the couch, but she pushed back.

"We can't do this...here," she murmured. He just smiled.

She had missed this. Rough, quick sex scratched an itch but it wasn't as satisfying as this. Feeling his skin against hers had made her want to weep with joy. It had been far too long. He didn't hurry, but it was clear they were both on the edge almost as soon as they started. His movements were both smooth and powerful. She ran her hands up and down his back. He took her mouth with his and kissed her almost savagely. And then finally he'd pinched and tugged at her nipples and she arched her pelvis into him. Her arms were around his neck, his mouth still hungrily kissing her. The heat was starting to take over as she let everything go except for how he felt and the exquisite pressure of his fingers creating that heady mix of pain and pleasure.

She pulled her mouth from his as she came, feeling the pulsing waves rocking her body as she practically gasped for air. "Oh god, Connie," she heard him cry out. All she could think about was how good he'd made her feel and how he held her tightly against him, their bodies on fire together. When they had both caught their breath, he'd rolled onto his back, taking her with him. Now she was tucked into his side, her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. He had his arms around her and was gently grazing his fingertips up and down her arm. She could forget the rest of the world existed outside of her bedroom.

She had surely missed this.

An hour after he arrived, he was gone. Yoby was up and sitting next to her on the couch with a picture book. The rain had stopped but it was still gray and chilly outside. She sat back and thought about Chip's visit. Why they would ever pretend they were just going to 'talk' was beyond her. Trying to keep things more platonic had been difficult and it was clear neither of them was happy with that, but she had to wonder if they tried to have these little interludes, would it backfire. She had no idea how long things would take for him to untangle himself from his marriage. Even if he moved out, it could be months or even years before they might be comfortable being public about their relationship.

She could think more clearly when he wasn't with her. She wondered if she was being selfish, then reminded herself she was. She had known he was married from the start. Knew he had a commitment to his wife and family, although she hadn't known what that could entail. She was not the kind of woman who would do this kind of thing, have an affair with another woman's husband. She'd never done anything like this before. She would try to stay away, try to be strong. That's not really true though. He basically lived with me for long stretches of our first season. That's not trying to stay away, that's being weak. Except it was hard to stay away.

When she thought about what had happened earlier, she felt somewhat conflicted. She could be firm. She could continue to date anyway, because she really hadn't committed not to. But whenever she was around him, particularly when they were alone, her body felt like it was on fire. For him. She wanted to try to convince herself he wasn't serious about this, but she knew that wasn't true. She couldn't have explained it, if anyone had asked her, but she knew, deep in her soul, that he felt the same way she did. It was bigger than both of them. It wouldn't be what they would have planned, but sometimes love came along when you didn't expect it. It wasn't always clean and tidy, it was sometimes very messy. She also felt it in her soul that they were meant to be together. And she knew that sometimes, even when the stars aligned in that way, things still didn't work out. That made her heart ache.

"Mom. Wanna watch a movie," Yoby said. She turned and he was looking up at her.

"You do?" He nodded and she smiled. "What should we watch?"

He grinned. "Nemo!" he shouted, raising his little hand in the air.

She laughed. It was almost always Nemo. One of her friends had given it to him for Christmas and he was fascinated by it. "Okay, Nemo it is." She got up from the couch, found the DVD and then turned on the TV, popping the movie in. She went back to the couch and sat, picking up the remote and starting the movie. This would definitely take her mind off everything else.

When she got the script for the next episode, she glanced through it, as she normally did first thing. Then she would go back and mark her scenes. The first thing she noticed is that she and Chip wouldn't be working together at all for yet another episode. That was disappointing. Luke Wheeler was still around and it seemed he would be for a while. Initially the character was to be a stepping stone relationship on Rayna's journey away from Deacon. But somewhere along the line, the showrunner and the writers had become fascinated by the character and the budding relationship between Luke and Rayna. The character wasn't originally slated to be more than a few episodes, but then suddenly, it was extended until at least the end of the season and, it seemed, likely more.

It had surprised her. While off screen, the 2 got along well, that didn't seem to transfer to the screen, at least in her opinion. She had watched dailies and had noticed the limited onscreen chemistry between the 2. She knew a lot of it was her own perception, because she was very aware of the chemistry she and Chip had onscreen. It was undeniable, even when the characters were at odds. It had been a long time since she'd been connected to a character and the interactions seem so...not natural. It didn't necessarily feel that way in the moment, but she could see it in her mannerisms, her facial expressions, even in her energy. It was puzzling. But she had also felt somewhat the same about how Rayna and Teddy interacted, although she and Eric had actually talked about the relationship between the two and had agreed that it wouldn't really feel romantic in the same way that Deacon and Rayna did. But she could see the difference – Rayna and Teddy had been in a long term relationship and were mostly comfortable with each other.

It wasn't as though she was sleepwalking through her scenes with Will, but there was just something that didn't click on the screen. She was more concerned though with whether the writers had any intention of exploring Deacon and Rayna more, now that they were parents together. The chemistry had been palpable on screen when the characters were writing together, but then it just fell off the pages of subsequent episodes. It was frustrating.

She was at the studio for wardrobe fittings when her phone buzzed. She ignored it, turning one way and then the other. "You need to get that?" Susie asked, inclining her head towards the sound of the phone.

She shook her head. "I'll get it later." She turned again and smiled. The top was gorgeous, with sheer black sleeves and a beaded and embroidered bodice. It looked hot and sexy. She looked at Susie in the mirror. "And how long did you say I'd wear this?"

Susie smirked. "About 3 minutes maybe?"

"I must have a hundred outfits this time. Too bad this one isn't getting more play." She sighed. "Anything else?"

Susie shook her head. "That's enough, isn't it?"

She grinned. "Yeah, I think you're right." She started to unbutton the top. "Thanks for this." She handed the top to Susie and then pulled the sweatshirt she'd worn over back on. She slid her jacket on and picked up her purse. Before she headed for the door, she pointed at the top. "See if you can't get someone to agree to let me wear that again." She raised her hand in a wave. "See you later."

She headed across the building back to where she had parked. She had just gotten outside when she heard her phone buzz again. She reached into her purse and pulled it out. She smiled. It was Chip. She also saw she had a missed call from him, which was probably the one she'd blown off. "Hey there," she said as she raised the phone to her ear.

"I'm pissed," he said, sounding like it.

"Um, okay. About what?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you or anything."

She bit her lip. "I didn't think you were. What's going on?" Suddenly she was worried things weren't going well with his plans on moving out. He hadn't gotten as far with that conversation as he'd planned and she knew he was out of sorts about it.

"I saw we're not working together this episode."

She had to take a second to realize he was talking about something altogether different from what she thought. She sighed. "Yeah, I saw that too." She paused. "Where are you?"

"Studio."

"How much longer do you have?"

"I'm done. Just getting ready to leave."

"Well, can you meet me?"

"Where?"

"My house. I've been with Susie this morning." She smiled. "I could pick up lunch."

He chuckled. "I could skip lunch."

"I think you might need your strength though."

"Well, that sounds like an offer I definitely can not refuse." He had a teasing note in his voice.

"I should be home in about 45 minutes then."

"I'll meet you there."

She hung up, still smiling and feeling tingly all over.

When she pulled into her driveway, she saw his car parked on the side street. She pulled out her phone. I'm here. where are you?

On your porch.

She smiled and got out of her car, quickly walking to the front of her house. The front door didn't have a true porch, just a covered area that led to the door. The angle meant it wasn't highly visible from the street. She had put a chair next to the door as a place for delivery men to put packages and that's where she found him. He smiled as she approached and stood up. He leaned towards her as though he was going to kiss her and she pushed him gently on his chest. "Inside first," she said. She opened the door and walked through, with him following behind her. When he closed the door, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"You kinda surprised me when you invited me over."

She set her purse and the bag of sandwiches she'd bought on the foyer table and shrugged off her jacket. She hung it in the coat closet and then waited for him to take his off, hanging it as well. Then she picked up her purse and the bag. "You just sounded so...cranky. I thought you could use a little, uh, pick me up." She laughed. She headed for the kitchen.

She set her purse and bag on the counter and he swept her up in his arms and kissed her long and hard. When he let her go, he grinned. "I appreciate you thinking about me. Like that."

She patted his chest, then picked up the bag. "Sandwiches first though."

"If you insist." He followed her to the kitchen table.

"Oh, I do." She smiled as they both sat. She opened the bag and handed him a ham and cheese sandwich and put a veggie wrap in front of her. She handed him a napkin.

He looked at her. "No chips?"

She shook her head. "No chips." She stood up then. "Oh. Water?" He nodded and she went and fetched 2 bottled waters from the fridge and brought them back, handing him one. She sat back down. "Eat," she said, pointing at his sandwich.

He smiled and unwrapped the sandwich, taking a bite. After he'd swallowed, he looked at her. "I guess they're serious about keeping us apart."

"Probably. I've got a lot of scenes with Will this time." She pointed at his sandwich. "No talking. Eat." He laughed. When they finished, she grabbed up all the trash and threw it away. She walked back to the table and took his hand, pulling him up. "I've bought myself about 30 minutes before I need to pick up Yoby. You probably need to get home too."

He looked at her with amused confusion. "So we aren't going to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not today. I want to take your mind off of it." She smiled. "And focus it on me."

He grinned. "I like how you think," he said, and let her walk him down to her bedroom.

When they were undressed he took her hand and started to move towards the bed. She resisted and he looked confused. She could see the question in his eyes. "I want to watch," she murmured. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. She walked towards her bathroom and then leaned against the vanity, facing the mirror. The way he looked at her led her to believe this wasn't something he was used to doing. As he approached her though, she could see that he was intrigued. She bent slightly forward and spread her legs. She captured his eyes in the mirror and attempted with her body movements and her eyes to telegraph what she wanted. He smiled and walked up behind her. She breathed deeply in and out as she felt his erection. She moved her hips slightly and he slid inside her. She moaned softly.

They locked eyes in the mirror. She could see and feel how turned on he was. After a moment, he started to move inside her with long, rhythmic strokes. She fell in rhythm with him and he groaned. He moved his hands up her abdomen and began to caress her breasts. She could hear him breathing hard, his mouth slightly open, his breath hot against her shoulder. It felt like he might not last long. He started breathing harder and then brushed his thumbs over her nipples. She caught her breath. He was moving faster and she reached down to touch herself. "God, Connie," he murmured.

When he pinched one nipple she could feel her orgasm bubble up. Watching him watching her and seeing how he was reacting made her hot and she could feel herself start to breathe harder. She leaned her head back against him and whispered his name over and over. She felt like she was levitating out of her body as she suddenly came, crying out over and over. He moved his hands to her hips, driving himself into her with more power and then suddenly he shouted her name and let himself go, pressing his mouth against her shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her then and kissed her shoulder. He moved one hand to sweep her hair off to the side, then he nuzzled her ear. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. She covered the hand that was still pressed against her abdomen with her own, finally feeling her breathing slowing down. They stood like that for several minutes and then he stepped back, letting her go. She turned to face him and he kissed her hungrily.

She felt like her legs were unsteady and she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Suddenly he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. After he gently laid her down, he got in next to her and then pulled her close. He smiled at her. "Wow," he said, still catching his breath a little.

She smiled. "Did you like that?" she said softly.

He nodded. "Oh yeah. A lot." He kissed her. "You never fail to surprise me, Connie. In the best ways possible." He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

She put her hand on his cheek. "I love you." He kissed her again and she felt loved.