C.J. was filing papers when the door opened. She called out without turning around, "Josh, I told you I had plans."

"Good, they better be with me." It was Danny's voice and before she could turn, he slipped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck.

"Danny, you didn't knock." She reached her arms back to encircle his neck and pull him closer.

"We're about the only regulars left in the building C.J. I do need to find Josh though."

"Oh, I thought you were looking for me." She released his neck then unhooked his arms from around her waist. She turned to face him and then walked toward her desk.

"I've always got an eye out for you, lady."

"Good answer." C.J. leaned against her desk. "Come here." Danny raised an eyebrow at her tone and she grinned. "Please?" He stepped closer and C.J. grabbed for him to pull him close and kiss him. In just a few seconds, C.J. and Danny were both lost in that kiss. "I've been wanting to do that all day.", C.J. sighed as she pulled away slightly from his lips.

"Next time don't wait, just halt the Briefing, say 'Danny, come here.'" Danny pulled out of her arms first and reluctantly. "C.J. what if someone walks in?"

"I'll tell them I'm thanking you on behalf of Gail. This is really too much." She laughed delightedly as she indicated the decorated fishbowl and the flowers.

"Well, those are nice manners, thank you. She's a very polite fish. I have something else for her." He went over to the chair by the door and handed C.J. a gift wrapped bottle of champagne.

"This is for Gail?"

"I've heard that a champagne bath is the way to go."

"Nice idea Danny, but I don't think I want her to be a fish out of water. So I'll take it home for us for tonight." C.J. walked over and put it next to a lavender paisley shopping bag.

Danny eyed it curiously, "What's that?"

"I did some Valentine's Day shopping."

"Are your sure you don't want to go out to dinner if you have something new to wear?"

C.J. moved back to him and draped her arms around him again. She leaned in to begin kissing him again. He didn't object and the kisses grew hotter. When she stopped, she told him, "It's okay. I don't care about going out. We're getting a late start, we still have to finish up work. I don't want to waste time in a restaurant. Take out's fine."

To prove her point, she kissed him again. Danny pulled her closer and let his hands roam on her back. She arched against him. "We're making a habit of this Ms. Cregg."

"I like kissing you." She said shyly, "I'm trying to improve my technique."

"Hey, practice all you'd like on me." He moved her hair aside and started kissing her neck.

"Danny. Danny. Danny! I think you'd better stop or we'll never get out of here."

"You're right. But I can't seem to think about anything but the way you feel, the way you smell and the way you taste."

C.J. moaned, "This isn't fair. I need to distract you."

"Go ahead, try." Danny kept kissing her. She pushed him gently away and went behind her desk.

C.J. dug for an envelope on the pile of papers and handed it to him. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"A little trite C.J." But he smiled when he said it.

"Sorry, I'm not the master wordsmith that you are."

"Your present is in my bag at my desk." He opened the envelope and saw the tickets inside. "C.J. this is great. These seats are court side. Thanks." It was another excuse for him to lean in and kiss her.

C.J. was really enjoying this interlude. Once again, she tugged at his tie to maneuver him close and put her arms around him. "I remember you offering to explain basketball to me once in 'a patronizing manner.'"

"You turned me down."

"Then you brought me a Goldfish."

"That shifted the balance for me?"

"It helped. So now we'll see just how well you know the game."

"You'll go with me? Duty won't call for either of us?"

"The tickets are for the weekend when the Bartlets will be visiting Elizabeth. It's usually a no media trip."

"Excellent planning."

"Sam gets the credit, he got the tickets for me."

"I'll thank him when I see him."

"How much do you have left to do?"

"Catch up with Josh when my photographer gets back and finish my party story. How about you?"

"Once I tear myself away from you, I can wrap things up in about 45 minutes."

Danny started to pull away. "Okay, no problem. I'm gone."

"Not so fast. You seemed to have fun at the party."

He grinned, "It was nice, weren't the kids great?"

C.J. was curious. "Why'd you gravitate to that one little girl?"

Danny looked her straight in the eye. "She reminded me of you. I was drawn to her and she was great." C.J. felt flustered by that look. It was like Danny could see into her heart. She put her head on his shoulder and he held her tight.

There was a knock on the door. The pair untangled quickly and C.J. smoothed her hair as she went to open the door. The photographer from Danny's paper was in the hall looking for him.

C.J. invited him in and made sure he had chocolates. Danny sent him towards Josh's office and said he'd follow shortly. They were alone once more, just looking at each other. Danny pushed the door shut and came over to C.J. "Don't take too long."

"You too. I want as much time with you as possible."

"We'll see how good we are at romance."

"I've been practicing.", she told him.

"With whom?"

"Don't be an idiot Danny. You're the only one who could make me do this." She moved close to him, took both his hands and held them at their sides. He saw her bite her lip and take a deep breath.

"'Give me a kiss and to that kiss a score:
Then to that twenty, add an hundred more.'"

Danny said, "No problem." He kissed her lightly. "I'm impressed C.J., poetry. How about tonight I hear some more and we do the numbers in the poem?"

"I'm counting on it. But I should tell you in the interests of full disclosure, I'm just doing my job. I'm quoting the President. He recited the same poem this morning."

"It's okay, you've been busy today."

"No honestly, Danny, I searched for another one. But I liked this best. I guess because I love kissing you. I keep thinking about it, about your mouth. You're addicting, like chocolate truffles."

"I'm flattered.", he said in a cocky voice.

"You're going to be insufferable. I should have kept quiet and found another poem."

Danny's voice took a serious turn as he looked at C.J. "Sometimes the right poem is just waiting for the right pairing.

'Of a'the airts the wind can blaw,
I dearly like the west,
For there the bonnie lassie lives,
The lassie I lo'e the best:
There's a wild woods grow, and rivers row,
And mony a hill between:
But day and night my fancy's flight
Is ever wi' my Jean.'"

"Oh, Danny."

He looked into C.J.'s starry eyes. "It's too bad Robert Burns' wife wasn't named Claudia Jean. But it's close enough. I'll save the other stanza for later."

"Go back to work now or..."

"Or what?"

"You know what. Get out of here. I'm going to finish and then go home to change."

"I won't be long C.J. I'll call you."

"Okay." C.J. kissed him on the cheek and he just grinned. As he got to the door she called to him. "Danny, one more thing. Tell your editor you'll be late for work tomorrow."

"I will? Why?"

"I'm taking the morning off."

"So?", Danny was confused.

"I thought I'd make you breakfast."

"You want me to come over for breakfast?"

"No." She just kept looking at him waiting for the light to go on. It didn't. "Danny, we'll be up late and I'm planning to stay in bed late."

"Yeah, how late C.J.?"

"As late as you'd like." She paused again and continued to stare at him.

"As late as I'd like?" he repeated, "C.J., why would I...?" Danny suddenly figured it out or hoped he had. "Oh, OH. Okay. No problem. I understand."

"Are you all right Danny?" C.J. asked with a grin.

"I'm not sure. But I'll tell them I have a breakfast meeting. What time should I tell them I'll be at work?"

"Well, let's see, it's a meal for morning but morning runs until 11:59 A.M."

"Right and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It shouldn't be rushed."

"Uh-huh." C.J.'s smile was angelic but there was a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Danny decided he'd better get his story filed and then find out what was going on in that incredible mind of hers. "Bye, make sure you feed my fish."

He went into the hall feeling pretty rattled. Josh found him. Josh's face lit up. "Hey Danny, how's it going?"

"What have you heard?"

"Nothing. But you're looking for me?"

"Yeah." Danny seemed to be having a hard time focusing. "Yeah. Josh. Right. Need you in your office to get a picture of the Hottest Heartthrob."

"I'm one of five but okay, I'll pose. Then how about grabbing a beer?"

Now Danny was back on track. "Sorry, mi compadre. I have plans."

"Are they definite?"

"Absolutely." Danny wasn't looking at Josh but beyond him. Josh followed Danny's gaze and saw it rest on C.J. leaning in her doorway.

Josh got the picture. "Oh man, are you a goner. Come on, let's go. You need to get moving."

C.J. watched them walk down the hall. She was pretty pleased with herself. It took a lot to shake up Danny Concannon. Just imagine what candles, perfume and black lace would do a little later on. He wouldn't know what hit him and C.J. couldn't wait. She went back to her office to feed the Goldfish.

(TO BE CONTINUED)