A Reason to Give Thanks

Chapter 5 by Yana

For disclaimers, notes, and authors, see part one.

*

Josh shut the door, snickering to himself.  For a woman who had been threatening bodily harm to him mere hours earlier for inviting Danny, CJ certainly seemed eager to spend time with the reporter.

As he wandered into the living room, he was distracted by a quick motion on the couch. A motion that may or may not have been his best friend and a blonde Republican sex kitten springing away from each other guiltily.

"Hey!"  Ainsley jumped off the couch, breathless.  "I better get going.  It's getting late."

Josh hid a smile.  "Well, it's only five, but if you need to leave..."

"I do," Ainsley said, trying to look apologetic.  "I'm sorry.  But thank you very much for having me over.  I had a great time, and the food was wonderful."

"Well, the next time my assistant gets the urge to take over my kitchen, I'll be sure to let you know."

Ainsley smiled then, genuinely.  "Please tell her I enjoyed it.  It made being away from home easier."

"That's good," Josh said sincerely.

She barely glanced at Sam as she left, attempting to call out from the door offhandedly, "Bye, Sam.  See you at work!"

Josh grinned as he shut the door behind her.  "So, Sam…"

Sam sprang up off the couch.  "You know what?  I hate to leave Donna with all these dishes, but I really have to go too."

"Things to do, people to see?" Josh asked, not bothering to hide his amusement.

"Something like that."

"Okay."  Josh gave him a knowing look, which Sam missed completely.

Sam shrugged on his coat.  "Tell Donna she should take over your kitchen more often.  She did a great job."

"I helped!  I nearly lost a finger peeling those carrots!"

"You did a good job.  No blood in the vegetables means you did a good job," Sam acknowledged.

Josh threw him a mock glare.  "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

Donna emerged from Josh's bedroom just as the door closed behind Sam.

"Hey."

"Hey," Josh responded, smirking.  "I'm supposed to tell you that your cooking was wonderful."

"Sam and Ainsley left?'

"Oh, yeah."

Her eyes widened.  "Together?"

"They left separately, but I bet she was waiting for him in the parking lot."

Donna grinned.  "I'm not surprised.  When they cleared the table after dessert they hung around in the kitchen for a suspiciously long time.  Plus I think Ainsley had some whipped cream behind her ear when they came out.  I can't be sure."

Josh shuddered.  "Republicans.  Never turn your back on them, Donna, they're clever."

She grinned.  "Haven't turned my back on one yet."

He started towards her, returning her smile.  "True, and that's something we'll need to discuss."

She snickered and retreated towards the kitchen.  "Just let me finish cleaning up."

Donna began work on the kitchen methodically, scraping all the leftovers into containers and stacking them neatly in Josh's now nearly empty fridge.  Josh brought the rest of the cups and plates in from the table and together they loaded the dishwasher.

She was rinsing her hands when he leaned up against the counter beside her.  "I never got any dessert," he complained.

"You were on the phone," Donna said reasonably.

"Donna...  I wanted pie..." he whined.

"I didn't get any either," she pointed out.  "What with you inviting Danny, there wasn't enough for both of us."

"It's all gone?"

"There's one piece left," she sighed, opening the fridge.  "Here."  She shoved the plastic container into his hands.

He opened it.  "That's it?  Where's the whipped cream?"

"There's a little still in there, see?"  Donna nudged the slice with her finger and he saw the white fluffy cream pasted along one side.

"Excellent."  He grabbed a fork and headed for the couch.  The sun was almost gone, so the living room was getting dark.  He reached over and turned on one of the lamps beside him.

"Hey!"  She followed him into the living room.  "I wanted some of that!"

He put a protective arm around the container.  "You can't have any, Ms. I-Never-Say-No-To-Republicans."

She laughed out loud and sank down onto the couch beside him.  "It was just the one time," she mock protested, tugging the side of the container.

He tugged back.  "Two."

"Two?  You absolutely cannot count--"

"I can and I will," he said firmly, putting another bite of pie in his mouth with one hand while keeping a firm grip on the container with the other.

She stuck her finger into the container and came up with a blob of whipped cream.  She waggled it in his face threateningly.

He grinned.  "Well, if you're going to feed me..." He lunged forward as if to capture her finger in his mouth but she moved it away, drawing a straight line of whipped cream up his nose to his forehead.

"Donna," he complained.

"I want some pie, Josh."

"You just spread it all over my face!"

"It's not all over your face, Josh, it's right here."  She leaned in, tracing the line of whipped cream with her finger.

His smile suddenly changed.  "And you're going to clean it off?"

She leaned in closer, her breath warming his cheek.  "Yeah."  Her tongue flicked out and swiped his nose, then slowly lapped upwards, cleaning off the sweet trail.

He gave a little moan of pleasure.  "Donna..."

She took advantage of his relaxed state to whip the pie container out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"You snooze, you lose," she said playfully, shouldering him away while she grabbed a bite.  "Mmm.  This is soooo good."

He pounced on her then, pinning her down on the couch.  "That was a dirty trick."

She let him take the pie container away from her and set it on the coffee table.  Winding her arms around his neck she said, "I learned from the best."

He leaned down then and did what he'd been dying to do all day.  He kissed her.

She responded as she always did, with an honest passion that took his breath away.

"Do you think anyone suspected?" she asked, when they finally came up for air.

"It was a tight moment there when you knew where the saffron was, and that Mom had given you my presents, but..."

"Nothing that can't be written off as devotion from an intelligent, competent, loyal, efficient..."

"Republican-loving," he added.

"Hey!"

He grinned.

Softly, she said, "You know..."

"I know," he said firmly.  "I know."

She stretched up and kissed him again and he took some time to savor the feel of her lips on his.  Whenever a day went by that he couldn't kiss her, a tiny part of him doubted that any of this was real.

Finally they broke apart and he pulled her back up, settling her onto the couch next to him while he fed them both pie.

"There isn't very much whipped cream," he observed.

"I have this feeling Sam and Ainsley are to blame for that."

"That's pretty inconsiderate of them."

Donna grinned.  "It's okay.  I got a can as well as the real stuff."

"I thought you said that canned whip cream was an abomination against nature."

"But it's more portable and less messy."

He grinned.  "I can live with that," he decided, right before she kissed him again.

*

Josh wasted no time deepening the kiss, letting his hands wander over her curves until they came to rest cupping her breasts.  He squeezed them lightly and she moaned, her hands flying to his hips to pull him closer.

"I think it's time for dessert," he murmured.

"We really should burn off some of those extra calories," she agreed playfully.  "Otherwise, we're just going to fall asleep here."

"Donna, believe me when I tell you I'm not about to fall asleep."  He began feathering kisses down the side of her neck, pulling her shirt to the side to get access to her collarbone.

She pulled away and grinned.  "Prove it."

He regarded her for a moment, almost incredulous, then said, "Fine."  Standing, he pulled her up too, then swept her into his arms, honeymoon style, walking them toward his bedroom.

*

"So," he began a while later, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

"Mmm?"

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You have my presents."

He could feel her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter as she said, "True."

"I want them."  He blew a little stream of air against her earlobe.

"That tickles!"

He did it again and she couldn't stop from giggling.  "Presents," he repeated.

"One a night, Josh.  That's what your Mom said."

"So we won't tell her.  Where are they?"

"We are going to abide by her rules," Donna said firmly.

"She said I should share one of them with you," he tried.

Donna frowned and looked up at him.  "With me?"  In her mind she ran through the list of gifts his mother had told her about when she shipped the box.  Suddenly, realization dawned on her face.  The quilt from the house in Connecticut.  Handmade, given to his parents on their wedding day.  She blushed.

"Ah ha!"

"What?"

"You know what she got me!"

"Josh…"

"Don't bother trying to deny it," he reached over and turned on the other side lamp, shedding more light on the room, "you're blushing."

"Josh, it's nothing like that."

"What is it?  You might as well tell me now..."

"I'm not saying a word," she declared.

He tightened his grip on her waist and blew in her ear again.

"Josh!" she laughed, squirming.

"I'm going to...oh no…" He had a sudden thought and winced.

"What?"

"She didn't get me smiley-face boxers or anything, did she?"

"What?"

"She usually buys me clothes.  That wasn't what she was talking about me sharing with you..."

"No!"  Donna said hastily.  "Nothing like that."

"She bought me clothes, though, right?"

"Josh..."

"You don't have to answer. I know she did."

"Fine."

He pressed his lips against her hair.  "Will you come over tomorrow night?"

"For Chanukah?"

He kissed his way down to her lips.  "That too," he said when they broke apart for air.

She smiled.  "Of course."

"And you'll bring the gifts..."

"Gift."

"Donna!"

"One a night, Josh."

"Fine.  Will you at least bring the gift I can share with you?"

"Josh..."

"I know you know which one it is.  Don't bother to deny it."

She snuggled up against him and looked into his eyes.  "You don't want to save the best for last?" she teased.

He smiled down at the beautiful, amazing woman in his arms.  "I want to start sharing it with you right away," he said softly.

Her smile changed then, replaced by the emotional look she always gave him when he said something right.  "Okay," she said.

Their lips met again, softly at first, and slowly they expressed with their mouths what they couldn't with words.

Eventually they pulled apart and just gazed at each other.  Suddenly he grinned and tackled her so that she landed underneath him again.

"Now.  About the rest of these presents..."

"Josh!"

He let his fingers dance along her ribs, tickling her.  "I'm not going to stop until I get the rest of them out of you."

She grabbed at his hands, laughing and squirming.  "Do your best."

He was grinning again as he leaned down to kiss her.  "I intend to."


The End.