AN: Another little update. Please read and review, thanks!
Josie was curious. "Z, what could we have done, if this didn't work?"
Z broke off from his exploration. "Barring going down and hiding under my dining room table?" he suggested.
Josie giggled, "Aside from that."
Z resumed his caress, moving up along her cheekbone, speaking between kisses, "Hmm, we could light candles... play soothing music...massage could work... or maybe a bubble bath...or even chocolate."
"Uh Oh, I think I'm getting tense again," Josie said, completely deadpanned.
Z looked at her, but his look of concern quickly changed to amusement when he figured out what she was up to. "And what from the list would make you relax?"
"Massage, definitely, a massage." Josie said. She moved off and rolled onto her stomach, keeping the sheet up to her waist. She turned her head so she could watch him.
"A massage it is then," Z sat up, and leaned toward the night stand, giving Josie a nice view of his smooth back, and pulled open its drawer,. "Sorry I don't have any massage oil, but, yes, I think I have some hand lotion. Not as good, but it will do." He grabbed the tube, and then knelt beside her, making sure he was still partially covered with the other edge of the sheet.
Josie was surprised how much she already missed not being in contact with Z's warm body. "You're too far away," she complained, looking up at him.
He leaned down and dropped a reassuring kiss on her shoulder. "We can't have that," Z said sounding oddly pleased. He moved so he was sitting up again and placed one of his pillows on his lap. "We'll be closer, if you move over here," he said indicating his lap.
Josie eagerly did what he suggested and stretched out across his lap. Even through the pillow, she could feel the warmth of his body and the lean strength of his legs. "Much better," she said and rested her head on her folded arms. She felt him carefully move her long hair to the side.
"I need to warm the lotion first," he said.
Some seconds later, she felt his hands smooth the lotion across her back and she sighed contentedly. She moaned softly as she felt him gently knead away the tension in her shoulders and down her back. He lingered at her waist, spending time rubbing her lower back before making his way back up to her shoulders and starting over. Josie felt like she was melting against those skilled fingers. She was disappointed when he stopped for a second.
"Interesting," Z said. "Did you know that you have a group freckles that looks exactly like the constellation Orion?"
Josie laughed into the pillow. "Z, you really need to get out of the science lab sometimes." She flipped over to glare up at him, "I won't be held responsible for my actions, if you make any comments about 'seeing Uranus'".
Z snickered. "I wouldn't dream of it".