Author's Notes: Here comes Chapter Seven of Change for the Better. Not going to lie. I'm nervous as all hell about this one, but nevertheless, I hope you guys enjoy it!


Chapter Seven: New Year

Annette breathed out a huge sigh as she fixed herself up in the bathroom. She was wearing the little black camisole dress she wore back in Atlanta, as she promised Spencer she would. She gave her hair some loose, wavy curls, and she decided that the only makeup she would wear for the evening was the berry lip gloss. Spencer once told her that she didn't have to wear makeup to look beautiful, and that out of all her looks, her natural look suited her the best. She smiled at the memory, as it made her realize how blessed and fortunate she was to have him in her life as they entered the year, two thousand and nine together.

As she stared at herself in the mirror, Annette did her usual head tilt as she began to think back on the year. The primary subject on her mind was Spencer, and how someone like her ended up with a man as wonderful as him. As smart as she was for her ability to see the same thing at different angles, she wasn't a genius like him, nor did she consider herself as special as him. He could have had women throwing themselves at him (at least the ones with the smarts to see him for the person he is), and yet, out of all of them, he chose her.

Get a grip, Annette Renee. He chose you because you're special to him in his eyes. You got his attention, and he's one of the rare ones. You may not be sure where you went right when the two of you crossed paths again. Whatever it was, though, you're here with him, and the two of you will make more memories together in the new year. Don't take him for granted, especially when he loves you as much as he does. Appreciate the fact that he's with you, he loves you and appreciates you for who you are.

She heard the front door open just as she finished pondering.

"Annette, I'm back!" she heard Spencer call.

"Okay! I'll be right there!" she called back.

She grabbed her usual bottle of perfume and sprayed it a couple of times on both sides of her neck, using her wrists to rub it into her skin. With one final look at herself, she left the bathroom in her bare feet and walked out of the bedroom.

Spencer had just kicked his shoes off and was heading towards the dining table in his mismatched socks (which she found to be quite adorable). He set the two bags he was carrying down, and he pulled out the carryout containers within.

He looked up right when he opened the containers, and found himself staring at her.

"Are you just going to stand there gawking at me? If you do, you'll probably drool all over your food."

He blinked and shook his head a few times to snap himself out of it.

"Sorry. It's just that you look beautiful."

"Even though you've seen me in this dress before?" Annette asked with a tilt of her head.

"I say you look even better compared to back in Atlanta. With those wavy curls and your natural look, it's as if you reserved it just for me."

Annette felt her cheeks heat up.

"You really need to quit reading my mind. You'll probably read me like an open book at this rate."

She walked towards him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, and Spencer realized that she wore the berry flavored lip gloss that he loved to taste.

"Let's eat before our food gets cold, and we have a movie to watch."

Annette smiled.

"That we do, and I can't wait."


The two of them were cuddled up on the sofa with the television set up on the coffee table, watching Titanic. Despite having to do a little rearranging to get the setup right, it all worked out in the end. Spencer had his arm wrapped around Annette's back, and she was snuggled up next to him, curled in a ball with her cheek resting over his heart. They breathed in each other's scents as they watched the movie, Annette occasionally clutching his shirt tight at certain parts.

When the movie reached its respective, sensual scenes, Annette felt her cheeks and the back of her neck heat up. Spencer looked down at her for a brief moment before the hand wrapped around her began to move, gently stroking her back. His ears didn't miss the small, breathy sigh that managed to escape her lips, and judging by how strained it was, she was trying to keep quiet. However, the way she arched her back into his touch told him a different story, but he decided to save it for later.

He pulled her closer as the movie reached the climax of the ship sinking, seeing her cover her mouth from the corner of his eye. He heard her gasp a few times, and when it was shown that Jack died from hypothermia, Spencer felt his shirt dampen from the tears she shed. Feeling sad as well, he rubbed her back to comfort her, his eyes watering slightly in the process.

When the movie reached its final scene, Spencer saw a small smile form on Annette's face, and when the credits started to roll, she sat up and stretched her arms.

"I completely forgot Titanic was over two hours long."

"You okay?"

"For the most part, yes. I've seen it many times already, but the sinking and Jack dying never ceases to send chills down my spine.

"Thanks for watching the movie with me. It was a nice, quiet way to spend New Year's Eve with you."

"Of course."

"We still have a few hours left before the new year. Anything else you want to do tonight?"

He thought it over before a light bulb went off in his mind.

"What's the name of the love theme?"

"My Heart Will Go On. Celine Dion is the singer."

"Didn't you have a speaker of some kind?"

"It's in the bedroom along with my iPod. Why do you ask?" Annette asked, tilting her head.

He stood up from the sofa and offered his hand to her. Annette looked up at him for a brief moment and then placed her hand in his. He gently pulled her up and led her into the bedroom, shutting the door after shutting the television off.

"Do you have that song saved?"

Annette nodded.

"Set it up. We're dancing to that song tonight."

She was at a loss for words as she took a moment to process what he just said. When she finally did, she let out the breath she held as she prepared the speaker and turned on her iPod, turning her back to him. With the many songs she had downloaded, it took her a minute, especially when she felt her palms grow sweaty, the pace of her heart pick up and her breathing becoming erratic. She adjusted the volume to where it was in the medium between soft and loud, and she turned to face him, pushing the play button. He dimmed the lights and approached her, wrapping both arms around her slender waist, identical to when they danced at the bar. Annette brought her arms up to his shoulders, and with another deep breath, she looked up at him.

His eyes had that same look from the bar: gentle, loving and tender as they began to dance in a slow circle in front of the bed. He pressed his brow against hers, never breaking eye contact with her, and Annette was certain he was staring right into the depths of her soul. Her left hand gripped his shirt, while her right hand tangled in his hair, gently kneading the back of his head. Even if she wanted to look away, his eyes prevented her from doing so thanks to the spell he put her under.

The grip on his shirt tightened at the climax of the song, and Spencer pulled her even closer until their bodies were touching. Annette rested her cheek on his shoulder, and he buried her face into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. She let out another breathy sigh when she felt his lips kiss the area where throat melded into shoulder, and her left hand loosened its grip, moving under the collar of his shirt and caressing the skin hiding underneath.

His arms tightened around her, and when he inhaled another whiff of her scent, it was more than enough to send him over the edge. He pulled the strap of her dress down her shoulder, and she pushed him forward, eyeing the bed. He fell back on the mattress with her on top of him, and she sat up, straddling his waist and looking down at her hands on his chest, not meeting his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, trying to see her eyes with no luck.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod. "It's just that my lack of a dating history is triggering my self-conscious thoughts at the moment."

When she tried to pull her hands away, Spencer caught them, keeping them at his chest.

"Hey. Look at me."

She took a deep breath and looked up, locking her eyes with his.

"I know I said this back in Atlanta, but I'll say it again. I see the most beautiful woman in the world, and I'm sharing the same space and breathing the same air as her right now."

Annette was sure her heart was ready to burst out of excitement. It was the first intimate compliment she had ever gotten from a guy in her lifetime, and to receive such a compliment from someone like Spencer was like walking on cloud nine.

"She's my goddess, and I have worshipped her every day for the past year. So, please. Let me see that beautiful body that deserves to be worshipped."

His words the trigger, Annette reached for the hem of her little black dress and pulled it up over her head, tossing it aside.

Spencer's breath hitched at the sight of her in just her black lace bra and matching panties. They complimented her fit, hourglass curves, and in combination with the dim lighting, she glowed like a candle.

She didn't move as he pulled his hands away from hers and ran them up her thighs. Her cream-colored skin was soft and smooth, and he started wondering how the rest of her body would feel underneath both his touch and his lips. Tilting her head, she reached for the buttons on his shirt and began to slowly undo them one by one. Her cheeks heated up during the process, but desire willed her to keep going.

When she loosened the last button, Annette ran her palms up to part the fabric and get a feel of his exposed chest. He may not be fit, athletic and muscular compared to the stereotypical portrayal of men, but for her, he didn't need to be. In her eyes, he was perfect.

Spencer arched into her touch, his palms circling and feeling her thighs. Annette ground her hips against him before leaning forward and kissing his lips. He savored the familiar, berry flavor of her lip gloss, and his hands moved up to caress her sides. She started a kissing trail, starting from the corner of his mouth and descending down his jaw to his neck. Some of those kisses turned to suckling or even nibbling his skin with her teeth, emitting sounds from him that he never thought he would ever make. When her kissing trail descended even further down to his chest and stomach, Spencer was sure he was going to come undone.

Smirking just above his navel, Annette made her way back up to his mouth, kissing him hungrily. His hands caressed their way up her back, finding the clasps that held her bra in place, and she pulled away, pressing her brow against his and keeping her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"Yeah. I'm just nervous about you seeing me in full is all," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

He responded with a gentle kiss on her brow.

"Like I said, you're the most beautiful woman in the world to me. You have no reason to hide from me."

He caressed her cheek tenderly, and she leaned into his touch, letting out yet another breathy sigh. When she nodded, Spencer began fumbling with the clasps of her bra. Giggling at his failed attempt, Annette reached back and unhooked it with a simple flick of her wrist. After pulling the contraption away and tossing it aside, Spencer sat up and kissed her chest.

"Happy New Year, love," he purred against her skin before rolling her over. Annette smiled as she watched him take his shirt off and press his body down against hers, engaging in another kiss.

The night was going to be a long and sweet one.


Spencer was up when the sun crept its way through the windows of the bedroom. He stretched his arms up and rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes, squinting when the sunlight hit the corner of his eye. When he turned to face away from the windows, he saw Annette sleeping soundly next to him. Her head was snuggled against her pillow, and her hair was splayed out like melted chocolate. He rolled over so that he was on his side and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing himself closer to her. He took note of the pink marks adorning her neck, chest and shoulders, and he found himself recalling last night after flipping her over.

His hands and lips had mapped out every last inch of her, taking every curve and nuance to his memory. He'd come to learn the spots that emitted those sexy, responsive reactions fairly quickly. As a result, he ended up suckling those spots the same way she did with his neck. Every reaction got him either a kneading to the back of his head, some light scratches on his back or both. The breathy sighs she made throughout the night replayed in his mind, causing him to clutch the duvet.

He saw her stir slightly, and she moved her head, reaching up to rub her eyes. After blinking a few times, she turned when she saw him from the corner of her eye.

"Were you watching me sleep?" she asked in a groggy voice.

"You look so peaceful and beautiful when you sleep," he replied.

She chuckled and smiled as she rolled over on her side, facing him. Even though the blanket and duvet covered her, Spencer was still able to picture the outline of her hourglass figure.

"Hmm…this is a wonderful sight to start the new year off with."

The pace of his heart began to pick up.

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied with a nod. "And do you know what would make it complete?"

"What?"

Her smile widened when she rolled over, straddling him.

"Having you again followed by just staying in bed with you all day."

Spencer was sure his heart was going to burst at her words and teasing, alluring tone. His hands roamed her bare body once again as she leaned forward and kissed him.

Neither of them were going to be leaving the bed anytime soon.


End Notes: Oh my God. My cheeks were warm when I typed this chapter, and they're warm as I post it. This is definitely different compared to the usual smut that I've written for other fandoms in the past, and honestly, I have to say that I'm very content with the end result of this one. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and the final chapter will be out in a day or so! Check back!