A/N: this might be the penultimate chapter. We'll see...

Part 17

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It was no good. John couldn't sleep and it wasn't because of the large male body sharing his bed as well as snoring in his ear. Okay, it might have been part of the reason, he had to admit, but the truth was, he was worried about Donna.

Had he ruined any chance of furthering their relationship? They'd been laughing and teasing one another for the last few days, gradually drawing each other out, and now she'd gone right back into her harsh shell. This did not bode well.

His instincts told him to get up, go into her bedroom and check she was alright, but she would never forgive him for opening her up to scrutiny or possible danger from Jack. It just wasn't her style. No doubt this situation was causing her anxiety. He suspected she was having a hard-enough time with the fact two men were now sharing her suite, one of whom was a complete stranger.

You'd been a complete stranger too, his thoughts insisted on pointing out.

Yes, but he'd been there to protect her. To make sure she was safe. Always had been. He wasn't the danger.

Lying next to him, Jack slumbered on, seemingly oblivious to any possible disastrous situation. Although John quickly adjusted the duvet to cover Jack's exposed body since the man was in just his underpants. Some things don't need looking at twice.

Since he was awake anyway, John felt he might as well be proactive. Having made the decision to do something, anything, he reached for his mobile phone and sent a text to Donna. 'Are you still awake?'

'No I'm deep asleep. This was sent by a robot,' soon came the answer.

'Me too. The awake thing and not the robot. Not even part of me,' he replied.

'Shame. I quite fancy dealing with Iron Man.'

'In that case, want to meet up by the lounge curtains?' he offered.

'Should be nice this time of night, I hear. Meet you there.'

He smiled as he clambered out of bed, loving her sense of the absurd, and crept out of the room as quietly as he could.

Behind him, Jack smirked knowingly before turning over.

"Hello," he quietly greeted her when she appeared moments later, noting she hadn't bothered to put on a dressing gown either.

"Hello. Fancy meeting you here," she replied in kind as she approached. She ended up next to him, within a distance that was normally socially comfortable. "This not sleeping is getting to be a habit of ours."

He yearned to reach out, but instinctively knew not to do that yet, that it would drive her away. "I don't mind if it means spending the time with you."

"Careful, compliments like that lead to other stuff," she awkwardly joked, taking in his bare torso in the moonlight. It felt like an offer upon an unseen altar. Was he deliberately trying to tempt her?

Apparently so because he moved nearer to whisper, "Other stuff can be pretty good. I enjoyed last night, for instance."

Really? "Despite no sex?" she wanted to know. Suddenly it seemed of paramount importance. Usually sex was a deal breaker with men.

"I didn't exactly go without," he reminded her, causing them both to blush. "It was lovely to… you know. After all that kissing."

His adorableness made her want to kiss him again. "I didn't think it would be enough."

Please don't think that, he silently begged. "You are always enough for me," he sincerely proclaimed, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. "Anything you are willing to give me is enough."

Was this a trick, she wondered. "Why?"

"Because…" Just say the words, his heart screamed at him, but he couldn't get them passed his throat. If he couldn't say it, he'd have to show her, he realised. Once the words are said, you can't take them back. In that moment he feared that she would not believe him. The safest option was to pull her into his embrace and show his love. So he did.

Leaning down to softly kiss her lips, he murmured, "I have what I want, right here."

Returning the kiss was easy. His succulent lips seemed to pour a delicious heat into her body. It drew her near, eager to enjoy and be enjoyed by him.

Yet she felt the need to ground them. "Does that only apply to where you've got your hand?"

"This one?" he queried, giving her body a gentle squeeze. He groaned when she reciprocated. "Oh Donna, I wish I could spend the night with you in bed."

After several long kisses had been exchanged, she cheekily asked, "What happened to waiting until the tour was over?"

"I've come to a decision about that," he replied around another sweet kiss. "I'm going to give up the bodyguard gig."

She immediately broke away from their embrace to accuse him, "You're leaving me?!"

"No. No, never. Not that," he insisted, reaching out to entice her back. "I don't want to leave you. God forbid. I thought I'd phone Nerys as soon as possible, ask her to find you a different bodyguard to take over from me and give us a chance to see where we could go." He snuggled her close, not wanting to let go. "What do you think?"

"Oh John," she gasped. "I don't know what to say. Are you sure you want to do that, for me?"

Inside John's bedroom, Jack pressed his face into the pillow and muttered to himself, "Hurry up and make that bloody phone call, or I'll do it for you."