*A/N - SORRY FOR THE SLIGHT DELAY, I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ONE...*

...

The hotel restaurant was exactly as Nick had assumed it would be - the kind of place with ten different pieces of cutlery laid out on the table, and where the prices were large but the portions were small. Still, it was Jess's birthday and she loved getting dressed up to go for dinner and the whole fancy china with napkin-swan thing, so he kept smiling through the seizure his heart tried to have whilst looking at the prices on the menu, then repeatedly told her to pick whatever she wanted - but was silently delighted that Jess didn't choose one of the more expensive dishes.

Their waiter was a young, blonde male named Julian that Nick guessed could be no older than about nineteen. He had that long limbed look where he was yet to fill out properly, but the overly confident air of a guy who hadn't yet faced the harsh realities of the world and still felt invincible. Nick had to hand it to him, though - so far the service was great. Their glasses were barely empty before he was back topping them up and asking if they needed anything - he'd even bought over extra bowls of olives and entree's that hadn't been ordered.

"For the birthday girl." The young man drawled in an accent Nick couldn't quite place and winked towards Jess, baring all of his perfectly straight, white teeth whilst smiling directly at her. Suddenly the reason for his attentiveness became glaringly obvious, and Nick stifled a laugh by trying to disguise it as a cough.

"What's so funny?" Asked Jess once they were alone.

"I think you've got an admirer." Nick chuckled, nodding in the direction of Julian's back as he walked towards the kitchen with a swagger.

"Oh, hush! He's, like, twelve..."

"Trust me, Jess - I've been that kid. He's totally got the hots for you and he doesn't even care that I know it!"

"Feeling threatened, Miller?" She teased playfully.

"Not at all..." He leaned forward with confidence "...but I gotta say - I kinda wish I had balls that big when I was his age. He's trying to flirt with you right in front of your amazingly handsome boyfriend. That takes guts!" Nick shook his head in awe.

"Well, all I'm going to say on the matter is that he'd have to do something pretty spectacular to draw my attention away from you tonight." Jess smiled and let her eyes travel across Nick's forearms, sitting tanned and exposed on the table top after he'd rolled the sleeves of his black shirt up to the elbows. He was looking impossibly sexy, with his hair just the right amount of messed up to look purposeful and his stubble on the slightly longer side of normal. She felt herself lick her lips as her gaze travelled upwards and lingered on his open top button which allowed her the smallest of tantalising glimpses at his chest hair beneath.

"Is that so?" He replied slowly, mouth curving up slightly on one side when her eyes finally lifted to meet his.

Jess simply chewed her bottom lip and nodded her head. Slipping her left foot free of her shoe beneath the table, she slid her toes suggestively up his shin and made his eyes widen slightly as she stretched her leg out to ensure contact with his crotch under the cover of the tablecloth. Smirking, Nick reached down to grab her by the ankle, holding her in place and letting his thumb rub tiny circles on the velvety soft skin, enjoying the way she took a shaky breath at his touch. Jess swallowed hard as his fingers edged themselves higher up her calf, stopping behind her knee and sweeping back and forth in a way that made her tingle between the thighs. Before she had a chance to make another move or reel off a flirtatious comment in his direction that would have had them abandoning their meal and heading straight back to the room, Nick was distracted by something over her shoulder.

"Oh, heads up - lover boy is on his way back..." He joked, releasing her from his grasp just moments before their mains were placed in front of them and napkins draped over their laps - a move that made Nick more than a little uncomfortable given his slightly excited state, and one that he noticed took twice as long once the waiter reached Jess.

"May I get you anything else, ma'am? I'm yours all evening don't forget!" Julian asked, angling himself solely towards her and brazenly showing his back to Nick.

Jess glanced quickly across the table out of the corner of her eye to see Nick's bottom lip beginning to turtle and then sat up straight, clearing her throat.

"Actually, Julian..." she said his name slowly, and was sure to place her fingertips lightly on the back of his hand "...would you be a doll and get me some mustard?"

Nick had to force his tongue hard into his cheek to stop from laughing as Julian's mouth dropped open, eyes darting to his hand and his demeanour changing instantly.

"I...uh, sure...of course...I'll just, um...I'll be right back..."

"Oh, but before you do - can you make a note on our order for later that we need two spoons and just one dessert. We're the kind of couple who like to scoot up close and share, right Nicholas?"

"Absolutely..." Nick nodded.

"I...oh, okay...yes ma'am." Julian stuttered before scuttling off.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Nick laughed, shaking his head.

"Maybe..." She grinned mischievously "...but he was getting too bold. Serves him right for being rude to you! Now, where were we?"

Jess replaced her bare foot in its previous spot within Nick's lap, finding great amusement at the way he ate his dinner in record time just so they could get to dessert.

...

As Nick slipped off his shoes, he heard a squeal just off to his left as Jess walked into the lounge area of their suite. He smiled to himself, knowing she had found the champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries he'd arranged to be waiting for them on their return. Following her quietly, Nick stood and leant his weight on the wall, crossing his arms while he stopped to watch Jess reach over and pour them each a glass. As she sampled the fruit, his eyes travelled from her dainty ankles and up along the curve of her calves until they reached her peachy bottom - perfectly accentuated by the beautiful dark red, satin dress Jess was wearing. He lingered on the contours of her hips and bit his lower lip in appreciation before dragging his gaze upwards to the graceful lines of her neck, now gorgeously exposed on one side as Jess reached behind to tuck her loose hair forward over one shoulder.

Stepping further into the room, Nick slid his arms around her waist and felt Jess melt backwards into him with a little sigh.

"You really are pulling out all the stops here, Miller."

"Of course. Anything for you, Day." He kissed her on the temple, lips lingering for a moment before dusting a row of kisses down her neck and along her right shoulder.

"I'm never one to turn down a little luxury - as you know - but I hope you didn't go to all this trouble because you think that's what I want..." sensing his silence, Jess turned herself in his arms, chest resting against his as she reached her arms up around his neck "...the only thing that matters to me is that I get to spend my birthday with you. You know that, right? All this other stuff, as amazing as it is - it doesn't compare to having time alone with you."

He nodded and smiled slowly, his grip tightening on her hips.

"I know. I just thought you deserved something extra special this weekend. I promise, next year it'll just be hot dogs and warm beer at the beach!"

Jess laughed and tugged him down by the collar to meet her lips, heart somersaulting at the fact Nick had just alluded to them still being together a year from now. For her it was a no brainer - she was in this for the long haul - but he wasn't usually one to think that far ahead, or if he did he never mentioned it, so she'd take that comment and would cling to it for all she was worth.

Feeling her smiling widely against him, Nick pulled back a little with an amused look on his face.

"What?"

"It's just...you said 'next year'..." Jess replied shyly.

"Hmm. So I did..." he grinned, suddenly tipping her backwards in his arms and delighting in her giggle as he kissed his way across her collarbone.

Attempting to pull her back upright, Nick stumbled and knocked them into the side table - upon which the ice bucket and champagne flutes had been sitting. As they fell, Nick could do nothing but grimace as the glasses tumbled over, covering Jess in a stream of alcohol.

The two of them ended up in a heap on the floor, their laughter bouncing loudly off the walls as champagne trickled down her cheeks.

Coming up on one elbow and leaning in close to Jess who was pinned beneath him, Nick stuck out his tongue and ran it slowly along the droplets of drink on her jaw.

"Mmm, tastes even better this way." He murmured, continuing to trace his way up the side of her face.

"You're so gross!" Jess squealed, squirming as his lips tickled her earlobe.

"I'm serious, you should try it sometime."

"I'll bear that in mind!" She giggled "But I should probably go wash this out of my hair before it dries and gets all sticky. The tub in the bathroom looked amazing...you don't mind if I go try it out, do you?"

"You're asking if I mind you getting naked and covering yourself in bubbles? Let me think about that for a second..."

Silence followed for quite some time until Jess prodded him, a quizzical look on her face. Nick held up a finger and closed his eyes.

"Hold on, I'm still enjoying thinking about it..." he laughed as she nudged him in ribs and shoved him to one side so she could scramble to her feet. Brushing down the front of her dress, Jess went to walk away, feeling Nick's hand grab her quickly by the wrist before she left the room, pulling her in close to steal another kiss.

...

"Hey, Jess - good news! I salvaged the remaining champagne from the bottle!" Nick grinned, toeing the door open and entering the dimly lit bathroom, holding a glass towards her with an extended arm.

"Ooh, look at this - is that a strawberry in the glass? How fancy!"

"Well, it is my job..." he chuckled, leaning back against the sink and admiring the way the candlelight danced over her wet skin "...so, how's the tub working out for you?"

"It's awesome!" Jess sang "Come on in, honey. The water's fine!"

She laughed, splashing bubbles at him playfully and winking when he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not a fan of tubs, Jess. You know this. It's like Schmidt always says - they're medieval filth cauldrons!"

"Oh, so you think I'm filthy?" She accentuated the last word for good effect.

"You can be..." He smirked in reply.

"I can assure you I am perfectly clean right now..." Jess paused for a second to take a sip of her champagne then raised a brow at him "...you can come in and check, if you like."

Twiddling the stem of her glass around in her hand, she sucked on her bottom lip knowing that it always seemed to draw his attention to her like a magnet. Lifting her eyes to his, Jess bit down seductively and straightened her posture slowly - ensuring that her breasts gently rose from the water and right into his view, the bubbles partially obscuring her nipples in a way Nick didn't even realise could be so amazingly sexy until she did it. Jess saw the flame of desire flash behind his eyes immediately, and she grinned mischievously as he took a step closer to the bathtub.

"Maybe I should..." he said thickly "...you know, just to make sure."

Coming up on her knees, Jess nodded and reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging down just enough to bring Nick's mouth to hers. He kissed her back hard, his hands leaning on the edge of the bathtub and feeling her wet hair against his collar. As Nick teased her lips open, he suddenly felt something cold and wet run down his face. Jerking backwards, he saw Jess smirking - her champagne glass now half empty. Arching up towards him and keeping her grip on his shirt tight, she rested her free arm around his neck to hold him in place and moved in close to run her tongue slowly along the stubble of his cheek. The warm sensation of her open mouth after the shock of the cold alcohol on his skin made goosebumps ripple down Nick's spine.

"You're right..." Jess purred into his ear "...it really does taste better this way."

Nick's eyes fell closed for a second before he righted himself, removing his clothes quickly and sinking his body down into the warm water alongside Jess. She was very persuasive when she wanted to be.

He really wasn't one for bubble bath and scented candles, but the aroma floating up to his nostrils from the water was bizarrely intoxicating, and he actually quite liked the way the suds felt against his skin. Not to mention the flattering lighting from the candles, which was always welcome. Jess squealed as he reached for her beneath the bubbles and slid her quickly to him by the hips until she was resting between his legs, her back flush against his chest. She could feel his arousal on the small of her back, and moved her waist against him, rocking side to side until he huffed out a breath against her neck.

"If you carry on doing that, I'm going to have to get out of here pretty damn quickly!" Nick laughed, draping his arms around her shoulders and holding her body close to his. The soap had made their bodies slippery, and it seemed to have heightened all the nerve endings on his skin. Every place where her body was in contact with his was tingling, and his groin almost felt like it was on fire.

Jess let her head fall back on to his shoulder, closing her eyes while skimming her fingers up and down his arm as it lay heavy across her chest. She felt Nick hum in appreciation and turned to rest her forehead on his chin.

"Maybe we should reopen the discussion about installing a tub at the loft..." Nick mused.

"Don't joke, because I will hold you to that!"

He chuckled and pressed his lips firm to her temple, feeling her take a deep, contented breath as they sank a little lower into the bubbles. Nick took the now empty glass from her, placing it to one side before allowing his left hand to drop back down under the water to her stomach, tracing circles near her belly button and sweeping his thumb across the spot just next to her hip bone. Jess subconsciously arched her back a little, and he smiled to himself.

His right hand was still across her chest, where his forefinger and middle finger rested either side of her left nipple. Nick squeezed ever so slightly to make Jess suck in a gasp of air through her teeth as she braced her hands on his thighs.

Venturing lower stroke by stroke, Nick reached down between her legs and heard a little moan from her mouth as she felt the pressure of his fingers work over her.

Sitting up suddenly, Jess turned to face him on her knees, seeing faint confusion on his features until he noticed her shifting her position forward until she was straddling his legs. Her hands were clasped around his neck as she settled on his lap, pressed hard against him. Her lips were parted and Nick could feel the quickening of her breathing against his chest. Stroking his fingers up the sides of her waist, he took a moment to just absorb the sight of this beautiful woman before him. He'd never allowed himself to believe that she could want him this way, but the fact that she did would never stop blowing his mind.

The lighting in the bathroom made everything ten times sexier, and as Jess watched Nick bite down on his lip when his eyes drifted across her body in appreciation, she practically launched herself against him, feeling his hands wrap around her back as her mouth moulded against him desperately, her tongue searching for his. A noise escaped from the back of her throat that made his dick twitch against her, causing Jess to roll her pelvis up and down. Nick growled into her mouth when he felt her fingers reach down between them, wrapping around him and stroking firmly beneath the water. His head leaned back on the edge of the tub and he closed his eyes as she continued to sweep over him rhythmically again and again with increasing pressure until he held her wrist to still the movements.

"Stand up..." Nick instructed, his voice low and rough.

"I...?"

"Just stand up, Jessica. Now."

Getting to her feet with his help, she did as requested, taking a deep breath in as his hands slid themselves up the backs of her calves and over her thighs. Nick splayed his fingers across her buttocks, gripping firmly with a hand on each cheek as Jess steadied herself by holding on to the edge of the towel rail. Sensing him shift forward towards her slightly, she glanced down to see Nick looking up from between her legs and inexplicably felt herself holding her breath at how intensely he was staring at her - his eyes dark and lustful in the candlelight. Jess swallowed hard as he held her gaze. She felt incredibly sexy, her skin all soapy and slick, droplets of water cascading down her breasts and running over the expanse of her toned stomach before falling onto his body as she stood over him. She felt powerful, almost. Her breathing hitched as she watched him run his tongue over his lower lip before dipping his head to kiss across her, painfully slowly. She sighed and closed her eyes as Nick brushed his lips along her most delicate area - his hold on her ass becoming tighter as he opened his mouth to explore her deeper with his tongue. Jess gasped, and he groaned involuntarily against her. The vibrations made Jess drop her head forward against the cool tiled wall, her right hand now planted firmly on his shoulder where he felt her nails digging into his skin a little every time he moved his head and repeatedly traced those figure-eight movements on her that she liked so much. He built up the momentum until she couldn't take it, then as soon as she started to moan, he'd move away to run his tongue along her inner thigh. Jess began to whimper, her free hand now threading itself in his hair.

"Nick, please..." she whined, cheek pressing hard to the tiles as she struggled to stay upright.

Returning his mouth to where she needed him, Nick continued to work her to the point where he could hear Jess panting above him. Without stopping his momentum, he reached up to press his thumb firmly in small circles against her and felt Jess's knees begin to buckle as she toppled over into ecstasy.

Guiding her back down into the bubbles, he held Jess close and stroked his fingers over her until he was sure she had come back down, waiting until she had eventually regained enough composure to open her eyes and look at him.

"You taste so fucking good..." Nick growled, one hand sliding out of the water and up to the curve of her neck, the other grazing its thumb across her left breast and pulling her flush against his chest so their faces were almost touching.

"Do I?" Jess breathed, heart thumping in her chest when he tugged her the short distance to his lips. She felt herself moan into his mouth as Nick swept his tongue slowly over hers.

"See...?" He whispered, pulling back and leaning his forehead against hers.

Jess was so dumbstruck by his ridiculously erotic move, she was lost for words. Nodding mutely, she just about registered the corner of his mouth curl into a grin and felt the ache between her legs building up all over again.

...

*A/N - THIRD AND FINAL CHAPTER TO FOLLOW!*