How they made it up the stairs to his bedroom without breaking a bone or one of carefully selected items of decoration was a mystery all by itself. A mystery, neither Marti nor Julian cared to solve.

She had already pulled the shirt over his head and was about to undo his belt, when his hands closed over hers.

"I recall something about you seducing me." He leered at her.

"Why, councilor, that seduction you're talking about..." He ran her hands up his chest, her heels putting her almost equal height. "That started a long time ago."

His leer turned into a smile. "I'm remotely aware of that."

She grinned at him. "Then I'm sure you won't mind helping me getting out of this dress."

"Not at all."

She turned and brushed her hair out of the way.

His fingers trailed along the back of her neck before pulling down the zipper. A chill ran down her spine as his hands slipped underneath the fabric to push the dress off her shoulders. It pooled around her feet, leaving her in heels and a set of delicate, ruby-red underwear.

Julian practically started drooling as she turned around to him, his eyes roaming over her body.

She wasn't overly self-conscious (as a cheerleader with a tiny little uniform, you really couldn't be) but the way he looked at her, she couldn't help the blush creep onto her cheeks. "I take it, you approve."

"Approve? If you'd told me you'd be wearing this, we would have skipped dinner altogether."

There was something about him, about the way he said things, did things, looked at her, that made her fears, her insecurities and doubts vanish within the blink of an eye.

"Patience is a virtue, professor."

He matched her tone. "Miss Perkins, there is nothing virtuous about red lace."

She breached the gap between them, her hand darting out to brush over the front of his pants. "Really?"

His eyes flickered shut, betraying his self-assurance. But only for a second. Then his fingers closed around her wrist and he guided her hand along the all too visible outline of his erection.

She gave him her best look of mock-modesty. "I see you have a... solid argument."

He held her gaze for a moment before breaking into an all-defying grin. "We are not very good at this."

"We'll get there." She stepped even closer to him, trapping her hand between their bodies. "Let's skip the talk for now."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "First dessert, now the talk? Whatever are we left with?"

Marti didn't even try to fight off the smirk as she put her hand on his chest, pushing him back until he bumped into the foot of the bed and sat down on it. She slid into his lap, one arm wrapped around his neck, pressing against him and forcing him on his back.

He stretched his arms above his head, giving her access to run her hand along his triceps and forearms until her fingers slid between his. Hovering over him, her hair all but veiled his face but she could see that unfathomable expression on his face, caught halfway between a smug smile, boyish curiosity and... what? Adoration? Dare she think... love?

Shaking off that thought (it was just too much right now), she leaned down to kiss him, long and slow. He struggled a little against her grip but quickly gave up when he realized that she wouldn't let go. He even stayed like that when her kisses traveled south, down the line of his jaw and neck, her tongue dipping into the hollow at the base of his throat.

This was so very much better than last night's chlorinated kisses. Tonight, she could taste soap and salt and him on his skin and she definitely wanted more of that.

Julian twitched beneath her as she reached his belly button, her fingernails raking lightly down his sides.

"Oh, he's ticklish." Marti grinned at him triumphantly, repeating the motion to elicit the same reaction from him. "Good to know."

He shot her a glare that wasn't really menacing. "You'll pay for that."

"Oh really?"

He held her gaze for a moment. "Maybe later."

She grinned at him. "I really hope you don't falter as easily in the courtroom."

"You have no idea." With a jolt, Julian set up again, all but knocking her to the floor. Just in time to catch her, he reached for her arms and pulled her to her feet. "Maybe I should demonstrate my... powers of... persuasion."

"I thought we were going to skip the talking."

"Yeah. We were." His arm went around her waist and he pulled her into a kiss. When he let go of her, she was slightly dazed, swaying on her feet.

With his gaze fixed on her, his fingers slipped under the straps of her bra, slowly sliding them off her shoulders. She watched his hands slide down her arms and she reached around her back and unclasped her bra.

He let his finger trail down between her breasts, hooked his index finger under the delicate fabric and tugged it off her.

Marti sucked in a breath and a chill ran down her spine, not only at his touch but at the gaze that trailed along with it. She felt heat rising into her cheeks and she was about to cross her arms over her chest when he reached for her wrists, shaking his head.

She felt as if she was about to combust. She had no idea why she was so insecure all of a sudden. She wasn't ashamed of what she looked like. If anything, the training with the Hellcats had redefined her already toned body. While, with a look and a smile, Julian could make her feel sexier than ever, he was also able to scatter her confidence and make her feel like the gawky teenage girl with the braces she had once been.

Julian let go of her and sank down on one knee in front of her. With one arm around her waist, he pulled her closer, trailing open-mouthed kisses down her stomach. Her navel-ring clinked against his teeth as his tongue dipped into her bellybuttons, going lower.

His fingers hooked into her panties, slowly tugging them down her legs until she was able to step out of them, leaving her in nothing but her heels.

Marti ran a hand through his hair, making him look up at her. "You want me to keep them on?"

His eyes shone darker than usual, a glint of mischief making them sparkle. "Some other time." He rose again, wrapped an arm around her and lifted her off her feet, setting her down on the bed again.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice shaking a little, as he hovered over her.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting his hand rest against her cheek. "You wanted to do this right." It wasn't a question. "So do I." To make his point, he leaned into her and kissed her, slow and deep.

"I like the way you think."

His kisses dropped lower, down her neck, over her collarbone and between her breasts. Carefully, his lips closed around one of her nipples, gently sucking it into his mouth.

She arched into the touch. "I definitely like the way you think."

"Will you please...," he kissed her bellybutton again, "stop," he kissed her below the navel, "talking."

"Okay," she nodded vigorously, biting her bottom lip to adhere to his wishes.

He shouldered his way in between her legs, his kisses traveling up her thigh to her knee then down again. When he reached her hipbone, her hand closed on his shoulder.

"Wait," she managed through a pant. She didn't look at him but had her gaze fixed to the ceiling.

"Something wrong?"

Marti shook her head. Why was she so goddamn nervous about this? She had nothing to worry about. On the contrary, this was more than she had expected of this evening.

"Marti," he urged her to answer, crawling up her body again to look her in the face.

"No, no. It's just...," She felt heat rising into her cheeks. "It's been a while since someone..." She arched an eyebrow and nodded down her body, hoping that he would understand.

An amused little smile quirked Julian's mouth but his eyes shown serious and he nodded. "Me either," he admitted.`Then he leaned down to kiss her. "If you want me to stop...," he let his words trail off, raising an eyebrow.

"Did I say that?"

That amused smile turned into a smirk. He kissed her again, letting his hand slide between their bodies and his fingers into her.

The breath hitched in Marti's throat and she broke the kiss, gasping for air, arching into the touch. "You... could have... warned me," she barely managed, her body seeking friction on its own accord.

"And where's the fun in that?" he murmured against her mouth, drawing another kiss from her lips.

After that, Marti lost track of how exactly Julian had resumed his position between her thighs again, his hand still caressing her. And it didn't matter.

Her mind all but blanked when she felt his breath against her skin and her body started tingling with anticipation.

It had indeed been a long time since somebody had... performed. She hadn't gotten to that point with Lewis at the time (while they had slept together, things had been to casual with him to allow it) and the last guy she had been with hadn't been all that great at it. Now this strange mixture of anxiety and arousal coursed through her that made her toes curl even before Julian even touched her.

It felt amazing. No, he felt amazing. He was taking his time, slowly exploring her with his hands and mouth, teasingly licking his way to her center.

This certainly wouldn't take long. It had been too long and it felt too good.

Mustering all of her willpower, Marti opened her eyes to look down her body. She met Julian's gaze, his eyes shone even darker than usual, gleaming with mischief.

Her hand darted down and she ran her fingers through his hair, urging him on.

"You know...," she breathed, "if we were doing the whole dirty talk thing... I'd say you really know how to use your mouth." She had to chuckle at her own words, knowing how ridiculous it sounded.

"Good thing we're not doing that thing, then." He laughed and she felt his laugh vibrate against her, sending a little jolt up her spine.

Her back arched off the bed as he crooked his finger inside her, hitting just the right spot. The gleam in his eyes turned from mischief to gleeful satisfaction.

Marti gave into the sensation, gave into his touch, into his caresses, his ministrations. And she wanted more, wanted to feel more of his fingers inside her, more of his lips and tongue on her. She arched against him, pushing back and demanding more. And without so much as a self-satisfied smirk against her heated skin, he gave it to her.

It started out slow in the pit of her stomach, the heat spreading slow down her legs and up her body until it crashed down on her senses, blinding her vision, the bloodrush in her ears deafening.

She had no idea how long she lay there until her heartbeat slowed down again, until she was able to catch a long breath. All the while, he ran slow circles around her clit, drawing a few more moans and shivers from her.

The next thing Marti knew... or felt, for that matter, were his lips on hers, letting her taste herself.

"You alright?" Julian brushed a strand from her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone.

She nodded weekly, trying to focus on him. She blinked a couple of times to get a clear vision again. "Why are you still wearing pants?"

Julian grinned at her incoherence, obviously taking pride in his... craftsmanship. "I'm being modest."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Time for modesty is over, professor." Using one leg as leverage, she flipped him on his back and sat astride his thighs. She could feel him through his slacks and when she ran a hand over the front of his pants, he bit his bottom lip to stifle a moan. She took her time, pulling the belt from it's loops, unzipping his fly.

"You were not kidding about the seduction." Julian's voice dropped in pitch and he folded one arm under his head to get a better look at her.

She grinned victoriously, leaning over to him, her hair veiling him. "I never kid about seduction." She pressed a long kiss to his mouth, then dropped lower, kissing down his neck, over his chest and stomach until she reached the open fly.

Her fingers hooked into his waistband and he lifted his hips off the bed to help her tug his pants down his legs. Again, she let her hands trace his outline beneath his boxer-briefs and he bucked into her touch. His underwear went onto the pile of their clothes and her fingers closed around him, gently stroking him.

Julian reached into the back of her neck and he pulled her into a kiss, her body stretching out on top of his with her hand trapped in between. With his free hand, he started fishing for something in the top drawer of his bedside table and after some blind digging, he produced a string of condoms.

Marti quirked an amused eyebrow at him. "Four?"

He shrugged with a smirk. "I have always been very ambitious."

She laughed, snatching the condoms from him. "At least you have moved them to a more convenient place this time."

"I'm also a quick learner."

The last time (their first time), it had taken some digging through his medicine cabinet to produce a package of soon to expire condom. While that hadn't been a clue to her at the time, Marti had found it strangely adorable. She was sure they didn't actually need them but it was better to be save then sorry.

Marti shifted to sit in his lap and ripped one of the packages open. Her hands were shaking ever so slightly as she tried to put the condom on him. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she so nervous? She had never been this antsy with anyone else before.

Julian must have sensed her anxiety as his fingers closed over hers and he took matters into his own hands. Sitting up, he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her flush against him and into another kiss.

A moan rolled off Marti's tongue and onto his as she sank down on him, her arms sliding around his neck to get even closer. It had only been yesterday but while that thing in the pool had been thrilling and amazing and whatnot, this was different. It was more intense, more... real.

Feeling his heated, sweat-slick skin beneath her hands, running her fingers through the hair in the back of his neck. Being pulled closer to that she could barely move against him but having him slide even deeper into her.

Marti broke the kiss, drawing in a shaky breath which she exhaled against his ear. Having just come made the feeling of him inside her all the more intense.

His hands traveled higher on her back in between her shoulder blades, giving her space to move and a nudge to do so by tilting his hips up to meet hers.

She set a slow rhythm, shifting her weight to her knees to lift herself up before taking him back in. A slight shift in position let him hit just the right spot inside her. She let one of her hands slide between their bodies, over his chest and abs, dipping down to her clit.

A strange exhilaration rolled over her when she looked up to meet his gaze. He looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and lust, of fascination at what she was doing and a deep and almost dark desire.

Marti almost jumped when his hand pushed hers aside, his fingers pushing down on the sensitive little pearl. She hushed out a low: "God.", starting to seek friction against him.

Her pace sped up a little and she knew she wouldn't take all that long. Sometimes she would treat herself to seconds, preserving that rush for a little longer, and they were never that far out. She could only hope that it was the same for Julian, this was a give and take after all. And he had already given her enough.

On an upward move, she clenched her muscles around and he let out a low growl.

"You like that, yeah?" She couldn't help but ask it with a satisfied grin.

"Mh-hm," was his only answer and a shiver rolled over him when she did it again. "You keep at that...," he manage, his voice becoming more and more ragged with every word, "and this will be over really soon."

Her grin became even more satisfied. "Don't worry. We've got all night."

He pulled back from her a little to look her in the face, one eyebrow arched. "So no pressure then."

"We..." She cradled his face in her hands. "Will..." She kissed him quickly on the mouth. "Do..." She kissed him again, longer this time. "Just fine."

Julian dropped back down on the pillow, pulling her down with him. His hand threaded into her hair as he locked lips with her again while the other slid between their bodies again, finding her center.

She found friction against his fingers, her pace becoming quicker. She felt his hot breath against her neck as they broke the kiss and he buried his face in her hair.

Just a few more moves, a few more times shifting her weight to her knees to pull back, a few more rolls of her hips against him, against his hand and she would...

The second time, her orgasm was more instantaneous. There was no slow build-up, none of the usual warning signs. It just hit her, white hot and brilliant, and she all but faltered against him, her arms and legs shaking, the breath hitching in her throat.

She took him along, feeling his grip tighten on her and his hips thrusting up to meet hers. She could feel his deep growl more than she could hear it, vibrating against her senses, and it was the sexiest thing she had ever heard.

He held on to her for a while longer, letting her ride it out against him, before she slowly sat up. In an absent gesture, she ran a hand through his hair where it was matted to his forehead and his fingers closed around her wrist. He looked at her with that unfathomable expression again, the hint of a smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"What?" she asked, that same old insecurity rising up inside her again.

As if to hold back an answer, he bit his bottom lip, shaking his head. Then his arm went around her hips again and he flipped her on her back, hovering over her.

"You know, you do make me nervous when you look at me like that. Especially when we're all...," she made a vague gesture between them.

Julian grinned. "Naked?"

"I was going to go with post-coital but naked is fine, too."

He kissed her soundly. "If anyone's got to be nervous, it'd be me." With that, he pulled back from her. "I'll be right back." He rose from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

When he returned, Marti looked at him, brow raised. "What's that supposed to mean?" She didn't like the edge of her own voice. She hadn't meant to sound so bitchy.

He tilted his head at her, slightly taken aback by the sudden turn of events. His shoulders sagged, he was obviously as unhappy about it as she was. With a sigh, he sat down next to her.

"What I meant is... when I packed up Nikki and we took that flight down to Daytona, I didn't know how things would turn out. The whole time we sat at that stadium, I kept replaying what I going to tell you in my head, fearing that you might turn me down."

"But I didn't," Marti interrupted him.

"Well, I didn't know that at the time, did I?"

Marti's sudden... it wasn't anger but she couldn't really describe it, evaporated at the boyish glance he shot over his shoulder. She sat up and tugged the blanket up and around her. "You know, that insecurity thing is all cute for a little but... I like you better when you take charge."

The boyish look turned into a leer. "Do you now?"

"Mh-hm." She moved closer to him, pressing a gentle kiss to his shoulder. "Although, honestly... when you showed up there I wasn't so sure either."

Julian turned around to her, stealing a quick kiss from her lips. "I'm glad you changed you mind."

She returned the kiss. "Me, too." She pulled the blanket aside, beckoning. "Let's get some rest."

He slid into the bed next to her, wrapping one arm around her. "What about 'we've got all night'?"

She pulled him down on the mattress, snuggling into his embrace. "We do." She kissed him again, slow and deep. "I like my desert in courses."

Julian grinned against her mouth. "I like the way you think."

Marti rested her head on his chest, feeling the post-coital fatigue crawling up her body. "Julian?"

"Mh?" Even in the little expression, she could spot his tiredness as well. It had been a long day after all.

"You're still not getting out of that date."