AUTHOR'S NOTE:These is the second part of Fighting Temptations. I wasn't able to finish it last time, so I had to split it into 2 parts. I have been having a lot of writer's block lately, so forgive me if these chapters suck. I'll make it up next chapter, I promise.

Part 4BFIGHTING TEMPTATIONS

"What plan?" Grace's eyes were fixed suspiciously on Katie. Katie tried to act innocent and shrugged. She's not going to argue about Grace's scheme of setting her up with Jessie.

"It's nothing." Katie turned her gaze to Grace. She decided to walk back to the kitchen but before she could turn around, she heard Jessie's voice.

"You have a great collection of artwork." Jessie said, complimenting her. Katie looked flustered by the unexpected but definitely welcome compliment, Grace didn't miss the blush on Katie's face.

"Thanks." Katie smiled at Jessie, and Jessie smiled back. Their eyes met, and locked with each other, both not wanting to look away. Jessie subconsciously bit her bottom lip, both of them oblivious to Grace's scrutinizing eyes. Grace had to fake a cough to make her presence known. Her stepsister and friend decided to take a trip to la la – land without taking her, and she's not about to let them ignore her.

"Ehrm." Grace grumbled all too loudly, Katie and Jessie were unwillingly taken out of the fog they were in. Katie immediately looked away, her eyes darting everywhere, avoiding Jessie. Jessie, meanwhile, was doing the same thing.

"I got to finish preparing dinner. I bet you guys are hungry." Katie tried to excuse herself, the defensiveness too obvious for Grace to ignore. It was taking all of energy to control herself from gawking at Jessie.

"Can you take Jessie to Bloomingdale's tomorrow? Those morons at the courier lost her package somewhere in Mexico or something and wouldn't be able to retrieve it soon. She needs new clothes." Grace grinned at her friend, who was looking back at her in disbelief. Jessie fixed her eyes on Katie, waiting for her response, hoping for the favorable one. A day with Katie Singer without Grace... Interesting. Grace saw the look on her stepsister's face, and her grin even grew wider. Meanwhile, Katie narrowed her eyes on Grace, knowing what her intentions are.

"You can take my car." She suggested to Grace instead; anything not to be standing or sitting too close to Jessie.

"Or, YOU can take her."

"Katie's probably busy doing something more important than shopping tomorrow. Grace, I don't need a babysitter. You don't have to worry about me." Jessie said in the most casual tone she could muster, though she was secretly hoping that Katie would go, which intrigues her.

"I don't really like the idea of you walking around Manhattan with bags of clothes in your arms, desperate to find an empty cab and instead of finding one, get mobbed by a bunch of lazy, smelly, assholes." Grace said, chastising her younger stepsister. Jessie looked a bit appalled. Katie rolled her eyes. Grace would go on lengths just to be able to throw her with Jessie.

"Grace, that's a preposterous and at the same time, mortifying idea to even entertain. You are traumatizing your own stepsister for no reason at all. You never had that kind of concern for Zoe before." She turned to Jessie. "Don't mind her, she's a total head case."

"Oh, I know." Jessie chuckled.

"You're forgetting your promise." Grace smiled evilly at Katie.

"What? What promise?" Katie frowned, trying to recall whether she made any promise to take Jessie out shopping, but couldn't really remember. And she was pretty sure, she hadn't made any promise that concerns Jessie.

"The one you made at the airport."

"Huh?" Still, Katie doesn't remember.

"You said you'd make it up to JESSIE, remember?" Grace emphasized Jessie's name, the mischievous smile still plastered in her face. She crossed her arms, satisfied by the aghast look on Katie's face.

"Make it up to me?" Jessie asked curiously. Katie's mouth opened to say something, but before she could even let a word out, Grace managed to embarrass her first.

"She thought your name was JOSIE." Grace chuckled. Katie glared at her. She had to control herself from hitting Grace with the phone in her hand.

"Josie?" Jessie looked at Katie in amusement. "Like the cartoon?" Katie was again, blushing furiously. She felt so embarrassed, she had to find a way to excuse herself. Being embarrassed in front of Grace was no big deal, but in front of Jessie, it's a different story.

"Grace, make yourself useful and set up the table." Katie snapped at her friend, and went back to the kitchen. When Katie out of the living room, Grace and Jessie burst out in a fit of giggles. Katie looked really funny when she's embarrassed.

The dinner went great. Grace wouldn't stop mocking Katie, and Jessie just found them absolutely entertaining. Katie caught the secret glances Jessie had been throwing Katie's way, which makes her roll her eyes everytime. Then, she excused herself, lying about having to call Tad, only to give the two some private time to talk. But to her disappointment, the two sat in silence at Grace's absence in the table. Both of them had smiles on their faces though, without uttering any single word at each other. Grace just had to frown. Strange people... So, Grace went back to join them. After dinner, Grace volunteered to clean the dishes, and Jessie decided to go to bed early.

Jessie had been lying on her bed quite a long time, but she couldn't sleep. She sat up, then opened the drawer of her bedside table and reached for something inside: a piece of table napkin with a pair of eyes drawn on it. She stared at it for a moment, then she smiled.

It was again, one of Katie's usually sleepless nights. She felt too inspired, not feeling the need to rest. Even if she tried, she wont be able to sleep anyway. Once her mind starts flooding with images, it wouldn't stop, until she grabs a hold of her paintbrush. She sat on her high chair again, inside her workroom, her right hand working expertly on the surface of the canvass in front of her. It was past midnight when she heard knocks on her door. Katie frowned in annoyance.

Grace, you better not be pestering me again. Katie couldn't believe Grace had gotten out of bed just to mock her with the Josie-thing again. She got off her high chair, turned the canvass around so no one could see it, and went to open the door.

"Grace, leave me..." She trailed off, upon seeing the person who was standing by her door. "Jessie."

"Uhm... I cant' sleep." Jessie smiled sheepishly at her. Katie stood looking at her for a moment, thinking of what to say. Jessie's voice broke her thoughts. "Do you want me to leave?" Jessie noticed the specks of light blue paint on Katie's arms and face. It was adorable.

"No, no, it's okay. You can stay. Come in." Katie stepped aside to give way to her. She smiled. As Jessie walked past by her, Jessie's shoulder slightly brushed with her front, that made Katie gasped. She had to control her breath for a while. Jessie paused to look around the room, Katie watched her from the back, trying to control the excitement she felt with Jessie's presence.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you." Jessie turned to face her.

"No, not really." Katie smiled. Her eyes stopped on the sight of Jessie's lips, which seemed teasing her at the moment. Katie cleared her throat and looked away, suddenly taking interest on the floor.

"Uh... I was wondering if... Uh... Can I have this?" Jessie lifter her left hand, which only now that Katie realized was holding something oddly familiar. Her jaw dropped. The table napkin! "Katie?" Katie looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"What?" Katie looked petrified. Jessie chuckled at Katie's reaction.

"I don't bite, unless you bite me first." She teased. Katie had to swallow a lump in her throat. "I found this at the coffee table before we actually met this morning."

What do I tell her? Shit, Singer, think!

"I... Uh..." Katie really couldn't think.

"How did you... I mean, did you draw this from memory?" Jessie asked her in awe. Katie was surprised.

"What?"

"From the airport." Jessie smiled.

"You remember seeing me at the airport?"

"Yeah... Of course, if I knew you were Grace's roommate, I would have said hi." Jessie walked closer to Katie, making Katie forget to breathe again. Jessie stood one feet away from Katie. Katie's heart was turning into a puddle. Jessie lifted her right hand and touched her face. Katie froze. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

God, what are you doing to me?

Jessie wiped the specks of paint off Katie's face a few times, and when it finally faded, Jessie didn't make a step back. Some force was pulling her closer, making her stare at her face. Katie knew she had to do something. Jessie's close proximity was killing her. Jessie's lips are only a few inches away, tempting her again, inviting her to move closer, but she knew she shouldn't. It's an uncharted territory, a territory she wont dare explore.

"Uhm..." Katie cleared her throat. She made a step back, and focused her eyes somewhere else again. Jessie realized that she practically stared at Katie the whole time, and blushed beet red. She hoped she didn't freak Katie out.

"Yeah, uh, I'm going to bed... Yeah... Thanks for this." Jessie waved the piece of table napkin as she walked hurriedly to the door.

"Okay." Katie said stiffly.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Jessie huffily turned the doorknob and left. She went to her room, closed the door behind her, and slumped on the bed, letting out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

What just happened? Jessie sat staring in space in disbelief.

Meanwhile, back at her workroom, Katie turned her canvass around again, and stared at the painting she had been working on...

Damn, you're even prettier in close up... Katie let out a deep sigh.