Tim was disoriented. Having just woken up, in a room he couldn't quite place, confusion had set in. As he shifted his gaze around the room, realization hit when he remembered the comment he had made the night before about her closet erupting. He was in Julie's room, in her bed. In the distance, he could hear water running meaning she was in the shower.

Laughing to himself about her behavior the night before, she really was a completely adorable drunk, he lifted himself off the bed and padded out of the room before crossing the apartment to her tiny kitchen. If he remembered anything from his time with the Taylor's, it was that those people loved their coffee. Julie, he figured, would be in desperate need for some when she got out of the shower and her hangover set in.

After finding the necessary fixings for coffee, he went about getting it ready before moving on to the refrigerator in search of something to make for breakfast. Deep in thought, he didn't hear the shower shutting off on the other side of the apartment.

–

From her vantage point in the doorway, Julie was making a sincere effort to hide her presence so that she could enjoy the view of Tim wandering around her kitchen. After a refreshing shower, she had thrown on her most comfortable pair of athletic shorts and an oversized t-shirt before the smell of coffee had lured her to the kitchen. Surprisingly, the only hangover she had to speak of from her unfortunate experience with tequila the previous evening was a pounding head. She had had worse.

"Make yourself at home," she joked from the doorway.

Tim turned around in surprise. "Figured you might want some coffee," he drawled. After gesturing to the now-full pot of coffee, he found the mugs with Julie's direction and poured them both a steaming cup.

"Thanks," Julie said with a grin.

He nodded. "No problem," he assured her. In fact, he had kind of enjoyed finding his way around Julie's kitchen this morning. After all, his was still empty except for the paper cup and plates he had accumulated to make take out seem a little more enjoyable.

"So," Julie said after a large gulp, "thanks, for last night and everything. I didn't, uh, you know completely embarrass myself, did I?" She knew that no major faux pas had been made, but the details and bits of conversations were still hazy. Nervously biting her lip, she waiting for his answer.

"You were fine," he assured her. His gaze traveled to where her teeth had captured her lower lip. How could she manage to make an oversized shirt and shorts look so damn sexy?

"You promise?" Julie wasn't so sure.

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand that was settled next to her coffee mug, his thumb gently grazing her palm in a reassuring caress. "Promise."

"Okay," she accepted his answer with a nod.

"How ya feelin'?" Tim asked a few minutes later.

"Surprisingly not as bad as I though I would when I first woke up. The shower and the coffee have helped a lot."

"You know, my coffee is magic," Tim joked, winking.

She giggled. "Is that right?"

"It is," he nodded.

"Well, technically it's my coffee," Julie countered.

"But I made it," Tim argued, his voice full of humor.

Julie rolled her eyes; he was wiggling his eyebrows from behind his coffee mug in what she was pretty sure was a playful way, but she couldn't be completely sure. Something in his eyes warned her that he might be hinting at other magic traits he had as well.

Then, she suddenly felt his foot slide up against hers under the table. Was he playing footsie with her? Were they twelve? Ignoring it, she carried on with conversation.

"So, uh, do you have plans today?" His foot sliding up her calf caused her to fumble her words.

He nodded, his lips twitching into a smirk when he heard her reaction to him. "I have to go out to the team practice facilities to make sure I have everything I need for practice that starts tomorrow. You can come, if you want."

"Uh, sure." It wasn't like she had any other plans, except for maybe finally giving in and calling Tyra to spill on the whole Tim situation and maybe get some insight. He had now settled his foot back on the floor, but was sliding it against hers every now and then. She was sure he was just doing it to torture her.

Deciding that she needed more coffee, she quickly jumped out of her chair and made her way across the kitchen. Turning around after filling her cup, she was surprised to find Tim only inches away from her. She jumped back in surprise, bumping her back against the kitchen counter.

"Hi," he drawled. Damn him and that drawl that made her knees weak. She blamed it on the complete lack of hearing Southern twangs in the past three years, minus the phone calls to home.

"Hey," she finally whispered. As much as she wanted to dart around him and settle at the table again, his hazel eyes were practically begging her to stay put.

He inched closer, taking the newly full coffee cup from Julie's hands and placing it on the counter before settling his hands on either side of her. Tim's eyes were now fully fixated on her lips and she knew what was coming next.

When his lips crashed down on hers, Julie lost all sense of thought. Gently, his tongue prodded at her lips and she willingly opened them to him, her hands snaking around his waist, pulling him closer to her. Tim tasted like coffee and cinnamon, she realized. Softly moaning against his lips, Julie felt his hands attach to her waist and effortlessly lift her up onto the counter, depositing her there before pulling away from the kiss.

Forehead to forehead, their eyes locked, both coming to the realization that this was anything but the slow, calm kiss they had shared just two nights prior. This was something more, something they both needed and desperately wanted. Something, though neither Tim or Julie was sure what, had changed. Impatient with the pause, Julie locked her hands and the nape of his neck and pulled his lips back to hers, this time harder than before.

Tim groaned low in his throat; God, she felt so good against him, perfect even. He pulled his lips away from hers and traveled down her jaw, to her sweet ear which he had been dying to taste since the night they had run into each other at the gala. "Jules," he purred before allowing his tongue to delve out onto the tender flesh.

She giggled at the ticklish feeling his tongue caused on her earlobe while her hands traveled away from his neck and down his muscled chest, coming to rest on his lower back. His lips were now making a trail to the sensitive spot behind her ear and down the left side of her neck, stopping at her shoulder to nip and bite softly.

A chirpy ringtone interrupted her thoughts of how good what Tim was doing felt. Julie knew it wasn't her phone, so it must be Tim's. Judging by the fact that his lips hadn't even made a mention of leaving her shoulder alone, she figured he must have been too caught up to hear it.

"Should you get that?" she asked breathlessly.

"No," he mumbled against her. A few seconds later, the ringing ended, only to start up again.

"Shit, it's my alarm." His head suddenly shot up, his arms detaching from her as he rushed across the room to check the time.

"I have to be at out at the facilities in an hour and a half," he explained, walking back across the kitchen to Julie who had hopped off the counter while he had darted across the room.

"Aren't they in Jersey?"

He nodded slowly. "They are," Tim answered with disappointment. No more play time.

"Alright," she said, "just let me change and then we can run by your place on the way out there."

"I'll call a car," he said to Julie as she made her way to her room. She stopped in her tracks.

"You have a car service?" She asked with raised eyebrows when she turned around.

"Sure," he answered like it was no big deal, "it's in my contract."

She rolled her eyes. "Jason?"

"Thinks of everything," he said with a wink.

--

A/N: I'm back! So, more updates are on the way. Thoughts on this one? REVIEW.