Chapter 18

"Let me call you back and I'll see if maybe you can come over to the place I'm staying at until my house is ready." She'd told John about her current living situation, though left out a few details...like the man she lived with being her ex-husband. There was no reason to give him that information. "Give me an hour okay?"

"Sure, take your time." John laughed, figuring he would use that hour to continue compiling his list of addresses to go visit tomorrow since today had turned up absolutely nothing. "Well...don't take TWO hours or I might get lost trying to come hunt you down." He teased, loving the sound of her laughter. He knew he definitely did not love Jasina -he didn't buy into that love at first sight crap, but did believe in lust at first sight-, but she was amazing and he knew they could have something, even if it was just a brief fling.

Jasina immediately called Trish as soon as she hung up with John, trying to sound cool and calm. "Hey honey, I have a quick question for you." She said by way of greeting.

"Sure, what is it?" Trish was busy painting her nails while the kids were sleeping, Steve in the kitchen making dinner.

"Didn't you mention something about Steve and Mark going out of town for a few days for a bachelor party?"

"Yeah, they're leaving tonight after Steve is finished with dinner and helping me with the kids." Trish eyeballed her husband-to-be, having already laid the ground rules down for the bachelor party. "Why have you heard something different?"

"Nope, I was just making sure I heard you right at work." Jasina had a clouded mind all day, though she hadn't told Trish about John yet. "Thanks." Jasina hung up, calling John back instantly.

Trish blinked as she stared at the phone, wondering what Jasina was up to.

"Why are you eyeballin' me like that woman?" Steve demanded when his wife got off the phone. A bachelor party was supposed to be fun and he was going to worry about his penis being cut off before his wedding. "I haven't done anythin' yet!"

"Yet being the operative word, dearest. You and Mark are still going, right?"

"Yes..." To Vegas, not that Trish needed to know that. Mark had been for Cancun, but Steve had squashed that one, too many naked women on a beach.

"You had BETTER behave." Trish warned sweetly, her brown eyes narrowed.

When John's cell rang five minutes later, he was somewhat shocked, but immediately brushed it off. "So... it hasn't been an hour, I take it you have good news?" John answered Jasina's call instantly, not expecting it to be so quick.

"You can come over here around nine o'clock." Jasina figured that was when Mark would be leaving the house, which was two hours away, keeping her voice down. "My roommate will be gone by then and we'll have free reign of the house." She smirked at the many rooms that were in the ranch, though all she really wanted to take advantage of was the hot tub, swimming pool and her bed. "I'll text you when it's safe for you to come over. It'll just be easier for him not to know about you yet." She hoped John understood and didn't question her further, sighing when a knock sounded at her door. "Gotta go, I'll text you." She hung up and stuffed her phone in her purse. "Come in."

John sincerely hoped she texted him an address sooner rather than later, simply so he could Google it and get an hour head start on the arrival time, knowing his luck his Swedish voice on the GPS would send him to Mexico.

"Kids left." Mark said, pushing open the door, having recovered his little temper issue, trying to keep the gruffness from his tone. "Arie said she'd call you later. Darlin', I'm sorry about that comment down there, I shouldn't have said it. I knew you were lookin' for a place, but...you findin' one threw me off. Not to mention how happy you are about leavin', guess I took it the wrong way when I shouldn't of."

"It's fine Mark, didn't even bother me." She wasn't apologizing to him about anything she said, simply sitting on the bed staring at him. "I don't know why you're so thrown off considering I've been looking for a place for the past three months." Jasina pointed out, folding her arms in front of her chest, wondering when he was leaving so she could see John. "And of course I'm happy to leave and have my own space instead of constantly sharing with my ex-husband. I appreciate everything you've done Mark, but the fact is we are exes for a reason. So you shouldn't take me leaving any way because there should be no emotional involvement in it. I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you need to understand that I came here as a friend in need and nothing more. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to take a shower in peace."

It took everything Mark had in him to not lose his temper again.

Given that she had been looking without success, the suddenness of finally getting a place had thrown him off. Secondly, while they might have been exes for a reason, that meant jack considering everything that he had done for her. She needed a place to live to get away from Randy's memory, he had given that. Mark had stepped up and helped her the best way he knew how.

He gave her space, but made sure she ate. He let her have her nights of alcohol, but still watched over her to make sure she didn't turn into a full on lush. As for what had gotten INTO him lately, the woman was either the dumbest broad he had ever met -he knew she wasn't- or just purposefully ignoring the fact that the night everything had changed between them again -the night of the kiss-, she had been teasing him just as much as he had been torturing her.

"Thank God I'm leavin'..." Mark snorted, turning to walk out of the room. "Enjoy yer shower."

"Have a good night, Mark."

Jasina slammed the bedroom door and walked into the bathroom, starting up the sprays. Jasina didn't miss all the hidden emotion swimming through his green eyes, knowing he wanted to explode on her for what she said, but it was the honest truth. Granted, she had been teasing him, but that was only because he wouldn't stop torturing her! It was fair game and then he had to ruin it by kissing her, telling her silently that he expected more out of this than just friendship.

There was no friendship when it came to Mark.

There was only lust and power.

Jasina knew he expected them to get back together and that just ticked her off because she thought he'd helped her with Randy's death out of the kindness of his heart. Hell what heart? The man only had a heart when he got what he wanted or when it came to Arielle, but other than that he was a heartless prick. Jasina sent John a quick text with Mark's address before jumping into the shower, wanting to be fresh and clean before John arrived, seeing all the marks on her body and giggled.

~!~

Steve was a bit confused when Mark showed up earlier than expected, having JUST gotten the kids down for bed. "Um, yer early and my wife is suspicious of what yer plannin'."

"Smart woman."

"Now Mark, I like havin' a good time as much as the next guy, but remember, I'm about to be a married man…"

Mark smirked, deciding this trip to Vegas was just what he needed to get all thoughts of Jasina out of his mind. He wanted her in every way and, yes, like an idiot he had assumed they would eventually get back together. He hadn't taken care of her for nothing after all, he had done it because he cared for her. And maybe a little bit of the motivation had been sexually related.

"Not me." The tone of his voice implied he was planning on getting rip-roaring drunk and finding a woman to take his frustrations out on.

~!~

Jasina waited another hour before contacting John, wanting to make sure Mark was really gone and changed into her black bikini, having a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice. When the doorbell rang, Jasina walked down the hallway in a white terry cloth robe that was tied loosely and went to mid-thigh, her hair up in a clip. She hoped John cottoned onto the fact that there was a hot tub in the ranch and brought his swim trunks...unless he planned on being naked. That was a delicious thought as she opened up the front door, staring back into those baby blues.

"So you didn't get lost eh?" She remarked with a smirk.

"Nope."

John grinned down at her, his eyes devouring her body hungrily, imagining what was or wasn't beneath that terry cloth robe. He wasn't about to tell her he had memorized the route, she already knew he was a total idiot on the GPS and directions thing. He made up for it with more…interesting abilities. He bent down to kiss her, smiling when she returned it with enough passion to tell him they definitely didn't have a one or two time only thing going.

"So," He rumbled softly against her lips. "You going to invite me in?" He held a small bag in his free hand, containing his trunks and a few other things.

"Of course, you better get your cute ass in here." Jasina took his hand and guided him inside, pushing the door closed behind them and locking it up before they headed down the hallway into the kitchen. "I have some wine and beer since I didn't know if you liked wine. The hot tub is ready too." She poured herself a glass and smiled when John opted for a beer, slowly removing her terry cloth robe. "Why don't you go change into those trunks unless of you want to be naked? Either way is fine with me."

"Let me get a little bit more relaxed before I go streaking." John laughed, smirking down at her. "By the way, I should warn you, when I DO get comfortable, I prefer being nude." Which was the honest to God truth, he loved going without his clothes. Of course, that wasn't legal outside of his house, but he was still holding out that someday it would be. "So if you ever show up at my hotel without calling first and I open the door naked, don't be surprised."

"Oh I won't." That didn't surprise Jasina in the slightest and she found it somewhat adorable, hopping up on the counter. John stood between her legs and kissed her softly, her hands instantly going to the hem of his shirt. "Mmm I think I know how you can relax more." She pulled his shirt up over his head, tossing it over his shoulder and ran her fingernails gently down his chiseled chest. "There you're not so...restricted now."

"Uh huh..."

John was quite comfortable standing between her legs, his eyes feasting on the bikini clad body before him. He had seen her naked, but in a way, this was much better. It was leaving something to his already quite creative imagination.

"Eventually, I'm going to put you in one of my jerseys." He growled, bending down to nip at her collarbone. "NOTHING but the jersey..." His strong hands were now massaging the insides of her thighs very slowly, inching their way upwards, not in any hurry.

"Anything you want, John." Jasina purred, leaning back a little on the counter so he could get better access to her neck, spreading her thighs more for him.

It was just sex between them and Jasina was fine with that, refusing to develop feelings for a man who lived up north in Boston. She leaned forward and began running her tongue down the length of his chest, hearing another guttural growl escape him, wondering if they would even make it to the hot tub. Her hands found the button of his jean shorts, unsnapping them and shoved them down his long muscular legs with her feet, moving her lips back up until he captured them in a passionate kiss.

"Mmm hot tub time?"

"That or right here on the counter..." He growled against her neck, pulling away long enough to follow her gaze down, smirking. "Yes, that's because of you."

John chuckled huskily, knowing with his stamina, they'd be in the hot tub and many other places tonight, hoping her roommate never found out, that would probably be awkward, for her, not him. He doubted he'd ever meet the roommate. Scooping her against him, he felt her legs automatically wrapping around his waist and followed her whispered directions towards the patio door.

"Jas, if you keep playing with the back of my neck, I will pin you to the wall and fuck you right there." John warned her in a growl against her ear.

Jasina giggled softly, knowing the back of his neck was one of John's most sensitive areas. "Promises, promises…" She stopped for the moment, slowly slipping down his body long enough to submerge into the hot water, onto straddle him with her arms still around his neck. "Naked it is then."

There was no reason for him to have trunks, though that didn't mean Jasina had to be naked right away, enjoying teasing him as their lips met in another hot kiss, steam rising around them. If he really wanted too, John could have ripped those bikini bottoms off of her with just one finger, or pushed them aside, which was actually a rather interesting idea. Granted, there was no one around to see them, but the idea of keeping her covered as much as possible with her clothing while having sex with her…it reminded him of being out in public and trying to hide what was happening, wondering if she would be opposed to that idea sometime down the road. He leaned back against the tub wall, his hands resting gently on her hips while she ground herself against him, never breaking the kiss.

"Tease." He murmured against her lips, biting gently on her full bottom lip.

"Yeah look who's talking." She murmured, not even concerned with her wine because John was all she needed at the time.

Making love in the hot tub was amazing, along with the swimming pool...and couch in front of the fireplace. By the time they made it to her bedroom, Jasina's body was burning and John was the only one who could put the fire out, which he did repeatedly. They ended up falling asleep in her bed, curled up completely naked, her head resting just beneath his chin. Somewhere in between all the different places they had sex, Jasina had asked John to be her date for her friend's upcoming wedding and he accepted.