Chapter Twenty: One More Time

Tamera's Apartment: 6:05PM

The turkey was in the oven it needed to bake for another twenty five minutes. Tam's head was still rolling from this afternoon. How could she have let this happen again? She was wound so tight. She couldn't believe that she'd agreed to see him again. She had no idea how things were supposed to be the same. Things had obviously changed for the both of them. How did her get under her skin so easily? Even now just thinking about him she was kind of affected by him.

She placed her potatoes on the stove and allowed it to heat up to a simmer. She stood by the stove watching the pot. Her grandmother always told her not to do this, but she didn't know what else to do with herself. He was coming over and she thought that was a bad mistake. She didn't know how to behave with him anymore. Maybe she should've asked Ted to go to a restaurant instead. It was a little late for that, besides she should've been safe in her dad's building however they'd still behaved inappropriately there. The thought of Ted's blue eyes looking up at her as he placed his mouth against … she didn't want to think about it. Her back was tight with tension. She lowered the heat on her potatoes and cracked her neck.

"I need a shower," she murmured. She did some of her best thinking when she was in the shower completely relaxed. She cut her timer on and strolled into her bathroom. Tam stripped down to nothing and hummed a little diddy as she pulled out a fresh pale pink towel then hopped into her shower and closed the door and turned the water full blast. The heat of the water stung as it touched her skin. She sighed as she felt her muscles relax and her tension evaporate with the steam. She lathered her sponge with her lavender jasmine body wash and inhaled aroma therapy that's what she needed. She washed her body and as she focused on some of her more intimate parts her mind once again betrayed her. She felt herself becoming aroused by mere memories of Teddy's touch. She gently caressed her chest imagined Ted behind wrapping his arms around her and his firm hands caressing her. She closed her eyes and moved her sponge down her belly and then lower. She sat down on the seat in her shower and she allowed the sting of her the water and her sponge to work her into quite the frenzy. She abandoned her sponge and decided to use her own fingers. Again, she wanted more complete and total satisfaction. This time when attempt to produce her own stimulation it worked effectively, Gina was right you had to have something in mind. Teddy seemed to be more than enough for her.

"Yes," she breathed as her fingers went to work. She thought of blue eyes, bare chest, and a perfectly defined six pack all belonging to one Theodore Grey. She thought of fingers and tongues, touching her and caressing her. Oh yes, her body was much more agreeable to her to strokes this time. She easily became worked up and was quickly about to reach her goal of once again feeling that feeling … where her mind disconnects and all she felt was ecstasy. She was close so close when she heard her cell phone go off letting her know that the turkey was done.

"Shit!" Tamera rushed out the bathroom wearing only her towel and went into the kitchen. She ran into the kitchen fussing the whole time. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" She grabbed her oven mitts and pulled the drumsticks out of the oven. It wasn't until then that she realized that Ted was sitting in her living room.

"Hi," she mouthed in shock. Ted smirked at her and held up his phone and the camera flashed in her face. She was too shocked to be pissed at him for taking a picture of her sans clothes.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Ted murmured. "I've never had a naked woman cook for me before."

"I wasn't cooking naked! I decided to take a shower while the turkey finished baking, I should've been out by now. I lost track of time, give me second to get dressed and then I'll finish things up."

"Don't rush on my account you could stay naked all night for all I care, actually I would prefer it," Ted chuckled and Tamera rolled her eyes and went back into her room. Ted got up and watched to see if she left her bedroom door cracked, she hadn't. After a few minutes he grew impatient, he didn't know what could possibly be taking her so long. He went and sat on one of the stool at her breakfast nook.

"Come feed me woman!" Just as he called her she reemerged from her bedroom in her black pajama set. She balled her hair on top of her head and came back into the kitchen. She worked in silence as she mashed the potatoes, placed the on the plate, and then smothered them with turkey and gravy. She placed two lavender colored placemats on the bar and then supplied the silverware. She bent over and looked in the fridge as she looked at the bottle of merlot and alize' she had in the fridge. She didn't know which bottle would work best with her meal. Ted was more focused on Tamera's behind. He has always been a fan of it, and now that they seemed to become more familiar with each other he wondered if he could convince her to let him see her completely naked. It was most definitely something to aspire to.

"Merlot or Alize?" She asked giving up on making the decision herself.

"White wine is better you know," Ted muttered bluntly. "But either works I'm not picky." Tam turned around and decided on the merlot.

"You're not picky, bull shit Grey!" She chuckled as she poured the drinks. He looked at her as she poured the drinks. She was right he was very picky and very used to getting what he wanted. Right now what he wanted was less than a touch away, but the road to retrieving it wasn't going to be easy. Casual sex was what he was used to, but would he really be able to have that with Tam. That's not what their friendship is about. Ted took a deep breath as Tam a plate in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Tam asked. "You seem like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders." She joined him and began to pick at her food.

"It's not serious Tam. I just have a lot of stuff on my mind." He took a bite of food and of course it was delicious, one day Ted wanted to meet Tamera's grandmother and kiss this woman for teaching Tam how to cook so well. "This is amazing Tam, you put your foot in it." She smirked to herself.

"Thanks."

The two ate in silence for a while, more appropriately Ted inhaled his food and Tamera picked at her slowly until she couldn't stomach anymore. After she was done she placed the leftovers in containers so that Ted could take some to his apartment. While she had her back to him she decided to be a little braver and ask some questions. "So what's on your mind Ted?"

"I think you know Tam." He came further into the kitchen. Tam found herself very aware of his proximity. He pulled out the merlot and poured both of them another glass. "We need to talk." She nodded.

"You're right but I'm dreading it," she murmured as she finally turned to him he offered her the glass and she took it and two sips.

"Why? I get that this is fucking weird but we do need to discuss it and I need to know where you stand. Can we sit?" Tam nodded and they went into the living room and sat down. It wasn't until then that Ted realized Tam's birthday gift was still on the coffee table.

"You didn't like your birthday gift?" Ted asked sharply. He had wondered why she'd never said anything about it. It seemed she didn't even like it enough to move into her bedroom.

"What gift?" Ted pulled the jewelry box over to her and she frowned at it. "When did you get this?" She asked confused. She opened the box and her eyes doubled in size. "Teddy … this is a, what it this?"

"Are you seriously telling me you didn't see this box here? It's been here all week Tam!" Ted griped.

"I'm sorry Ted, but I've been a little preoccupied first with the paper and then with everything else," she huffed and changed the topic back to something safer. "What type of jewel is this?"

"It's an emerald diamond friendship ring, they are apparently very unique, and really beautiful … the ring reminded me of you." Ted shrugged.

"It is gorgeous Ted! Thank you!" She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek in excitement. She didn't have very much jewelry and it was rare that she found a piece that she really liked and this one was really nice. Ted smiled at her and then focused in on her full lips, he really wondered how they would feel on other parts of his body. He pulled the ring out of the box and put it on her right hand's ring finger.

"It looks good on you Tam," he whispered, "but most things do." He gave her that look, that Tam was started to recognize. She scooted away from him and forced herself not to look into his piercing baby blue eyes.

"Teddy, you said we needed to talk," she tried to refocus him and immediately straightened up.

"Right we do. I need to know where you're head is at Tam. I need to know that you're okay with what has happened … twice now." Tam fidgeted with her fingers as she thought over Ted's statement.

"I don't know everything's so weird. I didn't know I could even look at you that way. I sure as hell didn't think you saw me as … fuckable. I guess I have to be okay with it, it's happened there's no taking it back." She shrugged and then looked at him. "How do you feel?"

"I feel a little confused, I've never been with a woman that was a friend. I know we haven't fucked but honestly I really, really want to. I am concerned that if we were to be intimate that I would lose you in one way or another. So I don't know what to do."

"I understand that." She murmured. "I'm not ready to have sex. I like being a virgin, it's a unique characteristic that sets me apart from the rest. I'm not sure I'd give you my virginity anyway." Ted snorted.

"No disrespect, but yes you would. Tam I get under your skin and you give into me, I'm sure I could have you when I'm ready." Tam laughed out right.

"Yeah right Teddy! You can dream the hell on! Just because I'm attracted to you doesn't mean that I'm a thirsty sap. I wouldn't just drop my panties just because you say so!" Ted chuckled at how indignant Tamera became.

"You did this afternoon," he countered and Tam's jaw dropped.

"Ass," she whispered. She gave some thought to this afternoon and how easily he'd taken her. Was she that easy to manipulate sexually? After all this time of behaving like a prude she found it hard to believe.

"I don't think you're a sap. I just think that you're new to this and I'm not. I wouldn't take your virginity unless I was sure that you wanted me to. I would have to be completely and totally sure before I would do anything with you. Plus, I don't know if it's wise … I know your views about all of this type of stuff. You would want to be in a relationship and I'm not ready to be in one so … I really don't know where we go from here." Ted mused. "But I do know I want you. I heard the shower running when I let myself in, I wanted to get in there with you and feel you, among other things." Tam chuckled to herself as she remembered her little daydream. "What?"

"Oh nothing, it's just I was thinking about you … slipping in behind me and helping me shower." Tam's face heated as she confessed her little desire and Ted was immediately intrigued.

"Really?"

"Yeah … I just imagined what it would feel like for you to touch me all over. It was a very stimulating thought." She shrugged and refused to look at him.

"Hell yeah it is, it has me stimulated right now," he teased, well he was half aroused at the thought that she was in the shower thinking about him. "Did you play with yourself Tam?"

She nodded, "a little bit. It's not something I'm proud of. I just wanted to feel … I don't know how to explain it." She peeked at him with bashful hazel eyes. "I want you too Teddy, and I wish I didn't. I have a feeling that if we act on this impulse that we have that or friendship with crash and burn."

"Well, that's a problem because after telling me about your little escapade in the shower all I want to do is take advantage of your new found libido. How about we play just one more time Tam? What do you say?" Ted stood up and offered Tam his hand. She looked at it and knew that it was a bad idea, a very shitty wrong idea, but she couldn't say no to the sensation.

"Okay, one more time." Ted smiled and led her to her bedroom. After they were both in the room he turned around and scooped her up in his arms and slowly placed her on the bed. He stared hungrily at her body as he undid his shirt.

"Let the games begin," he murmured as he threw his shirt to the floor and climbed on the bed with her. If this was going to be his last time being about to touch Tamera he was going to make this time count, he planned to push the envelope and make her float on cloud nine.

Author's Note: Hi All I hope your are still enjoying the story! I was wondering if their are any banner makers reading this story. If so Please PM me I would love to have a nice banner for this story! As always please ready review and no flames.