I don't even know how to intro this chapter, haha...I'll just say, if M ratings make you blush, it's time to cover your eyes! :P

To answer a question, no James doesn't know Juliet is technically still married...yet. Edmund shows up in the next chapter, and he might try to cause a little trouble. Key word: try. I declared this a fluffy story, after all. Fluffy of the M variety, of course. ok, I'll stop talking now. Enjoy! :)

When James opened the door the next evening, the delicious smell of pizza hit him just as his eyes came to rest on the radiantly beautiful woman that held the box in front of her. He'd just invited heaven into his home.

"I hope you like Hawaiian." she said, smiling and opening the box a little to give him a peek of ham and pineapple.

"If it's on bread, tomato sauce and cheese, I'll eat it." he assured her, taking the box gallantly from her hands. "Come in, make yourself at home."

He couldn't help it; he checked her out as she crossed the threshold and entered his home. She was wearing a simple blue t-shirt under a short tan jacket, and a pair of blue jeans that really hugged her hips and behind, a behind that James was almost caught staring at when Juliet turned back around to face him. She flashed a cute smile his way, trying to break through the awkwardness of meeting again after experiencing such a pleasant time together the night before.

"Ah," he stammered, trying to get his thoughts back to dinner. "I got Bud and Corona." he said, walking past her to put the pizza on the coffee table before heading toward the fridge in the kitchen. "Either of those work for you?"

"I'll take a Corona." Juliet said politely.

"You want lime in yours?"

"Yes, please." she said, taking a seat on the couch. "Is Straume- I mean, is Miles here?"

"Nope." said James, smiling at her professional slip. It was hard to kick that last name habit once you picked it up. "He's out with the boys. We've got the place to ourselves." he added without thinking, like the skirt comment the previous night. When he came back from the kitchen he found Juliet still smiling at him. He wasn't sure whether she was pleased by the idea or didn't pick up on the insinuation, but it didn't matter as long as she was happy. "Take a seat, get comfortable." he insisted. "What are we watching tonight?"

"Ah." said Juliet, smiling and reaching into her bag as she sat on the couch. "Your choices are...Shaun of the Dead and Bad Boys 2."

James smiled, cocking his head to the side as he considered those choices. "Ya know, for a gal who's getting out of the death business, you sure brought an interesting selection."

Juliet's shoulders sagged a little when she closed her eyes and chuckled.

"Not that I'm complaining, mind you." James added, handing Juliet her beer and setting two plates on the table in front of them.

"I thought you might appreciate having a choice between violent gore and gory violence."

"And I do, I do indeed." said James as he sat down beside her. "But I still leave it up to you to decide."

"I just needed some good old-fashioned escapism." Juliet admitted. "A few laughs wouldn't hurt either." The way she said it made her sound exhausted. James picked up on it, but he didn't know how to ask her why. So instead of asking, James opened the box of pizza, still hot and steaming, and served them both their dinner.

"How 'bout this." he said, handing her a plate. "We'll watch both."

"That sounds perfect." Juliet said, trading him the DVD's for some pizza.

It turned out they were both starving, and they wolfed down their pizza and beer before the plot of the first film even became clear. James stole a few glances her way, enjoying in particular the way her throat moved when she tipped her head back and chugged the last fifth of her first beer.

"You want another?" he offered.

"No, thanks." she said sweetly, turning to him distractedly until she allowed the television to draw her attention back. James wondered if she didn't like the movie; she hadn't really been laughing at any of the jokes. Then he noticed, when he glanced over at her for the zillionth time, that her eyes weren't really turned toward the TV. She was staring into space just beyond it's lower right corner, her brow beginning to furrow. He watched her stare for a good five minutes, his heart growing as he wondered what could be bothering her so much. She looked like she was watching someone dying.

"You okay?" he asked her, snapping her out of whatever deep thought she'd been trapped in. She looked over at him, not pleased with herself that she'd been caught so distracted.

"Yeah." she said easily. It was almost sad how easy it was to deny anything was wrong.

"You sure? I can stop the movie if you want...?" James offered, treading on unfamiliar ground. Inviting a woman to talk about her feelings? Miles was right, he was falling for her.

"No, it's..." Juliet almost said, before she looked into his eyes and realized she had a friend to talk to. It's not fine, thought Juliet. Just tell him. They let the movie play, a dissonant soundtrack to her troubles. It faded to the backs of their minds when she spoke.

"I took my sister to the hospital this morning, and we found out that her cancer is back. She's going to need treatment again, after four years of being in remission."

"Damn, Juliet. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up during our date. It's just hitting me now. It's hard...I know she can take it, that she's going to fight. But she shouldn't have to, you know?"

James watched her, listening, but Juliet was done. She didn't want to say anymore, afraid the lump in her throat would turn into an embarrassing display of emotion if she continued.

"If there's anything I can do, just let me know." James offered. The sincerity in his voice made Juliet believe he wasn't just saying it to be kind. She took a deep breath and let it out quickly. A smile, at least half of one, returned to her face.

"Can you arrest cancer for attempted murder?" she asked him.

James nodded slowly, like he was giving it some serious thought. "I think that can be arranged." he said.

Juliet laughed, a bright, spontaneous sound James loved instantly.

"Really?" she asked skeptically. "You can do that?"

"For you?" James said, offended she even had to ask. "Hell yes." he declared.

Juliet laughed again, the lump in her throat fading. She'd told him something very personal, and it felt right. It felt comfortable, and he'd even managed to cheer her up. In the silence that followed her last giggle, eye contact turned into a more intimate look.

"What?" Juliet asked softly, though she already had a good idea what he was thinking. His mouth moved in a subtle way before he spoke.

"I've been wanting to kiss you since you walked in the door." he admitted, and his gaze became a burning message of clear desire. Juliet's head tilted to the side. She was still playing coy.

"What a coincidence." she said. "I've been wanting you to kiss me since I walked in the door too."

The movie was forgotten, left playing in the background. Juliet moved first, and James met her somewhere in the middle of the couch. They started kissing, and they both felt relief in a release of tension now that they could feel each other's lips again. Before they could really get into it, Juliet abruptly pulled her head back.

"I should warn you..." she said, in a tone one might use with a matter of grave importance. "...I might have pizza breath."

James grinned and put a hand behind her head to pull her to him again. He planted a long, slow kiss on her lips, followed by another, and another, until her smiling jaw relaxed. James ran his tongue along her lips, just as soft as he remembered, beginning a slow exploration of a mouth he wanted to know a whole lot more about. Juliet's tongue crept out to meet his, curious but patient. He could feel her holding back; she wanted to attack his mouth like she'd done the night before, but what he was doing felt too good to interrupt. Taking the lead, James slid his tongue inside her mouth, gliding across her tongue, tasting her, pressing deeper. An involuntary, sighing moan came from deep inside of Juliet. It turned him on to hear her make those sounds, and it really made him want to give her the full treatment.

He pressed closer, grabbing a handful of her hair. Juliet's mouth opened wide to let him in, and she pressed back, matching him for force. The thought that he would eventually be inside of her, that she was going to let him fuck her on their second date, sent a wave of lust through her that rose like a column through the center of her body. She had to let him know she wanted more. With their mouths still attached, Juliet set her hands on his strong neck and straddled him, kissing him very deeply as she lowered herself onto his lap. She heard a growl deep in his throat, and his hands went to her thighs, squeezing her curves through her jeans. Her upper body arched toward his, speaking to him with subtle movement. Touch me. I need attention. His hands dragged upward, over her t-shirt, closing around her breasts, massaging them. She was sensitive there, and she moaned into his mouth sweetly at the feeling. Juliet copied the deep massaging motion of his hands with her pelvis, starting a slow grind on his lap that elicited a groan from James. Through two pairs of jeans she felt him harden, and his hips moved underneath her, increasing the friction.

Juliet leaned back, almost moaning in protest when his hands left her breasts for her hips, but when he grabbed her ass and pulled her body closer to his, she rubbed even harder against him and she moaned with pleasure instead. With her eyes closed she leaned toward him, hugging his neck, and his mouth wandered all over the skin on her neck and chest, kissing and licking like he was trying to find a way inside the top of her t-shirt.

"James..." Juliet sighed. He must have really liked the sound of that; his teeth grazed her, a gentle bite of her neck, and his hands squeezed her ass even harder than before. "Oh..." she said, halfway between a moan and a whimper, grabbing both sides of his face and kissing him hard on the mouth while he pushed and pulled at her hips. Another minute of that and they both felt about ready to explode.

"I want you." Juliet said out loud, pulling her shirt up over her head. Her hair came tumbling down over bare shoulders, drawing his eye to a pair of breasts that almost spilled out of her bra. She was breathing a bit harder now, stroking the sides of his clean shaven face, looking straight into his eyes when she said it again. "I want you."

"Hold on to me." James deep voice rumbled, and he kissed her again as he rose from the couch, picking Juliet up with him. She clung to his neck with her arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, testing James' ability to walk in a straight line when she attached her mouth to his earlobe and started sucking. He somehow managed to make it to his bedroom without falling over. He left the lights off and carried her over to the bed, kissing her twice on the lips as he set her down before going back to the door to close and lock it. When he turned back around, he saw her on her back, shimmying out of her jeans. Her underwear matched her bra, at least as far as he could tell in the relative darkness of the bedroom. He was more interested in the pale skin that glowed in the moon and street lights coming in the window, contrasted against the dark fabric of her lingerie. That image of her, of Juliet in his bed, undressing herself for him, would be burned into his memory for the rest of his days.

Juliet watched James, through the same soft light, pull his t-shirt over his head and walk toward her. She watched him unbutton his jeans and climb onto the bed, climbing over her. First he kissed her lips, and then set his tongue to her collarbone and the hollow of her neck, all the while pulling the straps of her bra down from her shoulders. Juliet gave another sighing moan when his tongue found the nipple on her right breast. He cupped her breast in his hand, pushing it up so he could take as much of it as he could into his mouth. He felt one of her hands in his hair, the other running down his back, her legs writhing underneath his body as he worked her into a frenzy. He gave her other breast the same treatment, enjoying the whimpers that kept escaping her throat as he did it.

He lifted himself over her. They kissed. And Juliet slipped her hand down the front of his unbuttoned, unzipped jeans and right into his boxers. James groaned when she closed her hand around him. His tongue dipped in and out of her mouth, starting and stopping the kiss unevenly, distracted almost completely by the hand feeling up and down the length of him.

"You want that inside of you?" James murmured tauntingly. He felt more than saw Juliet express her desire and consent. Her grip tightened around him, and she nodded her head for an emphatic yes. He was big, and very hard, and she most definitely wanted that inside of her.

"Touch me." she said, in case he didn't believe her. James enjoyed the way she let him know what she wanted without being bossy. Not that he didn't enjoy the occassional command or two. Juliet felt his fingertips at the top of her underwear, but he didn't slip them inside like she had to him.

"I'd rather taste you." he replied, raising his body to kneel between her legs and pull her underwear away from her hips. It wasn't just his words but the way he said them that sent another wave of lust through Juliet. She already knew she was going to enjoy it.

"Oh god..." she moaned, watching James pull her underwear down her legs. He tossed them away, and in Juliet's mind she could hear him say Ain't gonna need these any time soon... He wasted no time burying his head between her legs. Juliet almost cried out, moaning loudly as he took his first hungry licks and kisses. It had been a long, long time since any man had done that for her, and he was not shy about it at all. Before long he had her panting, her hand twisted in the hair at the back of his head. "James," she panted, encouraging him, begging him, thanking him with his name. "James..." she panted, knowing she could come this way, and quick, if she stopped tensing the muscles in her thighs. "Fuck me." she moaned, the words tumbling out before the thought had finished forming. "Fuck me," she whispered when James lifted his head, moved over her and reached for the drawer in the bedside table. While he searched one-handed for the small box of condoms, Juliet ran her hands all over his chest and shoulders, kissing and licking his skin like his muscles were made of candy.

"Have I told you yet," James said, voice strained until he was finally able to grab hold of a condom and pull it out of the box. "That your mouth is amazing?" Juliet's only response was to keep kissing him, and she eventually recaptured his lips when he laid back down on top of her.
Juliet moaned into his mouth. "So is yours." she said when she allowed him a moment to drag his pants and boxers the rest of the way off his legs. Juliet arched her back and reached behind to unclasp the bra that already lay limp around her waist. Now there would be nothing left between them but air and sweat.

James once again knelt before her between her long, beautiful legs, legs that were bent at the knee and already spread wide for him. He tore the wrapper open slowly, never taking his eyes from her, and his mouth curved into a wicked smile. "You taste good." he said. Juliet got a little lost in the eyes and the smile, but she still glanced down when he slipped the condom on. He lowered his upper body over hers, resting his weight on his forearm while his other hand disappeared between their legs. "You feel good too." James whispered in her ear, rubbing the head of his cock up and down her slit a few times before positioning himself for penetration.

Juliet whimpered and dug her fingers into the flesh on his arms as he pushed into her for the first time. She let the muscles in her legs relax, letting him in, and her whimpering turned into a loud moan. James took his precious time, allowing Juliet to adjust to his presence in that most private of places. At the same time, he also took a moment to thank his lucky stars for giving him a moaner. The soft, soothing voice she used for speaking translated to a gorgeous, throaty sound when her body needed to express that deep pleasure. He wanted to listen to her make those sounds all night. He wanted to be the only reason for them.

James bowed his head to kiss lips that now trembled, and he began to move. The hand he'd used to guide himself into her moved to her thigh, steadying her, holding her open so he could fill her completely. She responded well to that, moaning loudly, raking her fingernails down his bare chest and then around behind him, digging them into his lower back.

James made it last, switching up the speed, the intensity, the depth of his thrusts, trying anything he could to keep her breath short and her moans loud and long. Juliet moved underneath him, her hips thrusting up to meet his whenever he started doing something particularly amazing. When they weren't stuffing their tongues in each other's mouths, they took turns kissing, licking, biting and sucking anywhere else they could reach. They found they were a good match in bed, so they were able to let go completely while they pleased each other. Eventually Juliet felt herself approaching the edge, and she was ready to experience the explosive light that lay beyond it. James was going at her fast and strong, but she needed more so she asked for it.

"More." Juliet panted.

"Harder?" James said between his own panting breaths.

"Yeah..." Juliet whimpered, her jaw dropping wide open when James fulfilled her request. She cried out, and it drove James wild to know she was almost there, that he'd been the one to take her there. He tried it slow at first, and then faster, knowing he'd found the right rhythm when Juliet grabbed a handful of the bed sheets in each hand and squeezed. Juliet felt it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. It felt better than it ever felt before, especially for a first time. It was like they were meant to be with each other this way; they just fit together. Her back arched, her body contorting as it was rocked by an intense orgasm. She moaned and moaned, and he bore down on her, feeling his own climax building. Yes, she chanted, even after her body stopped convulsing, as James isolated movement to his hips alone. Suddenly he grunted, froze, and drove deep into her one last time. Juliet cried out, gasping for breath while he came inside of her.

After that, time slowed back down around them; they laid there, still joined, with James on top of Juliet, both catching their breath as the feeling of having their minds blown faded.

"Jesus." said James. Juliet, still shaky, felt a laugh bubble up out of her chest; he sounded pleased. She made a cute sound when he slipped out of her, and it reminded him a moment later, after he'd collapsed on his back beside her, that she was naked and vulnerable in his bed. He sat up for just a second, reaching for the blanket at the end of the bed, and covered them both with it. "Com'ere." he said, putting his arm around her body and pulling her to him as gently as he spoke. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Juliet made another soft sound in her throat, melting into him as they pressed their naked bodies together, hands everywhere. "That felt really good." Juliet told him earnestly. "Really good." she repeated with emphasis, stopping just short of telling him how long it had been since she'd been touched, let alone so thoroughly satisfied.

James smiled and kissed her. "Good. We should do it again."

Juliet chuckled quietly, kissing him back. "All night?"

He growled. "Now you're talkin'..."

"Mmm..." she sighed as he kissed her neck and caressed the side of her body. She closed her eyes and contemplated, for a long, long moment, staying the night. She didn't have any clothes, she didn't have a toothbrush, and she wasn't sure when Miles was going to be back, or what their morning routine was. All of these were easy excuses of course, but underneath all that, responsibility was nagging at her.

"I should go." Juliet whispered.

"Nuh-uh." James argued simply. "I wanna make you breakfast in the morning." He kissed her lips again, deeply, and Juliet put her hands in his hair and kissed back. They both wanted that, but she had her reasons.

"I want to be home in case Rachel needs something." she explained. Unfortunately, that wasn't something James could argue with. Begging her to stay with that hanging over them would have been wrong, though in the back of his mind he wondered if it was being used as an escape. He still had her in his arms and he already wanted more of her.

"What are you doin' tomorrow?" James asked.

"You mean today?" Juliet corrected him with a smile. It was past midnight; they'd been in bed for a while.

"When can I see you again?" he said, putting it another way. Juliet wasn't sure what to say; would it make her sound desperate to tell him they could spend the whole day fucking like bunnies once she made sure her sister was alright? Her thoughts were interrupted anyway, when she felt his hand sliding up her inner thigh. She was still wet, sensitive from the almost rough sex they'd just had, and when he touched her she couldn't think straight.

"I..." she stammered. "I'll call you..."

"Call me what?" he teased her, his voice low and suggestive. Her eyes were closed; she didn't see the return of his wicked smile.

"You wanna take a shower?" James asked an hour later, when Juliet was finally getting dressed. He was sitting against the headboard, watching her button her jeans a few feet away.

"James," said Juliet, admonishing him in the sweetest way possible. She didn't want to go, but she still felt that she had to, and he wasn't making it easy.

"I didn't mean with me." he said, only half kidding. "Though, now that ya mention it..."

Juliet's cheeks rounded when she grinned. James liked that. It was all he wanted now, to make her smile, make her laugh, and make her come. He was headed into unknown territory now, the excitement of a new relationship making him think a bit differently about how to spend his time.

"Don't mean to bug ya." said James, smiling good-naturedly. "I just don't want you to think you're not welcome to stay."

"You're not bugging me." Juliet said quietly, fixing a twisted bra strap. She turned to him, wearing a soft expression that bordered on adoration. For the sake of her pride she held her tongue from all the things she wanted to say, and after a pause she admitted why she was still standing there. "I think my shirt is in the living room..."

James smiled. "I'll get it." he said. Now it was Juliet that sat on the side of the bed, watching James as he pulled on his jeans - just in case - for the short trip. They hadn't heard Miles come in yet, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. Before he left, he leaned down to kiss her. It was a tender gesture that gave Juliet that same sense of budding relationship butterflies that James got whenever he looked at her. This was going to be fun.

Juliet finished dressing, and they walked to the living room together. The TV was still on; the movie they'd abandoned had ended hours ago, and was back to the endless loop of the DVD menu. They hadn't even made it through the first one.

"You want your DVD's?" James asked her as she put on her jacket. She was in the doorway now, looking just like she had when she'd arrived, except for her hair. It was tousled now, evidence of the good time she'd just had.

"I'll get them when I come back." Juliet replied. When I come back. It sounded so definite. "Maybe next time we'll actually finish one." she added. They kissed each other good night, both knowing they wouldn't get through the opening credits the next time they saw each other.

There...was that M enough for ya? ;) Let me know what you thought!