When Layne woke up the next morning, Jess wasn't in bed; she was sitting perched at her desk, fingers flying over the keyboard of her laptop. He wondered how long she'd stayed in bed with him last night. But for the life of him he couldn't remember when he'd gone to sleep, he only knew that in the end she'd worn his ass out instead of the other way around.He lay back against the sheets for a few minutes, wondering if he should interrupt her. It was then he noticed she wore earbuds, so he decided against it. With the rapid pace her fingers were keeping on the computer, he knew she was deeply into a scene and if he ruined it now by interrupting, he'd feel bad. Especially since he'd kind of thrown her off her game when he'd come to chew her out for getting stuck in a snowstorm.Fifteen minutes later he'd done his morning business, taken a quick shower, and put on into some pajama bottoms and a t-shirt he kept there for times just like this. Jess still hadn't noticed he was awake, so

Steele glanced at the outside camera. He knew Christine should be getting there soon, and breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her get out of her car and make her way to the front door of the clubhouse. He finally felt like he could breathe again. She was in the same building with him and he didn't have to worry about her being on the road or downtown by herself. Clicking on the other cameras he made sure everyone was in for the night, ready to spend a few hours with his lady.As he was about to shut the computer down, he heard a small knock on the door. He left it half ajar most days because he didn't want to be disturbed, but wanted people to feel like they could come in if they needed to. He'd know that knock anywhere though."C'mon in, babe. I'm just shutting everything down in here."She was quiet as she came through the doorway and he wondered if she'd had a bad day. Normally she was bursting with stories to tell, ready to clue him in on the hair she'd done, and the goss

Travis was lethargic as he sat back, trying to catch his breath. She'd blown his mind in every single way there was to blow it. This had been the most unexpected Christmas gift he'd ever received in his life."What made you do this?" he asked as he fingered the lace, hanging on by a thread, at her chest.She giggled, stretching so she could lay her head against his shoulder. "You've been stressed the past few days, and I hate when you're stressed. You're kind of a pain in the ass," she snickered. "But I also know how hard you work and how much you worry. Everyone needs some time to relax every once in a while, and I felt like you weren't getting that. Plus, I missed you," she shrugged. "And if I want to have time with you, sometimes I have to make that time.""I can't believe we christened the cave," he pushed her hair back from her face. "You know it's going to be hell for me in here now. I'm gonna sit in this chair and think of the way we are right now, think of what we just di

Jagger pulled his bike into the driveway of his new-ish home. Sometimes when he walked in, he could smell the fresh paint and the hardwood floors. It still hadn't stopped giving him a sense of pride; the fact he and Bianca had managed to buy themselves a home. Neither one of them could wait until the weather cleared and they were able to get outside and do some landscaping. When they'd signed the papers, he'd held her while she'd cried and damned if he hadn't thought about crying himself. It was a purchase neither one of them were sure they would ever be able to make, but they'd saved and lucked up on a piece of land they could afford. Building the house had been a struggle, but in the end they'd gotten the majority of what they wanted. What they didn't get, they knew they could add as the years went by.He spotted her car parked beside the back deck and grinned to himself. He couldn't wait to get her out of her own head, and get her onboard with all his fun plans.Before he'd left

One of the awesome things about being on Christmas break was that Bianca could stay up late and watch the sets Jagger played at Wet Wanda's. Between lesson plans, grading papers and evening events at school, these past few months she'd had responsibilities that kept her away from his shows for the first time since they'd been together. They'd both been resigned to the fact that as she advanced further in her teaching career, they had different job obligations that might conflict from time to time.Bianca shifted in her seat. She still hadn't told him about the opportunity she had to possibly go and teach in New Orleans. She'd applied for the special seminar, not for a minute thinking she would be picked, but they'd sent her notification a few days ago. It would mean a week during the summer in the Big Easy, and she wasn't sure her small-town guy would go for it. She was proud of herself, and it hurt not to share in her excitement with him, but she knew when it was time to talk about