CHAPTER 19 : BAND AIDS, ANTISEPTIC AND ONE HOT KISS

CJ was talking with Regan on the sun deck that led onto the backyard, when a beautiful, Blonde, very pregnant woman made her way into the backyard.

" Karen! You made it." Regan made her way towards her sister in law. CJ was about to follow, when Nate made his way onto the deck. Her eyes widened at his disheveled appearance.

" Do you want to leave?" He asked her gruffly.

She would have loved to stick around for a little bit, but Nate didn't seem like he wanted to. What in god's name had happened?

" Sure.. But what-?"

He didn't wait to listen. The moment he got an affirmative answer he took her hand and dragged her towards the main-gate, taking the long way around the house. On the way he stopped by Karen and kissed her cheek and smiled.

" Hey Karen. You look beautiful. Karen this is CJ. CJ, Karen." He turned around to Regan and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. " I'm sorry, but we're leaving now. It was great party. I'll see you soon."

Nate proceeded to drag CJ away and all she got in was a " Hi" and a "Bye". She literally had to jog to keep up with his strides as they left two very confused women behind.

CJ kept glancing at Nate all through the drive from Parkers house. She could see a bruise forming on his jaw, his lip was cut and so was his cheek. He wouldn't tell her what happened.

Once they got home Nate said a gruff good night and headed off to take a shower. She changed into her nightdress and tried some light reading. A few minutes later she heard Nate's door open, his footsteps leading downstairs. She quietly slipped out, curiosity getting the better of her.

Damn but his hand hurt. Matt still had a face made of stone. Nate smiled at that thought and the memory of breaking his little finger when he got into a fight with his 12 year old brother over some video game. He put the ice pack on his knuckles and scowled.

What had Matt been insinuating? Did he really think he wanted some kind of a... of a... fling.

Fine, maybe the thought of kissing CJ flashed alarmingly often in his head. Maybe he thought of how she felt in his arms more than once... The way she'd felt when he ran his hands down her body when he'd kissed her yesterday.... The way she'd tasted.... He groaned. He didn't need this now, Godammit. How could Matt think he'd deliberately set out to hurt CJ?

So his track record when it came to the length of his relationships wasn't stellar, but he'd never treated any of the women who'd been in his life with anything but respect. He'd always been upfront that he never wanted anything too long term. Most of the women understood.

They'd have a good relationship for 2- 3 months. They'd eventually get bored. Then they'd go their separate ways, having split amicably. No tears. No accusations. The few who did think they could change him eventually got the message and left of their own accord. But he wasn't a serial dater by any means. There had been times when he wasn't in a relationship for months at a time.

Matt's accusation rankled some where deep. The tightening that he'd been feeling in his chest lately intensified. He wasn't used to feeling so conflicted. His best bet would be to stay the hell away CJ. Hope that her apartment got fixed soon and then he'd be more than happy to move her stuff back for her. Definite plan of action. He smiled in triumph and turned around to find CJ standing in the arch way of the kitchen.

What the was she wearing? Shorts he could handle but this?.... She was wearing a filmy white night gown. Well, gown wouldn't be the right word since it ended a good 3 inches above her knees. Thin straps held it up. The light shone behind her, highlighting every delicious curve of her body. His heart immediately picked up the tap dancing routine it did when he was around her.

What was this? Some kind of endurance test? He narrowed his eyes at her willing her to go away. When she did exactly the opposite and came into the kitchen, he found himself backing up into the fridge.

CJ stood in the arch way to the kitchen. She could tell his hair was still damp from the shower. The pajama bottoms he wore slung low on his narrow hips. The rest was left for her admiration.

My, was he built. Just looking at him made her mouth water. She let her eyes roam the wide expanse of his shoulders. When he opened the fridge door it made the muscles on his back ripple. Make him do it again, a giddy voice whispered. When he turned around she couldn't help but stare at that chest. Her eyes lowered to his toned abdomen.

" What are you doing here?" Nate asked snapping her out of her stupor. What was she doing ogling him? And was she imagining it or was there a hint of panic in his voice? And why was he backing into the fridge?

" Did you clean that cut?" She asked stepping into the kitchen and towards him

" I took a shower didn't I?" He replied.

All his silent prayers obviously went unheard. CJ walked into the kitchen and propped herself up on the counter. She had a bottle of antiseptic in her hand an a band aid. She was here to check on him. She was concerned about him and he was letting his thoughts run wild. But How could he not, when she looked at him that way? He couldn't have just imagined it.

" Let me take a look." Nate gave a sigh of resignation and walked over to her. She ran gentle fingers over his bruised jaw, tilting it to get a better look. Then she lowered his face and subjected the cut on his cheek, to a close scrutiny.

" So are you going to tell me what happened?"

" Lets just say Matt and I had a little disagreement."

" Disagreement? Have you heard of talking?" Talking? Hell talking was what got them going at each other. She dabbed a little antiseptic and he hissed out a breath.

" Did that hurt?"

" Want to kiss it better?" Nate snapped at her, hoping she'd get annoyed and let him go quickly. Instead CJ's lips twitched in amusement. He didn't know how much more of this close proximity he could take. She put the band aid on and what she did next shocked the hell out of him. She placed a gentle kiss on the cut.

" Better?" She asked, a soft smile lighting her face. Her eyes had a tender look he'd never seen before. The dim light of the kitchen made her look ethereal. He felt an uncharacteristic weakening in his knees.

He didn't know why he did it. Was it gratitude? Or just the need to get closer? Or something entirely different. He leaned in and kissed her. It was just supposed to be a quick brush of lips. And then he was going to say goodnight and he was going to leave.

CJ knew the moment he was going to kiss her after she had so foolishly kissed his cheek. But the tenderness of it was what shocked her to the core. His fingers just gently held her face up while he kissed her. He wasn't touching any other part of her, but the kiss touched her some where deep.

He was going to pull away. She didn't want him to leave. She twined her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He seemed to hesitate at first but then changed the angle of the kiss when she slipped her tongue over his.

Nate tunneled his hands into her hair. Pulling her closer. He let one hand slip to her waist and caressing her hip. She tasted like honey and sweet apple pie. She smelled intoxicatingly feminine. He could swear the ground had moved underneath him and the world had probably stopped in it's axis. Hell, it had probably staggered right out of it's orbit. He'd never kissed any one like this.

When she moaned he stepped back reluctantly. Her palms were splayed on his bare chest as his heart pounded underneath. Her eyes were dilated and had darkened to a deep blue. The weakness in his knees intensified along with the dim resignation that he had probably lost all ability for coherent thought.

What had she done to him?

Maybe it was the out of control feeling disconcerting him or just plain stupidity that had him blurting out,

" Still think it was just a kiss red? I wouldn't exactly call that nothing."

CJ felt like she was floating on a cloud. God could that man kiss. Yesterday had been nothing compared to this. She should be thankful she was sitting. Albeit on a kitchen counter. Nate's words slowly trickled through the sensual haze. "Still think it was just a kiss red? I wouldn't exactly call that nothing." She focussed her eyes on his and something clicked. Their conversation from last night and Nate's words.

"Care to test that hypothesis red?" He'd asked her, when she said nothing had happened when he'd kissed her the first time.

This was all some kind of game to him. Of course. She should have known better. But here she was, all but falling apart and melting at his feet. Because of what? Because he wanted to kiss her to prove a point? To make her realize how much she could want him. He'd had this effect on countless women no doubt.

And he was starting to effect her too. No one had kissed her like that. Ever. It had felt different kissing him. She hadn't wanted to let go. She almost gave a derisive snort. Obviously, she had been the only one doing the feeling. The moment of tenderness must have been the figment of her imagination. She was an idiot. All she could do now was stay as far from him as possible, till she moved out.

Nate watched the soft look in her eyes fade and surprise take it's place. Then her expression hardened. His mind slowly registered what he said and what it must have sounded like. But he didn't take the words back. If they kept her away from him and the way she was twisting him up in knots, then he'd done a good thing, as much as an integral part of him protested at that thought.

She shoved against his chest and slid off the counter.

" You made your point. Is that what you wanted?"

NO! He wanted to shout. But didn't say a word, because for the first time he didn't know what he wanted.

" I thought so." She simply said and sauntered out of the kitchen as though she didn't have a care in the world, even as conflicting emotions roiled inside him. A feeling he wasn't used to.

So what do you think

Please R & R