Only You

I looked over at Russell, wondering if he knew that his gran had invited my family to join them. I was starting to think that everyone was conspiring to get us back together, including, or maybe especially his grandmother, since she'd told me more than once that she thought we were made for each other.

"That was nice of her to ask. Meg and I will probably bring a few different kinds of dessert. And I can make that big salad that everyone seems to like, too."

"Good. Then I'll let Miss Ivy know what we're bringing. Love you, honey. Talk to you soon."

Once I'd hung up with my mom, I mentioned it to Russell, and he looked a little surprised. "I had no idea." Still, he flashed a smile. "But it'll be nice to share the holiday with you."

As he reached over and wrapped his hand around mine, I thought it would be, too.

When Russell drove us back to my place, I was a little disappointed when he suggested he head back home to make a few calls.

I guess he was thinking of Meg, and probably didn't think it was fair if the two of us were spending the night together, after what she'd just been through with that idiot Toby.

Though, I really liked that he took his time kissing me goodbye. And this was no little peck on the lips. It was one of his really steamy, panty-melting kisses, that had my hands flying into his hair, and him nearly pulling me into his lap. No surprise, we were both more than a little breathless by the time we finally pulled apart, grinning at each other.

Every inch of me felt flushed as I glanced around making sure that no one walking by might have caught us making out.

I knew I had to say something, though. "Um, Russell, can I ask a favor of you?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"When we're out where people can see us, I'd prefer it we didn't advertise the fact that we're together."

"Why, are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"No, of course not." I looked down at my hands in my lap, not really sure how to tell him. "It's just that once you're gone, I don't want the whole town feeling sorry for me. You know how everyone loves to talk."

He was quiet for a moment and finally said, "Okay, sure."

Then he held his hand out. "Why don't you give me your phone and I'll give you my number, so we can touch base."

"Sure."

I was just about to open the door to get out and he tugged my hand and said, "Hey." When I turned back to look at him, I got a lump in my throat, when he whispered, "Thanks for letting me back in your life."

I leaned over, pressed a kiss to his cheek, and told him the truth. "You were never out."

Upstairs, I went and checked on my sister, and was relieved to see her fast asleep in her bed. Probably the best thing for her was getting some rest. I put the box of dark chocolate Russell brought for her on her night stand, so she'd have a surprise when she woke up.

Looking down at her with long golden-brown hair spread across the pillow and her eyes closed, she looked almost angelic as she slept. And I just knew that one day she'd meet someone who deserved her. Hopefully someone as kind and generous and thoughtful as she was.

Normally, when we had a day off, I liked to give our apartment a good cleaning. Deciding I'd better change, I slipped into some cut-offs, took off my bra and put on a little tank top, knowing I'd be working up a sweat.

I had a few songs on my phone that I always played when I worked around the house. I smiled as Pharrell's 'Happy' got my feet moving as I vacuumed. And no surprise, I felt like I was dancing on air, probably the happiest I'd ever been, now that Russell and I had reconnected.

Bruno Mars' 'Uptown Funk' had me shaking my booty as I wiped down the kitchen counters, till I looked up when I heard my sister chuckling.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"

I tossed her a dust rag that she caught in mid-air, and we both and laughed and danced around as we cleaned.

Once we had everything spick and span, I poured us two big glasses of lemonade and we took a seat at the table.

"So, looks like you and R.J. are back on," she remarked as she put her glass down.

I wrinkled my nose, not sure what to say. Though I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I thought about him. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"Well, I'm happy for you. You two were so good together, I never really understood why you broke up."

I decided it might be time to tell her the truth. "I knew if I didn't let him go, that he never would have reached his potential in a little town like Walkerton."

"That was pretty selfless of you. I'm not sure I would have the courage to take a risk like that, in case I lost him."

"You know the saying, 'If you love someone set them free. And if they come back, they're yours; if they don't, they never were.' I guess that's kind of what I was hoping for."

"Well, lucky for you, he's back now."

I sighed as I nodded my head. "Yeah, but he only came back to help with the restoration, when he heard about the fire."

"Oh, I don't think that's the only reason he's here. I can tell from the way he looks at you, and the way that you look at him, that you've got some unfinished business that you two need to take care of."

I shrugged as I carried our glasses into the kitchen. "Well, as nice as it is to have him back, I have to remember that he won't be here for long. Soon, he'll be off filming another movie, and I'll be here on my own again."

Just then my phone rang, and I smiled when I saw it was Russell.

"Hey, have you two had dinner yet?"

I looked at the clock, surprised it to see it was almost six. "No, not yet."

"Good. Then I'll be there be in about an hour. I'll pick up some pizza, so the three of us can look over what I've got, while we eat."

"Sounds good."

When I told Meg Russell was coming by, she offered to go out. But when I told her he was bringing pizza, she changed her mind, since we had to drive out of town if we wanted anything more than what they served at our local diner.

I was tossing a salad and Meg was setting the table, when she looked back at me, and said, "Hey, you." When I looked over, she said, "You know, you don't have to tip-toe around me, just because I had a bad date. As long as your man is still here, I think you two should try to spend as much time together as you can. And if he wants to stay tonight, I won't mind. Because I just want the two of you to be happy."

"Thanks, Meg." I was glad she was being so understanding.

I actually forgot how little I was wearing, till Russell walked in juggling two boxes of pizza, and his eyes popped when he looked me over.

Glancing down at myself, I shrugged. "I was doing some housework, and I forgot to change."

His grin was devilish as he eyed my perky twins, without a bra. "No need to change on my account. I think you look good, just the way you are. Damn good, actually."

Meg laughed as she took the boxes off his hands, to warm up in the oven. "I'll eat quick and let you two enjoy your evening."

"Well, I've made some notes that I think we should all look over," Russell said.

Meg opened one of the bottles of wine that Russell had brought, while I grabbed some glasses.

When he showed us the list of possible performers, we both looked at each other, shocked. "Oh wow. I can't believe you actually know all these famous people, R.J.," Meg said, looking up and down over the list.

"Some I've recorded with, and others I know from a few of the movies we've been in together."

"Oh, that's right. You made a western in Montana with Brooks Daniels, didn't you?" I said, remembering how hot Russell looked in that; as a city slicker, turn cowboy, trying to adapt to life on a ranch.

"Actually, like a lot of westerns, it was filmed in Alberta, masquerading as Montana. And I think you'll like Brooks, he's a great guy, really down to earth. He lost his wife a few years ago, so the poor guy's been on his own for a while now. And like everyone else, when I told them what the concert was for, they all said to count them in. To be honest, I was a little surprised, with it being so close to Christmas, that no one turned me down."

I got a little shiver as I looked over the list, realizing that it was really going to happen. Thanks to Russell and his friends, we'd have more than enough top name entertainers to sell out a show.

Excited, we talked as we ate, Meg looking pretty happy, since she admitted that she'd always had a crush on Brooks Daniels. Now she hoped that while he was here, she might get a chance to meet him.

"I'll make sure you do," Russell promised, making us laugh, at how giddy she got, giggling like a school girl at the prospect of actually meeting her secret crush.

After we'd cleaned up, I guess noticing the sparks flying between us, Meg kindly pretending to be tired, yawned and said, "Well, I think I'm going to watch a little TV in bed before I turn in."

She thanked Russell for the chocolates, and for picking up the pizza. And gave us both a kiss on the cheek, before she headed off to her room.

Then it was just the two of us alone, smiling at each other.

"You want to watch something on TV?" Russell asked, though he didn't sound too enthused.

Shaking my head, I grinned as I looked him over in his perfectly fitted jeans and black button- down shirt. "Nope, I'm not interested in watching anything on TV." I got up and took him by the hand. "But I do think we should turn in now, because I've got work tomorrow."

"Then maybe I should go, and let you get some sleep," he offered while I walked him down to my bedroom.

I flashed him a naughty smile. "It's only eight o'clock, so I think we can spend at least a few hours together."

That was all he needed to hear. Once we got in my room and closed the door behind us, before I even knew what was happening, Russell had me pinned up against the wall. With his lips on mine, he had one hand on my backside and the other sliding up under my tank top, cupping my breast, and teasing my nipple with his thumb.

He was getting me so hot; I wrapped my leg around his thigh, and basically began humping him as we kissed.

His chest heaving, he pulled back staring into my eyes. "We've got to get out of our clothes."

I nodded, as our clothes went flying.

Standing naked beside the bed, fully erect, looking like sex on legs, he gently lowered me onto my back. Lifting one leg onto his shoulder, he fisted himself in his hand, and flashed me a devilish grin as he looked me over, with my legs spread.

Dusting kisses along my inner thigh, he murmured, "Damn, baby, you look hot."

He had me drenched, just itching for the moment of penetration. Fisting the sheets in my hands I moaned as he began to push his way inside me.

Leaning over, he slipped his tongue between my lips and kissed me as he thrust. My hands flew into his hair, anchoring him in place as he picked up his pace and rode me right over the edge and into the abyss.

My breath hitched as I felt him pulsating, flooding me with his release. Hating to let go, I kept clenching tight around him, as he let out a satisfied groan, feathering kisses all over my face.

"I love you," he whispered as he swiveled his hips, riding my g-spot, till he had me squealing my head off, and nearly ripping out his hair.

Chuckling, he kissed the end of my nose. "Am I ever glad I came home now, instead of just sending a check." When I looked confused, he explained, "The way we ended things, I thought you were done with me and wouldn't want to see me again."

Stroking a hand over his cheek, I told him the truth. "I'll never be done with you."

Smiling, he looked pretty happy as he picked me up, put me in the middle of the bed and crawled in beside me.

Cuddled up close, I liked that he couldn't keep his hands off me, even after we'd just made love, he kept caressing my backside and my breasts. Even as he was busy explaining about finding us a place to rehearse, in the school gymnasium, at least until we could get things set up at the venue at his friend Gary's place.

Smirking, I pushed him onto his back, and told him as I crawled on top, straddling his thighs, "I'm glad you found us somewhere to rehearse." Then I started sliding up and down along his shaft, and laughed at the way his eyes rolled back in his head.

His expression was intense as he clutched my backside and whispered, "I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep without you anymore."

"Then just stay," I murmured against his lips as I took hold of him and carefully eased my way down, till he was in nice and tight.

Heaving a sigh, he shook his head. "Baby, I wish I could. But come the New Year, I've got a new project starting. Which means I'll be gone at least for a few months," he said, digging his hands into my hips, as he thrust up to meet me.

Just the thought of losing him again, now that we'd reconnected, was almost too much to bear. Wishing I could hold him in place, I wrapped myself around him, and pressed my head against his chest. With the steady beat of his heat pounding against my ear, I willed myself not to cry. Though I could hardly swallow past the lump in my throat at the thought of him leaving again.

It was silly to be upset because I knew all along that he'd be leaving sooner or later. And I also knew that I never should have let myself get wrapped up in him again. But it was a little too late for that, considering I was crazy about him.

I guess sensing I was upset, he slid his hand into my hair, and began massaging my scalp. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. And I really wish I could take you with me."

I lifted my head and gave him a sceptical look. "We both know I'd never fit into that world. And I could never leave my sister to run things on her own to go traipsing across the country."

His smile was kind of melancholy, I guess knowing we were almost done. "I know. But it would still be nice, just to be able to wake up with you every morning."

"Well, I've got a feeling, once you get back into it, you'll forget about everything here. Because I imagine filming a movie must be a pretty exciting way to make a living."

"Actually, you might be surprised. It can be pretty boring, cooling your heels, waiting for the next scene to be shot. I'm not into sitting around in my trailer. So, I usually sit and talk or play cards with the rest of the crew, rather than just hanging out on my own. I even made friends with one lady who played my grandmother in that Western I shot in Canada. She liked to knit. And one day she noticed me watching her. So, she handed me some needles and a ball of yarn and showed me a few basic stitches. We'd sit and talk, and while away the time, with her making little outfits for her grandbabies, while I worked on a scarf. I had so much down time, by the time the filming was done, the thing ended up being about a mile long."

I laughed, imagining him sitting with a ball of yarn in his lap, knitting like a granny. "Too bad you didn't get a picture of that; I would have loved to have seen it."

He shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. It can be fun, too. But it can be challenging, depending on who you're working with."

"I'm guessing working on that romcom with someone as gorgeous as Tahlia, must have been fun. Especially being your first romantic lead, landing a co-starring role with her."

He winced. "I wouldn't exactly call it fun. The only reason I got the part, was the guy who they originally picked, overdosed at a party and wound up in rehab. So, I got the call. Though I was sorry to be replacing him, because he was out of commission, I was still pretty happy about landing my first lead role. Unfortunately, my co-star, wasn't as thrilled as I was. First day of shooting, she took forever to leave her trailer and get on set. And we all had to cool our heels while she got over her hissy fit and decided to join us.

"First scene, we had to shoot together was supposed be our first kiss. I was so nervous, I brushed the hell out of my teeth, flossed, used some mouthwash, and even popped an Altoid, so she'd have nothing to complain about. But when I had to pull her in for the kiss, I had to hold my breath, she reeked to high heaven of garlic. And I could tell from how pleased she looked at my reaction, that she'd done it on purpose, just to be difficult."

"I thought she'd be more professional than that. I mean she's made so many movies, from the time she was a kid. And everyone loves her."

"Yeah, I thought so, too. Considering she been crowned, 'America's Sweetheart,' having made about half a dozen romcoms in the last couple of years."

"Did she get any better, after that?"

"It took a while for her to realize that I had no part in what was upsetting her. At first, I thought it was me, she didn't want to work with. But she had other issues, that she eventually shared with me."

"With how much she works, I'm guessing she might having been feeling kind of burned out, and might have needed a break."

"It was more than that. Gradually, she and I became friends, and she opened up to me, and told me why she was angry."

Not sure what her issue was, I just nodded, glad that he was there for her when she needed someone.

"But working on a film can be fun, too. At least when everyone works together. Though I'm starting to wonder if I might be better off concentrating more on my music, and only considering the odd role, if something comes along that I really think I'd enjoy."

"I guess only you can decide that."

Then I yelped when he flipped me onto my back, with him still buried inside me.

"Now, where were we, before we started all this boring movie talk?" he murmured, plucking at my lips.

Smiling up into his eyes, I whispered, "I think we were making love."

"Oh, yeah." He smiled, capturing my lips in a surprisingly tender kiss as he began to slowly pull out and then ease his way back in, taking the time to really let me feel him. "I can't believe how much I've missed this with you," he murmured nuzzling my neck, feathering kisses up to my ear, and gently nipping, sending goosebumps racing over my skin.

What could I say, I loved every moment we were sharing together, and knew I'd just have to accept that this might be all we'd ever have, just a few stolen days together, whenever he could spare the time.

We both shuddered as we reached the summit together and climaxed, sharing a long lingering kiss, as I felt his release, as he let go and groaned.

Heaving a sigh, as he pulled out, he frowned as he glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. Wrapping me in his arms, he whispered against my ear, "We should get some sleep, if you've got to get up in the morning."

Enjoying the feeling of being safe in his arms, I slept like a baby. At least until I felt the mattress sink, and I opened my eyes and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed.

I'd been sleeping so soundly, I had to blink myself awake as he brushed the hair from my eyes and explained, "I'm going to go before it gets light out, so no one will see me leaving. I don't want anyone talking about you after I'm gone."

He captured my face in his hands and kissed me. As I stared after him as he left, though I hated him having to sneak away like a thief in the night, I thought it was sweet that he was worried about my reputation.

Taking a look at the clock, I knew I should try to get a little more sleep, but somehow my bed just felt so empty now that he'd gone.

Deciding there was no point in staying in bed, I got up and got a shower and put on some coffee. Sitting at the front window, it felt so calming just watching the sun coming up. The way it filled the sky with shades of pink and mauve and yellow, was like a little a little rainbow streaking through the clouds. But when I turned my head, it was sad to see the blue tarp covering what was left of the church's roof.