Six Nights to Love

Julia grinned in triumph. "That's what I was hoping for."

Part of him debated that statement and what she meant by that. He wondered if it ran deeper than she intended.

After dinner was over, Andy piled the dishes in his sink, and despite telling her that it could wait until after she was gone, Julia insisted on helping him get everything clean.

"You did the cooking, so why can't I do the cleaning?" she asked simply as she rinsed off some baked-on pasta sauce from their plates.

Just over thirty minutes later, the dishes were fully cleaned and put away, and the two of them retired to the couch, sitting quite close to each other and facing one another.

"I really want to thank you for having me over," said Julia with a serious expression. "I haven't eaten that well in a long time."

"Of course. You have a standing invitation to come over for dinner any time," said Andy.That is, until I leave on Sunday.

Julia smiled at him before her eyes went down to the cushion. "So don't you want to know what my question is for tonight?"

"I've only been dying to know since you first told me," he said with a chuckle. "What is it?"

Julia took a deep breath. "I hope this isn't too forward or anything but Andy, what the hell? Why are you single?"

Andy started to laugh. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you just cooked me this awesome dinner, and there's nothing sexier than a man who can cook. You have a great job, you're just an awesome person, and you're great to look at. I don't get it. How are you single?"

"First of all, thank you," said Andy with a smile. "Secondly, are you sure you want the full answer to that?"

Julia nodded her head eagerly and scooted closer to him on the couch.

He took a deep breath. "I've been single for a little while. My last relationship kind of just fizzled out. Incompatibility was the biggest reason I think. My relationship with Ava ran hot and cold. I think she liked it that way—you know, having the drama when things were getting boring."

"What do you mean boring?"

"I mean when things would settle down. Like when we spent more nights at home watching reruns instead of out catching the latest movie or getting some food at the newest restaurant. I think she figured if we were stuck in the house, the relationship was getting stale."

"You can't always be out doing new things," interrupted Julia. "And who's to say there's anything wrong with cuddling on the couch watching reruns?"

Andy held his hands in the air. "That was my position too. In the end, I think I was just a little too boring for what she wanted and she ended things. Last I heard, she was going on dates with some D-list actor."

"Sounds like she really upgraded," said Julia sarcastically.

Andy shrugged. "I haven't really been looking since, and with the whole Italy thing looming, it really threw dating on the back burner."

Julia dropped the smile and nodded, the first time that evening he'd seen such a somber look on her face. Taking a guess at the real reason, Andy tried to change the subject quickly.

"Okay, you've heard about me. Now, I want to hear about you."

Julia perked up. "Me? What about me?"

"I mean why are you single? You're such a knockout now that I can't wrap my head around that one."

Julia started to blush and brought her hand to her cheek. "Knockout, huh?"

Andy nodded. "Don't dodge the question. Spill it!"

Julia giggled and then her expression turned serious. "Unfortunately, my last boyfriend was kind of a jackass. I shouldn't say kind of. He reallywas a jackass."

"Why's that?"

"Because he cheated on me," said Julia quietly.

Andy reached out to touch her hand gently. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's in the past," she said. "I really should have seen the warning signs. He tried so hard to be Mr. Perfect but there were a lot of sketchy things about him too. I had my suspicions after hearing his phone go off in the middle of the night sometimes. One day, I went out to the mall but I forgot my phone so I had to drive all the way back to the apartment. He was banging the girl next door."

Andy grimaced. "Jesus, that had to be rough."

Julia nodded. "It really sucked. But it's okay though. I dumped his ass right in front of his side piece," she said, a smile slowly forming. "I guess he told her I was just his roommate because she got really pissed about it too."

Andy started to laugh. "Good for you. It seems like he may have learned a lesson that day."

Julia shrugged. "Who cares if he did or didn't? He's not my problem anymore. But ever since then, I just haven't had any interest in dating."

Andy wasn't sure where exactly the courage came from but it sent the idea directly from his brain to his mouth before he realized what happened. "And what about now?"

Julia turned to look at him, her lips slowly parting. "Now?" she whispered.

It was too late to back out now. "How do you feel about dating now?"

The heat between them was back. The tension of the moment, with her body so close to his, brought an agonizing sense of desire shooting throughout his entire body. He couldn't decide where he wanted to look more—Julia's eyes or her soft lips.

She seemed to be having a similar problem, and she scooted closer once more. Only a few short inches separated them but at times it still felt like a mile. Julia's eyes were locked on his, and every so often, her gaze would flicker to his own lips. Andy waited for her answer with breathless anticipation.

One more glance to his lips before she locked eyes on him. "I'd consider dating," she whispered. "As long as it was with the right person."

He gambled with another risk. "Who's the right person for you?" he whispered.

Julia's hand reached out and grabbed his. It was a silent answer to his question, and in that moment, no more words were necessary. Andy found the space between them rapidly diminishing, bringing her lips closer to his.

Euphoria, fireworks, elation—all the sensations and feelings he felt the moment her lips connected with his. Julia pressed into his kiss and finally her soft lips were pressed upon his. They were as soft as they looked, and at first, her kiss was chaste and innocent, with her lips barely parted. That lasted until they pulled apart the first time and saw the look in each other's eyes.

The second kiss was filled with more passion. Julia moaned against his mouth and pressed the rest of her body against his. Andy circled his arms around her back and pulled her into him as his mouth parted to let his tongue greet hers. Their tongues moved together shyly at first, becoming more friendly with time as each sought to explore the other's mouth.

The next thing he knew, her hands were all over him. Julia's fingers roamed every part of his body that they could reach while her hungry lips sought to remain connected to his. It was a moment he wished to carry with him the rest of his life—his first time kissing Julia Barnes.

After several minutes of making out, Julia pulled away slightly as a small strand of saliva between their mouths dissipated. She gave him a shy smile as her cheeks inflamed. "Can I tell you something?"

"I think now you can tell me just about anything," said Andy with a soft chuckle.

She reached out to caress his cheek. "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

"Just how long?"

Her eyes rolled up in thought. "Since about elementary school?"

Andy sat up further. "Really? That long? I had no idea."

She started to giggle. "You must have been blind then. I thought it was all but obvious at some parts of my life. I wasn't sure if I should make it any easier or if you were just not interested."

"I would have been interested," said Andy. "Maybe I was just too dense to get a clue at the time."

"And now?" she asked coyly.

Andy looked at her lips. "I'd say I received the message," he said with a smile before pulling her lips back to his.

They made out for nearly the rest of the evening. At some point, they took a break for their jaws to stop aching, laughing to themselves at making out for so long. Those breaks were filled with questions, over a decade's worth, letting them reacquaint themselves after such a long time apart. Finally, it was late again and Julia noticed the time and began to pout.

"It's so late again," she said in-between kisses. "And I don't want to go back to my apartment."

"Who says you have to?" said a breathless Andy. "Plenty of room here."

Julia smiled and poked his chest. "As lovely of an idea as that sounds, we're not there yet."

"Can you blame me for trying?"

Julia giggled. "No, I can't say that I do."

With one final lip lock, she dragged herself from the couch and stood up. Andy watched as she gathered her things and headed to the door. Before she slipped out the door, she leaned against the frame. She looked so stunning and Andy took a mental snapshot to remember for the rest of his life.

"Same time tomorrow?" he asked with a smile.

Julia nodded eagerly. "With one change."

"What's that?"

She leaned in and kissed him deeply. As she pulled away, she whispered in his ear, "Tomorrow, we do this at my place."

--------

"Julia looks extra chipper this morning. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Andy tried not to look too embarrassed as Maggie gave him a knowing look from the door of his office. It was just after nine o'clock Wednesday morning, and Maggie had already sensed something was afoot between them. It happened to be caused by the sight of Julia giving him an overly enthusiastic greeting this morning as well a hearty wave to Maggie.

"Maybe she just got a good night's sleep?" suggested Andy, trying not to look at his assistant out of fear his expression would give it all away.

Maggie laughed so hard that she snorted. "If that's the result of a good night's sleep, then sign me up!"

Andy tried to remain focused on the quote in front of him, but Maggie was having none of it. "Are you going to spill it or what? Did you two have a date last night or something?"

As soon as she asked the question, details about the previous night came rushing back. The feel of Julia's body. The taste of her lips. The look of desire in her eyes. None of those memories were topics of conversation he wanted to have with his much older colleague, despite the lovely memories they brought back.

"We had a chance to catch up some more," said Andy vaguely, laughing when Maggie immediately clapped her hands in excitement.

"So what happened? Tell me, tell me!"

Andy chuckled some more. "We just had a nice time. That's all I'm going to say!"

Maggie's eager and excited expression turned sour. "Really? You're not going to tell me?"

"Not just yet. Maybe soon," he promised. "Not my place to tell of anything just yet."

"Rats," pouted Maggie. "I want to hear all the details the moment you can tell," she said while getting up from her chair and leaving his office.

"Maybe notall the details," said Andy quietly, causing a small smile to appear on his face. Last night had been incredible, and what was even better, tonight seemed to hold just as much promise. He could even tell Julia was excited by the look on her face when she stopped by his office midmorning.

"Finally," she said as she shut the door firmly behind her. "I had a chance to sneak away."

"I felt like I've been waiting for you all morning," he said, sliding his chair out from under his desk. Once the door was closed to the office, it was difficult for anyone passing by to see inside. Especially once he closed the blinds, then they would truly have privacy.

Andy had barely stood up before Julia came barreling into his arms. He wrapped her tightly in an embrace as their lips found each other's once more. There it was again, that tenderness that he found only when kissing Julia. She moaned slightly as her lips parted, her tongue sneaking into his mouth for the first greeting of the day.

"I don't think I could get enough of how you kiss," she said breathlessly against his lips. She then giggled. "Your style seems to match mine!"

"If it's kisses that you want, I have plenty more of them for you," he growled, while pulling her body closer to his.

Julia purred with content as they kissed more, only pushing away once they were both panting heavily. "We can't continue this here. I already think your assistant knows what's going on."

"Who, Maggie?"

Julia nodded. "She gave me a weird smile on my way back here. Did you tell her anything?"

"Nothing that she couldn't guess on her own," said Andy. "Certainly nothing about what happened last night. She's harmless anyway. She's just been working with me for such a long time that she gets excited about my romantic life in the same way my mom does."

Julia started to giggle. "Well, maybe tonight you'll have some new things to fill her in on." The sultry look on her face meant she intended to back up her words.

"I really can't wait. Meet after work again?" he asked.

"Definitely. I'll text you my address. Get there at six?"

"I'll be looking forward to it the rest of the day," he said with a chuckle.

Julia pushed a deep, passionate kiss to his lips. He found his hands roaming all over her backside while the kiss only got deeper.

It ended too soon. "You really should," she said with a wink, before she straightened her slightly-mussed hair and left his office with a coy smile.

"Damn," muttered Andy, amazed at how sexy she had become to him. He needed no more evidence than to just look down, his slacks tenting considerably at the effect of her kiss. He rushed to sit down before Maggie came in, lest he embarrass himself.

The rest of the afternoon went by surprisingly fast as he found himself in the middle of a few fires that needed put out immediately. Before he knew it, it was just after five, and Andy hurried back to his place to change for the evening. Putting on something a little more casual, he headed to Julia's address and knocked on the door right at six o'clock.

"Right on time. I like a man who's punctual," she teased as soon as the door opened. Andy went to say hello but found his jaw nearly scraping the floor as soon as he got sight of her. Julia had traded her work blouse and pencil skirt for a stunning, sleeveless, blue dress, one that plunged down her neckline and offered an impressive view of her cleavage. Simple, spaghetti straps connected it to her shoulders, showing a lot of skin and making him breathe a little heavier.

"Julia, wow," he nearly stammered, finding the brain power to move his legs and step inside her apartment. "You look fantastic."

Julia grabbed the hem of the dress and gave it a little dance. "You like it? I was really hoping you would." The way she looked in that dress had a way of bringing out her blue eyes. She was everything he could've ever asked for in a woman and more.

"I love it," he said hungrily. "And I thought you made me speechless in those cute, little blouses you wear around the office."

Julia smiled shyly before leaning in to kiss him. The kiss was brief but promised more to come later.

"I hope you like pizza," said Julia as she led him into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter were two fresh pies from a local joint, the smell already reminding him how hungry he was. They grabbed their own slices and ate quickly, talking about their respective days before retiring to Julia's couch.

"Finally," she said before sitting in his lap and curling up in his arms. "I've been waiting on this since yesterday."

"Yesterday was that good, huh?" teased Andy while placing a subtle kiss against the back of her neck.

Julia shivered. "God, yes," she whispered before squirming in his lap. "Getting to know more about you emotionally and physically was the highlight. I had an amazing time."

"Speaking of emotionally, that reminds me," said Andy while he traced his fingers up her back. "I have a question for us tonight."

"Oh, really? Tell me!"

"You know, I was thinking about next week," started Andy, immediately causing Julia's body language to shift. He hated to bring up the move, knowing it brought a real end date to anything they were creating right now. "By that, I mean I was thinking about making moves for the future. You know, future plans. It made me start to think about what I wanted in my future. Maybe like five or ten years from now. I figured it would be a great start for our question tonight."

Julia's smile eventually recovered and she shifted closer to him. "I see what you mean. Do you want me to go first?"

Andy started to chuckle. "Don't you want to think about that first?"

She shrugged. "I don't really need to. What I've always wanted for my future hasn't really changed in years."

"Okay, let's hear it. What do you picture?" he asked.

She smiled as her eyes rolled up in thought. "Someday I just picture being totally happy. Being with someone I love. Living with them and starting a family. Having a job that I enjoy and children that make me want to wake up every morning."

"You weren't kidding. You do have it down just about exactly," said Andy with a laugh.

Julia giggled. "I told you. I've thought a lot about it. I guess the first step to all of that is finding someone I can love." She gave him a coy look before looking away, a subtle message in its own.

Andy both loved and hated her vision at the same time. Loved it for its simplicity, its focus on family and happiness, and how sure she was of that future. Part of him hated it though because he felt like with his leaving, there was no way he could give it to her. There was no denying his attraction for her, but did they have a future? If he went to Italy, would she be here waiting for him when he came back or would she find another man to start that future with?

"You look like you're thinking really hard about something," teased Julia, poking him in the side gently.

Andy shook his head briefly, casting the dark thoughts away. "Nothing important," he said before turning his full attention back to her.

"I do believe it's your turn now, mister," she said while giving him a kiss.

Andy blew out a stream of air. "Complicated answer right there," he said, stalling for time.

"Just do your best," said Julia with a grin.

"I guess the biggest thing I want to do is something out of the ordinary. Something that would set me apart from others. I want to take a risk and see what happens. You can say this whole Italy venture is just an extension of that. Do I want a family, children, love? Of course. But I want to know that I made a life worth living. I feel like so many people take a safe path through life, and I don't want that. I want to live and to feel alive."

"Does this make you feel alive? The Italy job?" she asked.

He nodded slowly, afraid of her reaction. "It does. I hate the timing but this is something that I really want. I just wish it didn't have the consequences that it does."

Julia shook her head briefly. "I can understand that—"

"But there's more to it," he said, interrupting her. "There's you too, Julia."

She locked her gaze on him. "What about me, Andy?"

He swallowed audibly, taking a moment to get lost in her eyes. "You make me feel alive too, Julia."

She didn't respond, at least at first. She held eye contact with him for several moments without a hint of words to fill the space. Without warning, she pressed in quickly to his lips, offering a passionate kiss that reminded him of the one she gave him that morning in his office. This one lacked all restraint, her body simply melting into his in an intimate display of desire.

She pulled away briefly and whispered against his lips. "In case that answers your question, you make me feel alive too."

"Please don't stop kissing me," he breathed. "Don't ever stop."