

Lucky Catch

This book contains material that is unsuitable for anyone under the age of eighteen.

Published by Smashwords.com and Copyright 2011 Kat Von Wild

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CHAPTER ONE

He took a bite of his breakfast than looked up to watch her peel her banana. He wondered how one woman could make, this simple of an act, so sensuous. Slowly she peeled each side meticulously. Eyeing the banana like it was a treasure to unlock. Then she smiled at him and took a small nibble off the tip of the banana with her lips wrapped around it. She looked as if she was enjoying herself, just taking a bite of her banana. Blood rushing between his legs, the thought of watching her eat, put other suggestions in his head and he almost choked.

"Is that all your having?" He had to ask; just a banana and a milkshake seemed too light of a breakfast. He liked a woman to enjoy a meal with him. Although watching her eat that banana made him realize she was enjoying it. Even better, he was enjoying himself watching her.

"What? This? Yeah, bananas are my favorite and I like to have something creamy to wash it down. Usually I have a tall glass of milk but I am feeling sinful and this vanilla milkshake sounded really, good. I'm just not a big breakfast eater." _Why is he so interested in what I eat? He never asked me about what I'm eating in front of him before._

Claire liked to eat healthy and well a milkshake at breakfast may seem a little odd. For some reason this morning she felt being like herself, her own silly self. Sometimes she never did most things the normal way.

"Oh" He looked at his plate of smothered breakfast burrito; a heart attack on a plate. He had packed on a few extra pounds and could afford to lose twenty or so but this was not the time to think about the thousand or so calories on his plate. He had the most beautiful woman across from him eating breakfast with him. Unfortunately, she only saw him as her 'friend'.

"More coffee?" The waitress asked.

"Yes that would be great." Joe answered and held up both their cups for her. Knowing full well, Claire's morning was not a good morning without a full cup of java.

Claire put two sweetener packets, two creamers and an ice cube into her cup. She smiled into the coffee as she stirred the ice cube to nothing.

She loved the fact that Joe came to breakfast with her on a moment's notice. She treasured the fact he came into her life. He definitely was not the normal man she would find herself with. He was so polite and charming. She was just always attracted to the bad boys, the love'em and leave'em, and her latest just ditched her to go on a ride with his friends.

When she saw Joe walking out of his bait shop she ran out to catch up with him, hoping to join him. As usual, in his polite manner, he asked her to join him. She knew he was her only friend that spent time with her other than Lou Ann and Angel but they were busy being newlyweds.

Her bad ass, so called boyfriend, seemed to flit in and out of town on the occasional weekend with only a cell phone to reach him, that never seemed turned on. If she did not know better, she would think he was seeing someone else.

Joe blew on his coffee for a minute watching Claire stir her coffee. She was just like her coffee, full of cream and sugar and then really, hot so you would need an ice cube to cool her off. Her long blonde hair that she wore in varying fashionable styles was down and straight with part of it falling in front to barely cover her voluptuous breasts. She was so curvy yet skinny. Her crystal blue eyes reminded him of a cloudless day in the Colorado skies. A true blue. Her lips were always with a natural pout look on them unless he got her to laugh then her smile went from ear to ear with the whitest teeth he'd ever seen. Her skin was so creamy white he wanted to lick her up like an ice cream cone.

His mind read her like a fantasy from Playboy magazine, but in person, she was naturally shy and real. The fact that he was infatuated with her and could do nothing other than offer friendship ate away at his gut every day he spent with her.

With steam rising up out of his cup, he kept staring at her playing with her coffee and stirring it until the ice cube was completely melted. The two solid minutes he had been staring at her did nothing but cause his mind to wander and his manly parts to rise to attention.

She took another bite of her banana with her lips surrounding the tip, not her teeth, as she looked outside the diner window. She seemed unaware of his stares. She slowly gently tugged another bite off. It was almost as if she was sucking on something, that represented a banana but smaller than how his manly parts were feeling at that particular moment. The second she licked her lips after swallowing her bite of banana he choked on his food for real this time.

"You ok?" She asked genuinely.

Joe shook his head yes and took a sip of coffee to wash down the visuals in his head.

She smiled and took a sip of her vanilla milkshake with a huge drizzle of whip cream from the can on top. "Mmm... this is good." She said in a low seductive voice. "You wanna sip?"

_No! I want to suck... on you or your finger at least._ God this was hard sitting across the table from her. He was hard and every muscle in his gut clenched tight. He took a sip of coffee as to ignore her question.

"Here have a lick of whip cream." As if she read his mind, she took her finger and pulled off the whip cream dollop from the top of her milkshake. She put it in front of his mouth and smiled. "Open up big boy here comes the cream." Saying it in a teasing, seductive tone.

What was he to do? Deny her? He parted his lips enough to take the whip cream and suck it off her finger. She seemed to be enjoying it as much as him, since she didn't pull her finger out all too quick. It may have only been a few seconds before she pulled her finger out of his hot mouth and she took a quick sip of her milkshake through the straw.

"Good huh?" she asked.

Oh God, good does not describe how her finger felt in his mouth. He wanted to suck on that finger until she came. He wanted to eat that whip cream, off her nipples he wanted to....

"You're awfully quiet this morning. Something up?" She asked sweetly.

"Fine, just..." he could not finish.

He did not know how much more of this he could take. He was up, hard and eager, and very horny for the woman sitting across from him at this greasy spoon diner. She saw him as a 'friend' as she called him the first time they met. He saw her, as the most exquisite thing on any menu.

Claire had really done some hard thinking after she caught up with Joe for breakfast. Here in front of her was a man so incredibly nice and considerate yet very attractive. He first caught her eye in his fishing shop window one day while she took a break eating a yogurt she watched him change a window display. He was so clean cut and attractive she had wondered if he had a girlfriend or married. His dark brown hair that seemed to always need a cut would fall into his eyes a lot and it would make her giggle while she watched him from across the street. She never would have had the nerve to go meet him until the night he came into her shop for a haircut.

His sweet, sincere voice and golden brown eyes, with the littlest specks of a golden hue in them, made her think he truly was an angel. He had helped her out at her shop and taking her to dinner the first time they met. She needed friends; more than anything at that moment, and with him as her friend, it made her feel like she could take on this town.

"What a gorgeous day. You got any plans for later? I was supposed to go on a motorcycle ride with my stupid boyfriend, but he bailed on me. What an ass. Why do I date creeps like that? I need a good man in my life. Someone like..." She could not get herself to finish because the feeling of disappointment was too great. She wanted Joe or at least a man like Joe. However, all he ever insinuated was friendship. Moreover, she needed friends bad. She was not going to scare this man away. He always seemed willing to do fun stuff with her. She hadn't even asked if he was dating, but a nice man like him wouldn't be scene with a scarlet like her. At least that was how half the town made her feel. So she had to ask. "You dating anybody? I mean you are always so nice to keep me company."

_Shit no I'm not dating anybody because I only think of you when I do try to go out with other woman._ "Nope."

He knew their friendship was unique. He was her shoulder to cry on when her badass boyfriend came through town and left as quickly as he sped in on his Harley. He would not even doubt the bastard had another girlfriend or worse married. It killed him to watch her subject herself to this repeatedly. Ever since she came into town to manage Lou Ann's shop, he fell in love with her.

With his fishing shop located directly across from the salon. He would watch her through the glass windows when he rang up a customer or changed the window displays. He would catch himself staring at her doing someone's hair. Often Barney, his assistant, would bust him staring and tease around with it a bit. However, he understood the perils of falling for a beautiful woman that did not know you existed, other than a 'friend'. The way she smiled and almost flirted with each customer was all the entertainment he needed each day. Her workstation was right next to the window, right smack dab across from his shop. It was the perfect view.

She moved here knowing only Lou Ann and Angel. All the other women that worked at the shop were jealous of her incredible looks and happy go lucky demeanor. That and the fact Lou Ann brought her all the way from Denver and made her the manager. That sure pissed off the other eight women that worked there. With Lou Ann and Angel busy being newlyweds, Claire seemed lonely. He figured he'd ask her out. Only problem was she saw him as an average man friend, not bad boy attraction she always seemed to be throwing herself at. Each time her heart was broken, he was there like a loyal puppy dog to pick up the pieces and lick the wounds. Only he wished he could be licking something else, like her ear lobe or bellybutton or...

"More coffee?" The waitress had impeccable timing on interrupting his thoughts that kept him hard.

"Yes please." Claire answered and held up Joe's cup as well as her own. "Two sugars, no cream. Right Joe?"

Joe shook his head yes, while looking down toward his plate of food he got an idea. "I was thinking about going fishing. Barney always watches the shop on Sundays and well it being the weather is so nice, you want to see my private fishing lake? I mean you could take a book or try fishing. I could show you how. Never taught a gal to fish who didn't end up enjoying it herself."

Joe had already been fishing that morning at five a.m. He had just dropped by the shop to check in on something then heard his tummy grumble. Then he watched Claire's boyfriend tear out of town without her on his motorcycle and her looking out the window, watching him drive down the street. It looked as if she was crying and that had him pissed.

The next thing he felt, as he was walking down the street towards the diner, was her hands over his eyes, asking him to guess who. He did not have to. Her hands were so soft and she always wore the same seductive smell. He wanted to know what perfume it was, because he wanted to buy a bottle to smell every night before he went to bed.

"Hmm..." She took a bite of her banana and figured she needed to wait until she finished her last bite before she talked with her mouth full. She always felt like she had to have good manners around Joe. He seemed so good, too good to be true, that he wanted to be her friend. She knew that as soon as a woman got a hold of him, their friendship would be over. However, when that happened, she figured it would be time to give Lou Ann notice and go back to Denver. It seemed, as of late that Joe was the only reason she stayed here. The more she thought about life without Joe, the more she realized how much he meant to her.

_Hmm what?_ All right, he was ready for it. All the mumble and grumble about why she dated men like this and why she couldn't find an average man like him. All she needed to do was open her eyes. Here he is. The man that would treat her like a princess, serve her breakfast in bed on Sundays and make her scream in ecstasy from orgasms you only read about.

No. Since he was so average and nice, she would not give him a shot. That was it. Maybe if he got a make over, a man makeover, with a professional image consultant. Maybe worked out and beefed up, lost the twenty or so pounds he put on. She would see him as the only bad ass she needed. Maybe he should buy a motorcycle?

"Hmm... that sounds nice. Should I pack us a picnic? Or we could order sandwiches from here and put them in a cooler?" Then she took another sip of her shake and smiled over at him so sweetly. She swallowed quickly and piped out, "I was thinking, I would love it if you showed me how to fish."

"Ok!" With holding back all the excitement and emotion, he still sounded like a geek. Oh well, she did not seem to notice. Nice man slash best friend today, badass boyfriend tomorrow. At that present moment, he would take what he could get. He conjured up thoughts of seducing her at his favorite private fishing hole and was interrupted in thought once again by the waitress.

"Can I get you folks anything else?" Then she was about to put the ticket on the table.

"Yes. Two of your deli special sandwiches with pickles and chips. Oh! And, two large to-go cups of coke. All to go please. We're going fishing!" Claire spoke excitedly that Joe could not help but grin at how this day was getting better by the minute.

"I'll take a chocolate milkshake as well." Joe spoke up.

The waitress had that perturbed I thought this was an easy table look. Then Joe always tipped well. This waitress was new and once she learned how well he tipped she wouldn't be gawking at his extra requests.

"Skip the other milkshake, just bring us another straw. We'll just share this one. If that's alright with you Joe?" She smiled so sweetly how could he say no.

"That's fine." Joe was always surprised by her romantic antics, but did not want to confuse his sexually frustrated brain any more than it already was around her. This was just Claire being nice, looking for some friend to spend the day with her.

"This is my treat." She chimed in. "After all, you rescued me in my time of need once again and fishing lessons aren't cheap."

That did it. She treats him like a friend, buys his breakfast, and bitches about her bad boyfriends to him as if he was a girlfriend. He needed to turn himself into a bona fide bad boy and soon. "I'll buy." He stammered and to his surprise, she did not argue.

"Have a sip." She slid the straw the waitress dropped off into her milkshake and put the straw in his mouth as she moved closer and took a sip from her straw.

They both pulled the creamy milkshake through their mouths at the same time. Their noses almost touching and their eyes glued to each other. _Ok that was sexy._ Claire thought to herself.

He smiled at her over the milkshake. Her crystal blue eyes looked down, then back up to him, and seduced him as usual. Her blonde hair surrounded her face and with the way she was leaning forward to sip on the milkshake, her tight, low cut tee shirt was exposing the crests of her breasts. If she were an ad for milkshakes, every man in America would be buying one.

"It's best friend milkshake day!" She wiped a drip off her chin and smiled from ear to ear with those luscious lips and white teeth.

_God how did she come up with these things?_ Every day was a something day with cause for celebration. She always seemed like the happiest person ever, even when her stupid boyfriend dumped her. Everything seemed to have an incredible perspective yet when it came to herself; she just let those men trample on her feelings. He did not get it. She needed him in her life; she just did not know it yet.

CHAPTER TWO

Meeting Lou Ann at Mike's apartment had been the change or turn around in her life Claire needed. Shocking? Yes. Seeing Lou Ann was a feeling of seeing something you missed. It was since Stanley's death that the last time she saw her good friend. Lou Ann had disappeared and did not return phone calls and Claire had her sick grandma, college and work to contend with. She did not have time for friends and knew someday they would catch up again.

Lou Ann and Claire went to beauty school together. Together with Angel, Lou Ann's best friend from growing up, they all used to hang together when they weren't working or in college.

When, grandmas health took a turn for the worse, she had to take up a second job. Between the two jobs and beauty school, she no longer had time for friends. She gradually lost track of two very good friends.

Then one day while doing a strippers hair at school they started chatting about how much she made in tips. She convinced Claire to go for an interview and throwing caution to the wind she went. Not like she knew how to strip or thought she would get the job. Well she got the job at what turned out to be the most elite strip club in Denver. Primarily, catering to high-end business deals. Obviously, they did not care that she could not dance; they had said they would teach her. They just cared that she was 'drop dead gorgeous' as the hirer called her and 'a smile that would draw in the crowds'. She needed the money and that was all she cared about at the time. The woman whose hair she did, got a finder's fee. Figures.

Before she knew it, she was set-up with outfits she would not wear unless she was with a lover. A dance instructor that was cruel and tough. It was not long that she felt like she could dance in her sleep, seducing tips from men, with her smile and earning over a grand a week.

It helped pay for her grandmas medical care and got her through the rest of beauty school working only the one job. By the time her grandma's health improved, she had graduated and only had to work four nights a week. She knew this was not her career choice. She wanted to own her own salon someday.

She found a job at an upscale salon in downtown shop district and switched to working two nights a week. She got the option to handle the business meetings on the restaurant side of the strip club. That is where she ran into Lou Ann again, almost three years later, after Stanley had died. Claire was taking Lou Ann's new boyfriend, Mike, home. Although she did not know at the time, she offered to drive Mike home, that the Lou Ann he boasted about, was her old friend. He was too drunk to drive from the club and she wanted an excuse to get out early from work.

However, the surprise to find Lou Ann in his apartment was none greater. Mike's best friend, Colton, who was engaged to none other than Angel, had given Lou Ann his key to Mike's condominium to return a business suit Mike had left at her place. The major shock came to Mike that Lou Ann and Claire knew each other from long back and were good friends.

Claire knew Mike was not looking to get lucky. He had talked about some woman named Lou Ann that was driving him wild the whole ride home. Claire finally told him that perhaps karma and good luck would help guide him in his decision to pursue the woman of his desires. Then to open his apartment door for him and find Lou Ann standing there, all three of them were surprised, none the less.

Lou Ann had seemed somewhat steamed that Mike had not been returning her calls all day and then to come home with a gorgeous stripper she came unglued. Screaming accusations and running out of his place, only to be stopped on his high-rise condominium, by the elevator.

Once Claire had calmed Lou Ann down, the women had embraced and cried at the site of each other. While Mike had been instructed by Claire, to get cleaned up and sober up, while Lou Ann and her catch up.

By the time, Mike took a shower and sobered up, Claire and Lou Ann had struck a business deal of a lifetime for her. Managing Lou Ann's high-end, mountain town, salon and make more than enough money to help her start saving to someday start her own. Lou Ann promised her to teach everything she needed to know and get her in touch with all the right business people, that in a year's time or two she could open her own shop wherever she wanted.

Looking back Lou Ann had embraced her like a long lost friend and that made Claire feel like the most special woman around. Then when she made the offer for her to manager her salon, she dropped everything, quit her jobs the next day and hired a house aide to help at her grandmas. In less than a week's time, she was driving the three hours out of Denver to start a fresh life. She had needed a push in a new direction and Lou Ann gave it to her like a special Christmas gift.

All this seemed so long ago but it was only a few months since she moved here to this beautiful Summit County area. It was full of tourists and the basics of a town. Her job paid well and the tips were good. She had not experienced a full winter living in the mountains yet, but Angel and Lou Ann told her that all she needed to find was a warm man to snuggle up with. That was easy for them they were happy being newlyweds and did not have loser boyfriends that seemed to mooch off her.

However, more and more she only found herself happy if she was with Joe, being carefree and silly. Otherwise, the undertone snickers from the other women at the shop or the comments about the clothes she wore from uptight women in town had her wanting to ditch this plan and bale back to Denver.

If it wasn't for Joe's kind heart and gentleman ways of opening doors, helping her in the shop on late Friday nights when all the gals left her and always buying her a meal, she figured she would had given up a while ago. Nevertheless, she also knew that managing this shop would help in her bank loans when she could start up her own shop. She once thought of buying this shop from Lou Ann but she just did not feel welcomed there.

She felt restless again and was tired of the same boyfriend crap. She wanted love, like Lou Ann and Angel. She felt life was dealing her a test of some sort. What that was she did not know, but needed to figure out.

All this thinking back of restlessness brought her to the here and now as she left her apartment in a fresh change of clothes to go fishing with Joe. She had told him she would get the ice for the cooler but figured she had time to freshen up her makeup and hair for Joe.

Maybe she would make a move on Joe while fishing at the lake and see if he reciprocates. No. She did not want to ruin their friendship and without him, she felt lost. She did however need to kick her boyfriend to the curb and let Joe know she is single. That might be the best way, so she did not come off like a floozy jumping from boyfriend to boyfriend.

But, boy howdy, she wanted to jump that man. Joe was hot in his own way. He dressed plain and had a little extra waist. However, everything else about him excited her. No man had turned her on with his personality alone and that was something. His eyes however looked like they were on fire when he smiled at her. It made her feel special.

Joe was packing frantically at his shop. Grabbing all the best of the women's fishing gear. He hollered at Barney in the back office to hold the fort. He had a date.

Barney came out with a sheepish look on his face. "And the date would be with whom?"

"Claire" Joe continued to rip open packages like a crazed man. He told Claire he would only be a few minutes. She offered to run up to the gas station in his jeep and get ice for the cooler that was in the back of the jeep, for their food and any fish they caught. She seemed excited but he figured it was more because she would not be sitting home today.

"Claire? Doesn't she have a boyfriend? That ugly badass, that rolls into town once a while, on his noisy bike?" Barney was not going for it. Claire had been brushing off Joe like a friend ever since she moved here and he had to watch his boss and friend, stare and curse, wondering what she saw in her choice of men.

"I'm teaching her to fish. And. Well, she is going to dump this jerk and I want to be the next man. I am going to make a move today. While fishing at the lake. Give her something to think about me as other than a friend."

He envisioned them at his private lake. He personally stocked with fish himself. Only his granddad, dad, Barney and a few select good friends were allowed to fish there. And now, Claire. Hoping she would be impressed and like fishing. Even more reason to give her the good stuff to work with. She had no idea that he owned the lake, the land and half the mountainside where his custom home was built.

She actually did not know a whole of a lot about him. He was always listening to her. Otherwise, they ate at the diner and shopped in town. However, that was about to change if he had anything to do with it.

Claire walked into the shop and looked around. "Hey Barney. Wow is that all the stuff I need to get?"

"My treat." Joe smiled up at her from opening a box with brown wader boots that should fit her. "Here put on this fishing vest over your t-shirt and I grabbed some wading boots that look like your size. Try them on." Joe got a huge thrill out of buying stuff for her. Usually it was a lunch, a morning coffee or something small at a shop, and even though all this gear was coming from his shop, it gave him a thrill.

Claire stood up from trying on her wading boots and she looked like a model for a fishing magazine. She looked comfortable and fashionable. She had on a white, low cut tank top and khaki shorts adding the fishing vest and wader boots she looked incredible. Joe figured she had run home and changed since when he left her she was in something different and had a lot more color in her face.

"Thanks so much Joe!" She pecked him on the cheek. Wishing it was a full-blown kiss on the lips. However, she still needed to break it off with badass before making any moves on Joe.

Barney gave Joe the thumbs up behind Claire.

Joe wanted to take her right there, but the front door chimed and two good customers walked in.

"Claire, is that you from Lou Ann's Hair Palace?" It was Stella, a regular hair client as well.

"Yes. What do you think?" As she twirled around on display. "Do I look like I'm ready to learn how to fish?" She smiled.

"Joe, I didn't know you gave fishing lessons? I got a niece, real cute, about Claire's age that could learn to fish." Stella spoke up.

Claire felt a flood of jealousy. She wrapped her arm in Joe's and blurted out like a jealous wife. "Just me, right Joe?"

Joe felt flushed. "Good to see you Bob and Stella. Make sure you check out the new lures Barney made this week. They're beauts." He reached down and picked up the rest of Claire's new fishing gear, then waved good-bye to Barney.

Claire seemed miffed and stammered out ahead to Joe's jeep parked out front. _Well shoot! Maybe I'm not so special to him. He didn't turn down that offer to take Stella's niece._ Claire slammed the jeep door, crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window. She had to rethink the dumping the bad boyfriend thing. What if all Joe wanted was friendship and was on the make for a more suitable girlfriend, a lot less like her. Then she would be left alone and she hated being alone. She needed her girlfriend's advice. She knew that next Friday was gal's night out with Lou Ann and Angel. She just did not know if she could wait that long.

Joe watched Claire stammer out to his jeep and slam the door. He walked out, opened the tailgate and put the rest of Claire's new fishing gear in. He was starting to sense she took something that said back in the store, all wrong. Customers were always teasing about setting him up with a woman. However, the only woman he wanted was in the passenger seat of his jeep with a chip on her shoulder. That would need to change. He shut the tailgate on his jeep and got into the driver's side.

"You look like a fishing magazine's cover girl model in your set up. You ready to see my private fishing hole, because I called ahead and told all the bass and trout you were coming and they swam away scared." Joe teased.

There was that smile he loved. He touched her cheek with the back of his hand and spoke softly. "I only give fishing lessons to very special people." The touch was soft and it sent electric currents up his arm and straight into his groin. This was the woman, he fantasized about and she was going on a date with him. He needed to take the friendship up a notch. Maybe touch her gentle from time to time. Perhaps she would let him kiss her when he took her home later or maybe he would find the right moment at the lake.

"Joe... I... I just want to let you know that I plan on breaking it off with stupid ass." She didn't have the nerve to tell him anymore. If she told him she wanted him, he might think of her as a tramp, someone who jumps from one man to the other. No. She needed a clean break from this other man first. The more she trash talked him, the more she began to wonder why she ever went out with him. No, she knew why. She was lonely. Lonely unless, she was with Joe.

"Ok." _That is a start._ However, that was it. So, she smartened up and was going to dump the jerk.

They drove in silence except the country radio station playing in his jeep. Joe pulled up a dirt road and then another and then another. He parked the jeep and came around to open Claire's door.

"Where are we? I was beginning to wonder if you were taking me out to dump me in the wilderness." She teased.

Joe wondered why she always felt like men were out to get her. "Nope. We can't drive any further to get to the fishing hole. It is a short hike through that path there. Can you carry the fishing poles and tackle box? I'll grab the cooler and chairs for us."

"Sure."

They grabbed their gear and worked in silence to balance their load. Joe did not like the silence. Claire was always talking to him, funning with him. Something changed since this morning and he could not put his finger on it. Oh well, maybe it was PMS. Hopefully, she wasn't anything like his little sister. She was a bear during that time of the month.

"I'll follow you." Claire whispered sweetly into his ear as to break the tension. She noticed he seemed off, different from usual, not the normal Joe. Maybe he was thinking of someone else.

As they reached the top of the path, it opened up through the trees and came to a clearing. Claire held her breath. There before her, was the most gorgeous piece of land she ever seen. Its waters were crystal-clear and the edge of the lake had rocks you could sit or lay on. The base of the lake was in a small open field full of vivid wild flowers with the sun shining down on it. However, the stream that filled into the lake was shaded and rocky. An angler's dream she supposed. Quiet. Not a sound but the rushing water from the stream and an occasional jump from a fish. She never felt so alive or comfortable. This was by far the best place a man had ever taken her.

"Wow!"

"You like. My granddad owned this land and I bought it from him some years back so he could take the money and retire to warmer places. 'Where the girls don't wear anything but strings' he would always say. Wait until you meet him someday. He'll flirt the pants off you" In a barely audible whisper, "I definitely didn't get the flirting gene from him unfortunately."

He could tell she was in awe and soaking it all in. He watched her for a minute before he walked ahead, sat their chairs by the lake, and put the small cooler to the side. "Hand me the tackle box and your rod. I still need to get it set up for you."

She handed it to him and whispered "Thanks." However, she was not sure he heard her because he did not reply.

That soft whisper of thanks from her was a grip on his heart. This woman had him in her grasp. It would not take much for her to squeeze the life out of him.

She walked around part of the lake and back while he prepped her rod. She would catch herself imagining them doing this every Sunday. Then she imagined making love to Joe on the lake in a boat. It warmed her entire body and sent tingles to her core. She licked her lips, bent over, and touched the lake to feel the temperature. She would not mind skinny-dipping in this lake. It was cold and although it was a warm summer day, her nipples had hardened just from the touch of the lakes cool crisp water.

"You want to watch me cast in a couple times and then I'll walk you through it. Ok?"

Joe's masculine voice brought her back to the here and now. She really needed to get a grip. He did not want her like that or he would have made a move already. Shit for all she knew he could be gay. She tilted her head and watched him cast. Nah! No way! That man is one hundred percent prime rib beefy man. And she, wouldn't mind sinking her teeth into him for a nibble or two.

"You look good. You make it look so easy. How do you snap your wrist like that and it flows out so nice?" She walked up behind him.

He leaned into her and started showing her the basics. The friction he felt and the need to reach over and kiss her was putting a noose around his neck. How on God's green earth was he going to get through this day? His voice was getting softer and shakier and his hand would tremble from time to time. This was pure torture. "You think you want to give it a try?"

"Yeah. Sure. What's the worst I can do?"

"Snag the line each time and lose lots of bait or lures." Joe teased.

"How about you watch me and critique me. I'm a big girl I can take it." She smiled coyly at him.

Joe watched her. He watched her bend from behind. Her long slender legs exposed to the edge of her incredibly nice shaped behind. Where her khaki shorts stopped, his imagination took over. He watched her look over her shoulder at him all sweet and smiling. He watched her bend over in front of him with the crests of her breasts peeking out. She had more than a handful on her and he would mind putting his hands on her chest. The vision of his hands covering her breasts, made it difficult to hold a conversation. All he could spout out was, 'Great. Doing good. Keep it up.'

Because up he was and if she walked, back by him, there was no way he could hide it. He was hard and getting harder by the seconds. He needed to walk around and fish on the other side of the big rock until his friend went limp. "I'm gonna fish over there for a bit. Holler if you need me. Ok?"

"Ok" Claire liked Joe watching her. He even seemed to be getting a little hot and bothered by it. This was what she was trying to do by bending over a little extra, bending in front, and giving him a show. All the moves she learned to do in her sleep from the strip club. His reaction was manly all right. That she could not miss. However, for some reason he did not want to act on it. She had never been with a man this shy before. She was going to need to make a move quick. No, she needed to break clean from jerk ass first. _Stick to the game plan girl or you'll screw this one up_.

After only a short time, he had caught three fish and attached them to lines resting in the lake. "Hungry?" He began pulling out their lunch they got from the deli that morning.

"Starved!" Claire decided to put her fishing pole on a pole holder in the ground and took the lunch box Joe offered her. They sat next to each other like two best friends, eating lunch, sharing the day fishing. She was content. Totally, utterly, content. It was a scary feeling. "You're the best Joe. Thanks." She reached over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome." He set his lunch down and was going to reach over and kiss her full on the lips. The way they both deserved and what he was starting to think they both wanted.

"My line! Look I think I've got a fish!" She jumped up and went over to her pole.

"Ok, reel it in slow. Now tug a little ok, wow look at that little fellow. He's a cutie. Claire, I hate to say this but you're gonna have to toss him back in."

"What?" She looked down at her small four or five inch fish and sighed. "You're right. That wouldn't even make an appetizer."

He helped unhook the little fish and put it back in the lake. He waved at it. "Better watch out buddy; in a year or two, she'll catch you again, then I'll let her keep you and eat you."

She laughed and started to step backward and her foot slipped on the rock and with a loud splash, she fell sideways into the lake and got soaked in two seconds. He offered her a hand and she was giggling. She was giddy with the fact that he said in a year or two, which meant he wanted her around for a while. Then realizing how wet she was she played it off cool. "It's national skinny dipping day!" She giggled some more as she took off her fishing vest.

_That's it! National skinny dipping day! What the hell!_ Her white tank top and white lace bra all wet now was showing everything, her round full breasts and her pink taut nipples. Just like that, Joe was hard again. He turned around and spoke hoarsely. "Uhm, Claire you're see-through." He could not help but start to snicker a little to himself. National skinny dipping day put thoughts in his head he would never forget and she always did have a way of laughing at the misfortunes that faced her.

"Oh. Oh! Well yes, I am a little excited, aren't I? I guess I should put that wet vest back on."

With his back turned to Claire, to give her the respect and privacy a woman deserved in a situation like this, he offered his shirt. Tossing his fishing hat on the ground in the process then handed the shirt to her keeping his back turned. "Claire here's my shirt. I've got another one in the jeep." With the thoughts of her nipples still wandering in his head he started to walk uncomfortably towards the path to where the jeep was parked.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna grab that other shirt out of the jeep." Joe hollered over his shoulder without looking back. He knew he was coming off as shy, but looking at her in that condition put his gentleman manners to the true test.

As Claire watched him walk, admiring his physique and how muscular, he appeared to be. He always wore loose clothes so she could only guess what he looked like under them. Now half-naked walking away, she wanted so badly to reach out, take him, and make love to him by the lake. Instead, she lifted his shirt to her mouth and breathed in deeply, sucking in his scent that was so appealing to her. She took off her wet tank top and laid it on a rock to dry then slipped his shirt on over her bra. _That was sweet, very gentlemanly of him._ She thought. Then she wondered if he had a wild side and if so, she wanted to see it and soon.

While waiting on Joe to return from the short hike to his jeep and back he seemed to be taking a long time. She enjoyed the fishing she had done and with a full lunch in her belly and the lack of sleep she had lately, she was thinking a short catnap might do the trick. She pulled their two collapsible fishing chairs together facing each other and made a kind of napping cot. Well at least she could nap sitting up. It had been over ten minutes since he was gone and it was only a five-minute hike. It didn't take her but a minute with his fishing hat over her face to fall asleep. She drifted to sleep smelling the sweet sweaty scent from Joe's hat that filled her nostrils and made her smile.

She dreamed of his touch coming up from behind as she was bending to get something off the ground. Her dream seemed so real and his touch so exquisite. She moaned softly as he ran his hand up the back of her thigh to over her skimpy shorts she was wearing in this dream. It was as if she was in a dancing costume from the strip club. As his hand touched the top of her inner thigh, an electric consistent wave of pleasure entered her and filled her entire body. She stood up but did not turn around as his hand came around to her bare belly and rubbed gently back and forth. She had some type of mid drift top on that pulled her breasts together with a single clasp in the middle for quick release. Yes, she was definitely dreaming of herself in a stripper costume.

This one was a silvery white and flashed against her tanned skin. As his hot breath breathed on the side of her neck, tingles of pleasure caused her to reach up and release the top that was holding her breasts in. She felt exposed in the middle of this gorgeous piece of land, out in the open and she had Joe as her lover behind her, exploring with his hands and giving her ear and neck soft love nips. She could feel his hardened existence pressing in to her backside. It drove her to moan some more as she pulled one of his hands up, held it over her breast, and then guided his other free hand to feel the warmth that was between her legs, over her short shorts.

He groaned and she slightly turned her head to pull his head in next to hers and she breathed her own hot liquid air over his earlobe. She felt his fingers firmly grasp and knead her breast then roll her taut nipple between his thumb and forefinger. It was crazy. She wanted to let him in from behind and make love to her like this out in the open. She moaned more as she heard her name being called repeatedly, but each time a little less erotic and more affirmative. Than he shook her gently.

"Claire...Claire... CLAIRE! You fell asleep. Are you ok?" Joe was gently shaking her shoulder with one of his hands. With his other hand, he pulled off his hat to discover the look of sweet contentment on her face. He plunked his hat back on his head with a warm feeling in his gut after waking her.

Unfortunately, he had put another shirt on, but that was his intention as he went back to his jeep. Claire liked his backside, she wondered what his front side naked was like. Would he have some pectoral muscle definition or a little bear belly she would kiss and hug? She smiled up at him sweetly after he pulled off his hat and thought that was a nice nap dream and she would not mind having more of those. In fact, she did not remember ever dreaming like that about another man.

"Hmm."

"Hmm, what? Did you have a nice catnap? You were letting out sounds that I couldn't quite make out." He smiled to himself. She was moaning softly and holding herself with her arms. He wondered if she was dreaming of a lover, maybe she dreamed of him. She did look at him with a look of pleasure before he weakly turned his back to give her a moment of privacy with her wet, white tee shirt. He damned himself at the jeep for being such a polite gentleman. Why couldn't he been, a forward kind of man. Why didn't he fondle those gorgeous breast and rosy pink nipples, screaming out at him from behind the transparent wet shirt.

"I was tired from lunch and this warm day. Well I have not gotten much sleep the last few nights. So a nap was inevitable when you didn't come back right away."

"I hated to wake you but your phone was ringing in your purse. I did not feel right digging into your purse to answer it, but then my phone rang and it was Lou Ann looking for you. She started to catch me up on the latest on where her and Mike had taken off in the RV then realized over all the excitement she had called looking for you. She's at the shop and they are in town. Mike stopped in the shop and Barney mentioned we were fishing together. Lou Ann said she needed to go over a few things with you at the shop."

"Did it sound urgent? I mean did she say I could stay for a while?" Lou Ann did not want to leave. She was content on staying with Joe all day. In fact, she thought about taking more of her catnap while he fished and then maybe convincing him to cook up some of the fish he caught for dinner with her. Maybe at her place?

But then, what if jerk face comes tonight after his ride with the mans? She didn't want to put Joe in the middle of that. She needed to end this today and Lou Ann probably was in a hurry to get back on the road. She was sure it had to do with the inventory sheets and the loss of stolen goods lately. She had an idea and needed to toss it around with Lou Ann or maybe just let Lou Ann fire the punk girl that was stealing the stuff.

"I told her we'd be back in the next half hour since I thought you were done, after falling in the lake." Joe didn't want to leave but he hated what this did to him. He wanted Claire and she just seemed to be ok with the friend thing. Until she broke it off with her boyfriend, he would not make any advances to make her uncomfortable.

"Oh. Ok." She was deeply disappointed. The man had seen her breasts and nipples, she bent and exposed herself and smiled sweetly. He definitely was not interested in her as a girlfriend. But a girl, can dream and dreams of him, touching her, still had her warm and moist. Perhaps they could do this again after she breaks it off with jerk wad and then she would be no holds barred. "Joe, can we do this again? I mean I really enjoyed fishing and maybe you could teach me how to gut and cook the fish that is, if I ever catch one big enough."

"Sure. That would be nice." _Nice but torturous_. He could not help but tell himself. He knew every new moment with Claire brought sultry thoughts into his head just as they had enveloped his dreams since the first time they met.

As they packed up their stuff and started walking back to the jeep in silence, he could not help but think more about the first time they met. If only he could read minds, he would know Claire had started to think of the very first time they met as well. The warm breeze and fresh air had them both feeling nostalgic.

CHAPTER THREE

"We're out of here Claire. Oh... there is a customer for a shampoo and cut in the lobby." Patty blurted out and then they all pillaged out the door to go drinking and dancing, giggling like a bunch of girlfriends. A bunch that did not include her and that cut to her heart. She never had problems with having girlfriends to go out with in the city. Some Friday night fun they called it. Those witches did not even offer for her to come along and she was not going to beg.

Ever since she started there, they were unkind, gossipy and unfriendly. She took the job from Lou Ann with renewed hope that her old life of the strip club was far behind and would never return. She did not want to; ever strip again if her life depended on it.

She now had a good paying job and the tips here were just as good in the old salon she worked at if not better from time to time. The only people she knew were Lou Ann and Angel and they could not be her shoulder to cry on every time these women took advantage of her. Lou Ann kept telling her to speak up and be the boss. She was finding that was not in her nature, now. However, she used to be able to stand up for herself, before she became a stripper but the degrading things she went through often made her feel like a wall flower. As if she hid in her shell and was just going through the motions.

Here she was another Friday night with a shop to clean up, sweep up and close. Since Saturday was the busiest, she knew the towels that were all dirty, also needed to be cleaned. Even though she had harped on Jackie all day to do a load between cuts since she was on the rooster for cleaning and folding the towels. That Jackie had a way of forgetting repeatedly and then booking out faster than lightning.

Claire just found it easier to do it herself and spend her Friday nights doing the shop towels while watching a movie in her apartment. Her new boyfriend, Sam, a.k.a the jerk wad, could never seem to make it by on Friday nights the last two months. In fact, his schedule for stopping by was set and she was beginning to wonder if he didn't have another girlfriend. Although her loneliness kept her from dumping him because once he came around she felt needed.

"I'll be out in a minute." She hollered to the customer in the lobby. She figured one quick load in now would let her go to bed earlier.

"No problem." Replied a very soothing, nice voice. Very friendly.

She put the load in the wash and started it. She washed her hands and went out front to greet her last customer. He was nice looking. Very attractive. He had a clean appearance and looked simple in his green polo shirt with embroidered "Bait em" emblem on it. That was the fishing store from across the street. She smiled sweetly at him, walked to the door, and locked it. She turned the sign to close, walked over, and looked at the appointment book. He was the handsome man she would watch across the street and daydream about meeting him from time to time. But her shy nature and ignorance of fishing never lent her the chance to stop at the Bait Em shop.

"Shampoo and a cut? Joe Stellee?" She held out her hand and offered to shake his. "Claire. Claire Montgomery."

Joe held his breathe. She was more beautiful in person than staring at her across the street. He took her hand and shook it. "Joe" He said rather breathy. "If you need to close up I can come back another time. I mean the ladies made it seem like it wouldn't be a problem. Then they all left and..."

Claire interrupted. "Gosh, no, it's not a problem. I mean yah we are closing, but I won't turn you away. It's just the gals didn't bother to do their chores so it's going to be a late night." She frowned feeling discouraged she was a terrible boss and had no backbone.

Joe followed her to the shampoo station and let her put a black cape around him, and then she snapped it in back. Just her handshake and the touch of her hand on the back of his neck gave him sensations no other woman gave. He wondered if it was just the fact, that he felt attracted by her good looks or she just had a sexy touch. It was something different, because Lou Ann was drop dead gorgeous and usually did his hair ever since high school. However, her touch never made his chest tighten or his breath short.

No, this one caught his eye when she rode into town on the back of some man's Harley and she's been living upstairs in Lou Ann's old apartment ever since.

It was nice watching her during the day, her working at her station, located next to the front window. Sometimes at night, if he was working late in his office upstairs from his shop and directly across from her apartment, he would turn out the lights and like a sneaky boy, he would use his night vision goggles. He would stand away from the window where he was sure she could not see him and watch her. She was very carefree in her apartment, not even closing the shades when she undressed. He felt like a peeping tom every time she started to undress so he would turn away. He wished he had the nerve to watch, but then knew she did not deserve some stranger watching her barely dressed in her apartment.

He got some gossip from the locals about her, mostly that she was a city girl that Lou Ann went to hair school with. A few had whispered she had been an escort or call girl. One man said he was sure he had seen her dance at a Denver strip club as a stripper.

Joe turned a deaf ear, because she was so sweet and innocent looking, and now she was going to be doing his hair with them alone in a locked shop.

Claire leaned him back in the shampoo chair and ran the water to test on her wrist. She did not like to blast a customer with water that was too cold or too hot. In fact, the thing she liked best about getting her hair done was having someone else wash it. Lou Ann was voted the best most sensual hair shampoo artist in school. Claire got second place. Second place was ok with her, because Lou Ann was incredible with hair. It only inspired her to be more like her friend.

"How's that feel?" She asked him as she started to run the water over his thick, brown, wavy hair and used her other hand to get his head totally wet for shampoo.

"Nice!" _Nice and sexy_. The thoughts that started to wander in Joe's mind made him more of the risqué bad boy he wish he could be in situations like this, instead of Mr. Nice Man. Here was a chance for him to make an advance on a beautiful woman and he sat in the shampoo chair getting his head massaged with his eyes closed dreaming she was naked. "Hmm..." A soft moan escaped his lips and he opened one eye, and looked up at her to see her reaction.

She leaned down into his ear. "A shampoo hair wash can be just as good as sex." She whispered. She was enjoying teasing him a bit and he seemed so friendly she did not have any alarms go up with this one. He felt safe. "So you just sit back and relax and I will do a scalp massage on you that you'll never forget."

Joe could not say a word. His voice trapped in his throat. His chest was tight, holding in the scent of her as she leaned into his ear. He felt himself slipping away on a soft gentle river and it was taking him to a place of pure pleasure. He kept his eyes closed and enjoyed the scalp massage as he conjured different images of Claire up that he had seen her in the last three months around town.

He always saw her alone though and wondered if that was by choice or she did not have any friends. Only the bad ass on the motorcycle showed up once or twice a week and he did not seem very nice to her. He wondered what kind of woman subjected herself to that, especially one as beautiful and friendly as her.

As Claire rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, she admired his facial features and his thick luscious dark brown hair. It had a natural wave to it and it hit just past his ears. She wondered how long since his last haircut. His jawline was masculine and he a dimple in his cheek with a beauty mark. It was sexy. His skin tone was darker than white, it was a caramel color skin she could find herself licking all over.

She felt a little tingle in her belly and dismissed it as hunger. It had been a good seven hours since her last meal. She remembered his eyes from when she shook his hand to introduce herself. They were a golden brown with flecks of gold in them that seemed so honest and genuine. She guessed him to be about four years older than her since his skin was very tanned and leathered on his face.

She gently put the towel over his head and blotted out the excess water, and then put her hand behind his back to raise him up.

He opened his eyes and smiled. "That was even better than Lou Ann's shampoo and she's good. I think I found my new hairdresser."

She melted into his eyes. That comment warmed her more than he would ever know. "You know Lou Ann? I have been here three months and have not noticed you come in. You definitely have eyes I wouldn't forget." Claire smiled and wink.

"Lou Ann and I went to high school with Angel. I am bad during the busy season about getting my hair done, but Barney, my assistant at the shop, shoved me out the door and dragged me over here. I am thinking short and clean cut. Make me look like the respectable man I am known for, not some scragglier. Besides if Lou Ann had been around lately she would have dragged me in here and cut my hair." He smiled and his dimple caved in.

Claire's heart tightened a notch. That dimple did things to her when he smiled. His seemed so sweet and sincere. Knowing he was friends with Lou Ann and Angel, gave her some comfort. She would have to quiz them on this one. "High school, huh? That makes you what 28? I went to college with Lou Ann. She's two years older than me."

"Just turned twenty nine. I own the 'Bait Em' shop across the street. I've seen you around, just moved here?"

"Yeah, Lou Ann dragged me out of the city for some clean wholesome air. She needed a manager and I was looking for a better job. Own your own business? That is impressive. I'd love to own my own salon someday." Claire trailed off the last sentence in almost a whisper, because she knew that was a pipe dream that she had.

"I grew up here and my Granddad always ran the shop, and then one day the owners presented an offer to me when he retired to warmer weather." Joe felt awkward with the conversation. Claire seemed aloof all of a sudden and her sweet smile turned to a frown. He wanted to cheer her up, maybe invite her for a cup of coffee and dessert, unless she had not had dinner. It was almost eight p.m. and he knew that managing a shop could lead to late dinners, alone.

Thank goodness all his other single friends, they usually kept him company at the diner, a couple storefronts down from his shop. It was a second home and well, eating out was easier than cooking for one. Although, he did like to cook.

Claire felt the silence between them. Usually she was a talker and got nervous when there was a lot of silence between her and her clients. However, she was exhausted and depressed that she was spending another Friday night alone, cleaning up the shop.

"There. All done." She turned him towards the mirror to see his new clean haircut. He was gorgeous. A good haircut always did do wonders on a man. She smiled at him and took his cape off, and shook his cut hair off the cape onto the floor.

"Looks great." Joe ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the reflection of a beautiful woman in the mirror, instead of looking at himself with a new haircut. She seemed sadder than her normal perky self he usually watched through the window. He laid a ten-dollar tip on her stand. He followed her up front to the register to pay for the forty-dollar haircut and shampoo they charged. He wanted to ask her out for coffee but his shy tendencies were making it hard.

As she rang his haircut up, her stomach rumbled really, loud. "Oh my! I guess my stomach is trying to tell me something. I guess it has been a while since I ate." She felt embarrassed but his warm smile and playful laughter comforted her.

"Want to join me for a bite to eat, at the diner down the street? I was just on my way to have dinner myself. You could join me if you wanted to."

"I'd love to... but well the shops a mess and I've got laundry to do and..." Claire really wanted some company. It was not a date he was asking for just to join him for a bite to eat.

"Listen, I'll help you clean up the shop, while you run the totals on the register and then put your next laundry load in. We can eat and then if you need more help when we are done, I would be happy to help. I know what it's like to have your help leave you with all the work. What do you say? Don't make me eat alone." He smiled and looked down out of nervousness. When he looked up again she was smiling so seductively at him it caused his blood to warm. Her full luscious lips had turned into a full succulent smile.

"Sure." Claire was shocked that someone was being nice to her finally, even though he was friends with Lou Ann and Angel. No one seemed to welcome her to this community liked she had hoped. Only her clients were nice since she did such a great job on their hair. However, when she ran into them on the street with their husbands they usually dragged them the other way. She was sure by now people would start warming up to her. Then, the only ones that ever seemed nice were the men, when the women were not around.

"Great! I look forward to your dinner company. Eating alone is no fun." He walked over, grabbed the broom, and started sweeping all the hair on the floor the women had left at their booths. He could tell the women had not done their chores and it tore at him the way they acted as they left and she was there on her own.

Barney, his shop assistant, was dating one of the women that worked there and caught word that they were trying to drive her away so Jackie, one of the other women, could be the manager. She apparently had rallied the women against Claire; since she had worked there the longest, she felt she deserved the job. Joe would not have believed it until tonight.

Watching a man sweep her shop floors made her tickled pink. No man or boyfriend had ever bothered to help her in her work. Anytime she dated a man, and was stuck at work for cleanup, they would tell her they would run to the liquor store and be back. They usually came back later than she expected and was left waiting long after she was done. She knew she was in a pattern with her new boyfriend and needed to change. She knew she needed to dump his butt, but then she would be even lonelier than she was now. If things did not change for her, soon she was going to give notice to Lou Ann and head back to Denver.

As she finished the register and locked everything up in the safe, she saw him putting the towels in the drier and another load into the washer. The floors, swept and mopped, and the counters wiped. He was fast and he did laundry. Her heart went twitter-patter against her chest. _Now why can't I get a man like Joe?_ She asked herself just as he turned to smile at her.

"All done, let's go eat. I'm starving and I think that was your tummy I just heard again."

She smiled back and looked at her stomach. "It has a mind of its own. I'm ready."

He put his arm out for her to hook hers into his, to walk out of the shop. She felt her face flush. No man ever did that. Most of her old boyfriends did not even hold the door open for her. They were too cool for that or something. In fact, she come to accept it as ok, since it seemed like only total strangers or old men, that had that kind of chivalry left. As she walked out the door and turned to lock it, she felt alive and happy. She hoped this friendship would turn into something more but would take anything right now and that gave her a sense of renewed things to come.

"Have you eaten at this diner yet? I eat almost all my lunches and dinners there. Usually I catch up with some of my friends and share a meal." Joe was feeling really, good. Claire's smile and perky mannerisms seemed to have returned once he asked her to dinner. He did not make it sound like a date out of fear of rejection. However, once she accepted and he started cleaning the shop for her, he thought he heard her humming to herself.

"Once or twice. I usually microwave my lunch and dinner from the frozen food section." She did not know if admitting she did not cook well would accentuate her flaws as the domestic type. She knew how to cook some; she just never had the time.

"Well they've got all shades of greasy and they do have some good health food. Depends on what you are into. I have been to this diner since I was a kid and well as times change so do businesses. What I like is that you can still get those jumbo greasy fries and a malted milkshake like the old days." He felt so at ease with her. Maybe not making this a date could work out after all. Starting as a friendship eliminated the pressure to impress.

"I think you just selected my dinner; an order of fries and a strawberry milkshake, to dip it in." She giggled lightly at the thought of fries and milkshake for a dinner. She hadn't done something like that since college. Somehow, miraculously, she felt really at ease with this man. He felt like that worn leather glove that conformed to your hand over time; all soft and smooth with only your hand making the perfect fit.

"Fries and a milkshake huh? And strawberry to boot?" Joe inquisitively teased her about her dining taste.

"Don't knock it till you try it." She gave him a jab and ran ahead so he would have to chase after.

That jab in his side put a tingling sensation in his gut. He did not know what was happening to him, but his fairy tale fantasy of a woman was starting to come true. She was such a fun person to be around, he felt the need to chase her down, and he did.

"Oomph. Hey it's not National Tickle a Friend Day." Claire giggled. Joe had just caught up to her and side tackled her with tickles. Boy was she ticklish. "Until now!" She tickled back but he only stood there smiling with his hands on his hips looking like Peter Pan with his chin thrust in the air.

"I have only one tickle spot and only my little sister knows where it is. It took her along time to find it and I will not divulge that kind of information on the grounds once you find it I am a weak man." He smiled and held the door open to the diner as she walked in behind him.

She began to quiz him on all the spots she could possibly think were ticklish. Each time he would shake his head no. They sat at a booth at the window that looked out onto the street. Joe ordered for her and he ordered a chicken pasta salad. They sat and chatted like old friends even though they had just met. She questioned him on his friendships with Lou Ann and Angel. He informed her that when they all went to high school their entire graduating class was twenty-three students. Therefore, you could not help but be friends with everyone. It was nice.

As their food arrived, they dug in. They both started to realize how hungry they really were. Then the sound of a loud-piped motorcycle caught Claire's attention and caused her to freeze in mid stride of dunking her fries in her shake. She twisted to look out the window and almost ducked. Then breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Joe.

He had caught all of that. There was no mistaking. He wondered if she was worried about being seen with him. By now, he had pegged her loser boyfriends schedule to a tee. This was Friday night and he never came around. Only Saturday night, Sundays or Wednesdays.

"A little jumpy? Everything ok? I've got good ears if you need to ever talk." _Yeah like talk you out of dating that loser and dating me. I am the good stable man. I'm the treat you like a princess and buy you nice things man._ Joe had his stomach in knots thinking what kind of jerk would make his girlfriend on edge for just driving in town and having dinner with a friend. Although loser boy would just assume that, he was competition and that was ok, because he would kick his ass. No, he definitely was not a wimp. His firefighter friend Levi and Officer McCormick constantly taught him self-defense moves just in fun. What was he thinking? He was feeling possessive and protective about this woman. He did not want to go around picking a fight. Although he was sure, he could protect Claire he need be.

"No. I'm fine. It's just, well... I don't know how to say this. I am kind of dating this man on a motorcycle and lately he has been very possessive. I mean I never date more than one man at a time and this is just like a friend thing right. I mean I would go out on a date with you if I was not dating this other man and not that you would ask and he, I mean this man I am dating well he seems to have a mean streak lately. We went to this club last weekend to listen to this new band and he beat this man up for just looking at me. I think I seen the man somewhere before and that was the kind of look we were giving each other and shoot I'm rambling and we just met as friends and this is not the type of thing you want to hear. I'm sorry." She let out a huge breath and her blonde bangs fluttered out of her face that looked so gloomy and then fell back over her eyes since she was bowing her head down. Claire felt like crying. How did she keep picking these men, these losers to date and then she meets a nice man like Joe and she's not available? She should keep her trap shut and wait to see if he had any interest in asking her out on a date and then she could dump loser boy.

Joe was somewhat confused by the fast rambling of words that escaped Claire's mouth. Only that he thought he caught she would date him if he asked but then made it sounded like they could only be friends and this man had a mean streak, which probably meant she was afraid of getting hit. "Claire. It's ok. Don't worry and if he ever threatens you, my buddy is the local police. Are you sure you are ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

She wanted to talk about it but she didn't want to make herself look bad. "I'm ok. I'm just really tired. I'm sure I'm overreacting. Thanks though. You know. For being a friend. I haven't made many other than Lou Ann and Angel and they are kind of busy lately." _In love with their dream men. Like that would ever happen to me. Cheer up gal, you got great company sitting across from you. A new friend. Make the best of it._

"So tell me about your shop." She pepped herself up and changed the subject. She dunked a fry in her shake and took a bite. "Mmm.... Want to try some?"

"My shop's my life and sure why not. I'll try one." He took a fry and dunked it in her shake, and ate it. _Not bad._ He thought. _Kind of tasty._ Just like the treat sitting across the table from him. He wondered how she tasted. How that fair ivory skin tasted. Her crystal blue eyes looking at him for approval that he liked her choice of dinner entrees made him smile from ear to ear. He could get used to her and that was a dangerous thing, because she was out of his league.

The check came and Joe snagged it before she got a chance to look. He slid the waitress two twenties and told her to keep the change. Their entire meal was far less but he liked to tip well, since that was what his sister did for a living and he liked the service.

"Thanks." Claire smiled at him and felt in awe. Sometimes she was the one stuck with the bill when loser boy would claim he left his wallet at home. Where ever the heck that was. He never took her there and was very elusive about the rest of his life. She hated prying. It was not in her nature to ask questions especially when they answer you with a stare or a kiss to distract you. Although the man was a good kisser, which he knew distracted her.

"No problem. Hey anytime you see me head this way. Feel free to join me. Like I said I prefer to eat my lunches and dinners here to catch up with friends instead of being alone." He really meant it but was not sure if she would take him up on the offer. At least not, right now. However, he could sense that her loser boyfriend was knocking on the exit door and Joe wanted to be there, to be the next suitor in line.

"You mean that. Gosh, that is really, sweet. I mean I haven't made many friends and well I had a great time with you tonight. Although, I should have bought dinner since you helped with the shop." Claire was elated at this new friendship. He was a genuine good man and well if he showed anything more, she needed to jump at it because there was definitely a sexual attraction for her. He was cute in the good man fresh cut way.

Joe held the door open again as they walked out into the cool crisp evening air. She had not to think to grab a jacket and Joe shed his then wrapped it around her shoulders. "As soon as the sun goes down it cools off quick."

She smiled at the gesture while her heart was beating ten times faster than normal and her mouth felt dry. She was nervous. She was never nervous around men. This was new to her. In almost a whisper, she thanked him and he smiled then put his hand on her back. His hand, on her back left a warm sensation in her gut.

As they approached the back of the salon that was well lit, Joe walked her to her apartment door at the top of the metal staircase. He would have loved to, peg her against the door and devour her right there, in hopes of making it into her apartment, but he would never force himself on a woman or pressure her. As they reached the top, she turned to him and handed back his jacket.

"Thanks again Joe Stellee. You are a one of kind type of man. I am glad I got to cut your hair tonight so we could finally meet. I mean I've seen you around but I'm actually shy with men." She did not think he would kiss her, but she wanted him to. He knew she had a boyfriend, but a friendly kiss would be ok or would it make her sleazy? She did not want to blow it with this man in case he took interest in her.

He leaned his head down and kissed a gentle butterfly kiss on her forehead. It warmed his lips to kiss her skin and her smell was exotic. He wanted to kiss her on the mouth but she did have a boyfriend and she kept stating the friend factor. "Good night Claire. Sweet dreams." Because he knew after tonight, his exotic dreams he had about Claire would only escalate. He had spoken with her, ate with her, joked with her, walked with her, had his head massaged by her and know a sweet gentle kiss left him semi hard for more. Much more.

"Good night" She whispered back with her eyes half closed and her lips parted as if the best cool drink of fresh water just left and she felt parched for more. She turned her back to him and opened her door. He watched her from the bottom of the staircase to make sure all was clear when she got in. She flicked her light on and off. She knew the procedure of the protective man. She just had not had it in a while.

His face felt plastered with a permanent smile as he walked back down her alley to get over to his shop alley, where his car was parked. He felt so alive with Claire tonight. He would have to thank Barney for pushing him out the door and dragging him over to the shop to get his haircut.

Barney knew loser boys schedule like him and if there was a night good for catching Claire, tonight was it. Because like clockwork those women were leaving; and him and Barney would watch Claire clean up the shop by herself for an hour or two and retire to bed to watch a movie. However, after tonight he would make Friday nights a regular thing if he had to until he won her heart. She would have to leave jerk wad on her own, but he wanted to let her know he was a good option waiting to happen.

Claire leaned against her closed and locked door after flicking the lights on and off for him. That sweet gentle kiss made her yearn for more. She giggled to herself, went, and tossed on some music, dancing around the tiny buffet style apartment, she started to shed her clothes and laugh. She found Mr. Right she just needed to get herself cut off from Mr. Wrong.

She went into her tiny bath apartment and started to run the small bathtub that was in there. It was tiny but with bubbles and bent knees, she could dream about being in a sunken tub with candles and a gorgeous window view. Maybe, a man like Joe, to share all that with. She needed a man that lit her fire and tonight she would dream about what Mr. Joe Stellee was like, with a real kiss and his bedside manner.

The sound of the Joe's jeep turning off and coming to a complete stop; had both of them back to the here and now. The trip to the lake had been fun, but the ride home had been quiet. It seemed like the right time to reminisce internally about the each other. Mentally reliving how they met and where their friendship stood.

CHAPTER FOUR

Joe dropped Claire off at her shop to meet with Lou Ann. Their drive from his private fishing lake had been quite and that was all right with Joe. His head filled with the memories of the first night they met. The hair cut, dinner and every bit of their first conversation.

Now Claire was going to dump her boyfriend. He wondered once she did would she turn to him for more. Would he know how to approach her on any level other than friendship? Because in the last two weeks since that Friday night haircut, they had seen each other almost every night and went fun shopping on Mondays. It was torturous for him, but then it was like having your favorite candy and doing anything to get it. He would be polite and a gentleman, as long as he was able to see and talk to her with an occasional tickle or jab touch. He treated her as he would his kid sister, but he wanted to treat her like the woman she deserved.

"Thanks Joe. For everything today. I'm sure Lou Ann will be keeping me busy the rest of the evening. A lot has been happening at the shop." She got out of the jeep almost gloomily and gave him a half smile. Something had changed in him from the lake since she fell in. She was confused and wanted to cry. She knew it was her time of the month coming and she was always overly emotional so she chucked it up to that and managed a sweet smile. "See ya around?"

As if, she had to ask. Once he got news, she dumped jerk boyfriend he was moving in for the kill, at least in a nice courteous way. "See ya soon Claire!" He drove over to the alley behind his shop to park. He had to get some work done. It wouldn't be easy as his mind would constantly go back to the moment Claire stood in his lake with a wet, white t-shirt, that was totally see through. That was an image burned in his brain forever.

As Claire walked in, she noticed Mike and Lou Ann had been watching them from the front counter.

"Hi guys." She walked over, hugged Lou Ann and then gave a friendly hug to Mike. "How was your last trip? You man's hanging around for a while?"

"Trip was great" Mike answered and then gave Lou Ann a quick kiss. "Gotta run babe. I will see you at home for dinner. You ladies don't work too late. I'm looking forward to a home cooked meal in a real kitchen and no wheels under me feet."

"Honey, would you mind stopping at the store and grab me these few things and I'll be home in about two hours to start cooking."

Lou Ann and Mike seemed so much like a team now. Like a duet that Claire could see herself doing with Joe if he so inclined. They both waved good-bye to Mike. He was such a handsome domineering man that Claire was always nervous around him. She was not sure if it was his height or the presence he held in her company.

"RVing across the countryside is exciting but I think we are going to enjoy staying home for the next month. A lot is going on around here and well; we have friends and family to catch up with. My mom needs some help with her shop remodeling and well frankly, your last email had me concerned. Do you want to talk here or up in your apartment?" Lou Ann looked at Claire with sincere eyes of concern.

Claire knew the inevitable had to happen and she liked to put things off sometimes hoping they would just take care of themselves. However, the thought of the winds of change in her mind made her realize this was a time to step up and face any challenges then make a sweep of things. "Here in the shop. I've got some things to show you of records I kept of theft and cleaning logs." She walked over and locked the front door in case any of the employees that were hanging around in town that afternoon happened to see them in there. This way they could not drop in and interrupt what Claire needed to accomplish.

"Here's a notebook on daily shortages on the cash drawer and I've been doing a daily inventory and this is a log on what's been stolen on what days." Claire glumly gave it to Lou Ann. "Want a pop from the fridge in the back while you look those over." She felt like a lousy manager. One who couldn't control the chaos that had unfolded.

"Yeah. Anything caffeine free is good. All this traveling and the pregnancy are taken its toll." Lou Ann stretched her back with her hands holding her lower back. She barely had a belly showing. She was looking forward to having her own bed to sleep in; and when she could start wearing maternity clothes so strangers would know she was pregnant.

"You look terrific by the way. Barely showing though. Friday night, drink night won't be the same, since I will be the only one able to drink." Claire patted Lou Ann's belly with a smile and realized just the thought of a pregnancy made her smile. She wanted kids someday and watching Lou Ann and Angel happily married and pregnant she knew she had something to look forward to once she found the right man.

"Thanks. I'm excited to wear maternity clothes and getting the big ol' bum. Right now I just look like I put on a little around the middle. Mike says it's sexy but then it also says it's a boy. I'm voting girl. Ok, enough about me. We came back for you."

Lou Ann could tell things had gotten a little out of hand at the shop while she had been traveling. She was more concerned about her good friend Claire and her last email. She had sounded gloom for friendship and that she was interested in Joe from the bait shop across the street but he did not seem interested in anything else more than friendship. She knew they would get to Claire's feelings of unwelcome later. Right now, Claire and she had some butt kicking to do and reorganizing on how things went down in the shop.

"Here ya go." Claire handed the Sprite to Lou Ann and popped open the one she got herself. She took a big sip. "Ahh!"

"How was fishing with Joe?" Lou Ann wanted to pry some as she glanced over the records that Claire had kept on the happenings of the shop.

"Great! I actually enjoyed fishing. He's been great to me the last two weeks." Claire did not want to go into too much detail at that moment. She really wanted her friend's guidance on this. Right now, she needed her to make some decisions on what was going on around the shop. The sooner they straightened that it out, the easier her work environment would be.

"Hmm, fishing with Joe? Like a date?" Quizzing Claire got a flushing reaction, so Lou Ann changed the subject that seemed taboo for the moment. She knew her very good friend would talk when the time was right for her. "Actually I love to fish. Angel and I have fished since we were little girls and my Uncle Randy used to take us fishing. That's someone you haven't met yet, my Aunt Sheila and Uncle Randy. They're great. Hey, maybe next weekend we will get a summer barbeque going up at the Ralston Ranch. Let you meet some of the other locals that are like family." Lou Ann had a plan that would root Claire here instead of heading back to Denver as her emails indicated that she wanted to.

"I'd love that. It wasn't a date with Joe, we're just friends but I wouldn't mind changing that all too soon. Once I take care of a couple other things. Now what do you think? I have my own opinions on what is going on in the shop. One bad apple can ruin a whole barrel unless you pitch it quickly enough." Claire knew Lou Ann was thinking hard and flipping back and forth between the schedule copies and the reports.

Lou Ann could tell who the culprit was according to the work chart and the days things went missing. The very person who wanted Claire's job and did not get it for the reason Lou Ann had suspected this type of activity from her before. However, it was too sporadic to follow. Now there was a definite pattern. That and the rumors from Barney that the gals all got drunk last Friday at the bar and opened their big mouths to him on how they were trying to run Claire out of town. Barney found it fitting to inform Mike, which was what Mike was catching her up on right before Joe dropped Claire off.

Lou Ann felt so bad for her friend. She had never let on how lonely she was until the last email. It sounded like her latest beau was not working out too well either and he was the only friend she was spending time with other than Joe. Her words on Joe were enlightening and Lou Ann knew Joe was a good man.

"Claire, we've got some butts to fire and reorganizing to do. Some hiring to do and I have some great stuff I bought at the Specialty Mart marketplace in Denver. We are setting up a small boutique in the empty corner in the shop. Mike picked up a new computer register and software for the shop to track everything. The next few weeks we will be busy with firing, hiring, training and getting your job back to what I hired you for. Doing the incredible jobs on hair and color, you're known for. And of course, your sparkling personality gets new customers in." Lou Ann reached out and hugged her friend. She wanted to reassure her that all was going to get better.

Claire smiled and felt a world of relief rise out of her as Lou Ann hugged her. She blew a huge breath and stood up. "It's National Kick Butt Day!" She walked over to the stereo and threw on some music to lighten the mood and get her energy up. She was still tired from not sleeping well and she still had her soon to be ex-boyfriend to contend with,.

Lou Ann let out a huge laugh. "You've always had the best national whatever day comebacks to lighten a mood. I missed that. Hell girlfriend I have missed you. Traveling with Mike has been a dream but I think we both are in the need for companionship of our own. Take Monday off and do something fun and be ready for the employee meeting I called everyone in for on Tuesday at eight a.m."

"You want to give me some head's up so I'm not totally shocked." Claire was feeling somewhat anxious. Partially that a lot of changes were blowing in, but that the last motorcycle that just roared by made her think that the huge group of riders where heading home. Which meant, that her soon to be ex-boyfriend, was on his way back through town, from his ride. She needed to deal with him as well.

"Starters, Jackie and Patty gone. They weren't the best at hair anyway. Replace them and hire a few shampoo assistants that handle all the cleaning and refilling. The new system will eliminate any theft and the boutique items will encourage the gals to sell, since they'll make a great commission on each thing they sell."

Claire jumped at the sound of a motorcycle out front. When she turned, it drove away from the light.

"Don't worry honey. Mike and I will be here with you every step of the way during this transition. You're a little jumpy. Want to tell me what's up?" Lou Ann rubbed Claire's arm as to reassure her everything would be ok. She had a gut feeling it had to do with her current boyfriend.

"Sam's supposed to stop back by after his ride through the mountains. I'm giving him the boot, only fitting to do it on National Kick Butt Day!" Claire smiled at Lou Ann and tried to make her facial expressions reassuringly happy. "It's just something I've never been good at. I was hoping he would break up with me first. No such luck, huh."

A tap at the window caught their attention. It's was Joe. He waved at both and smiled, and then he headed down the street. Both Claire and Lou Ann waved at him. However, Claire walked to the window and watched him with a solemn look in her eyes from the front window.

Claire felt like Joe knocking on the window was a sign that she was making the right decision on dumping Sam. Just seeing him there waving and walking away filled her with contentment and hope for the future. Maybe all the changes won't be so bad. She watched Joe walk in the diner and she almost hoped Sam would show up soon so she could break up with him and maybe catch Joe at dinner, to make her move.

"So... tell me what that was all about? I saw the way he looked at you. And more so, the way you watched him." Lou Ann was teasing but she felt something serious brewing between them. This was a good thing because she knew Joe would be the perfect man for Claire, someone to reassure her of how great she is and treat her like a princess. She deserved that. Her whole life was lonely without both parents and then only a grandma as her only living relatives. Her good friend had a tendency to doubt herself and those around her.

"Oh we're just friends. I mean that might change when I break it off with Sam. He has shown a little interest. I know I am really, interested in him. I just don't think it is right to pursue a man when you're dating another one." Claire turned from the window and smiled at her friend.

"Promise me you'll keep me up to date on how things go? I've got to run and cook a home-style meal and ravish that man of mine." Lou Ann smiled then turned to the sound of a motorcycle that just pulled up in front of the shop and stopped. She looked back at Claire who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Want me to stay and back you up?" Lou Ann waited for her friend's response. This Sam man looked a little scary. It might just have been the Harley attire and doo rag on his head but his eyes seemed mean.

"Nope. I have to do this myself. I will just take him some place public so he won't be such a jerk. I might call you for a ride later, though. Go. Go cook a home cooked meal for your man and ravish him." Claire lightened the mood with her giggle and she walked Lou Ann to the door as she unlocked it for Sam.

No words exchanged between Sam and Lou Ann. She had the meanest look on her face and walked out. Claire had to laugh inside to herself. Lou Ann was always protective of her and Angel. She figured it was the similar background they shared of not having moms half their lives and no idea who their dads were.

"Sam. I will meet you out front in a minute. I just need to throw on jeans and grab a jacket." Claire was still wearing Joe's shirt and she did not want to take it off knowing it would give her the courage she needed to do this. If she pulled the shirt up to her nose, she could still get a whiff of his manly scent that made her nostrils tingle.

"Whatever." Sam walked out and sat on his bike looking disinterested in anything Claire needed to do.

She was so glad to be finally doing this; thinking about how she blew him off last weekend with the old PMS cramps story. Then he did not stick around to talk when he showed that morning on the way out for a mountain ride with the men. Some of the men driving by already had their wives or girlfriends on the back. She wanted to break it off that very moment, but he did not give her time before he started his bike and held a hand to his ear as if he could not hear her over the pipes of his motorcycle. She stormed off without even a kiss. Then she proceeded to torture herself by watching him drive away from her apartment window.

She knew he would come back, if not tonight then tomorrow on her day off. He always came back groveling for her affection when she treated him bad and she got so used to the game they played. However, just as she got used to it she also hated it. It was immature and stupid. Now he was sitting on his motorcycle out front looking like a jerk and she was thrilled with the anticipation to do this. Dump his sorry butt and pursue Joe.

She locked the front door and turned out any lights in the shop. Then she headed out the backdoor and upstairs with a huge pep in her step. She got in her place, and threw on jeans and grabbed her jacket. She did not even want to bother with freshening up. The man was not worth it. She grabbed her helmet she had to buy herself. The one he teased her about for wearing. However, she did not want her brains splattered on the road.

As Claire walked around the alley and to the front of the stores to head where Sam sat on his motorcycle, she caught a glimpse of the back of Joe eating at the diner counter with a couple other men. She took a deep breath and sighed. She only hoped when this was all over she would be able to sway Joe in the direction of dating her instead of just hanging out as friends.

Claire put her hair up in a twist, tucked it up in her helmet, and clipped it. "I want to go to that roadside bar and grill on the edge of town." She demanded and climbed on the back of his bike. The game they played of back and forth was exhausting. If she was nice then he was mean, if she was mean then he was nice. She knew it was unhealthy but he had been a real jerk this morning and she was going to take full advantage of it now.

Sam started his bike. Claire figured even though, as much as she loved riding on the back of a motorcycle, this was her last ride for a while. She might as well enjoy it tonight.

They roared out of town as if they did not have a care in the world. However, Claire had no idea Joe had turned around from the counter with the men to watch her get on the motorcycle and drive away.

The teasing still rang in Joe's ears. All he remembered; was smiling at the men, slapped a twenty on the counter, and walked out. He walked to his jeep, at his shop and damned himself for caring. Caring about Claire hurt more at that minute then anything he ever felt. He wanted to be the man on the bike with Claire behind him, her arms wrapped around him tight. As he drove home, he thought more and more about it. His gut was tight and his head hurt from all the thoughts spinning in his brain. Damn it! He needed to be the man for Claire and he knew just how to compete with a man like that one. He would become the badass she was attracted to and then she would swoon over him as she just did that man. Sitting on the back of the bike and wrapping her arms around him as if he was her protector.

Joe just could not let that image go. He was, damn set on doing something about it. What it was that he could do, messed with his head as he pulled up to his house. He turned off the engine and pounded his fist against the steering wheel. He had to make things change.

CHAPTER FIVE

Claire and Sam, pulled up to the roadside bar and grill at the end of town and she could not climb off quick enough. When she leaned into Sam, she smelt another woman's perfume on his jacket. She really needed to do this quick. She was planning on getting a dinner out of him first and then dumping him when he took her back to her place for his usually groping session, which usually led to sex. The kind that was hot and heavy at first was now almost like a duty or chore. There was no longer a bad boy image steering her on. She had long gotten over that and now meeting Joe, she had feelings stir deep within her from just hanging out with him.

Sam guided her into the place as he held her arm in a possessive manor. It felt more forceful and mean than gentle and protective. He always walked a step ahead of her almost pulling her in. She had already tucked her helmet under her other arm. She did not leave it on the bike like normal. She was sure he would bail on her and leave her there. She knew someone would come get her. Maybe even Joe.

As they stepped into the bar, she felt enveloped in smoke and alcohol. The smells of the strip club came to mind and she wanted to run. She felt her heart tighten and she doubted herself why she ever ended up in a place like this with a man like Sam.

She remembered dreaming as a little girl of a white wedding and a good man taking care of her. Then when her mother died, she moved in with her grandma. They tried to search for her real dad, but no clues were ever left behind. She never would have seen her life leading in the direction it went. It was time for change. Lou Ann was here now to help her with the shop and make new friends. Sam had to go and things with Joe would grow. She was sure of it now. Joe seemed like the most pivotal point for her to all this change.

They sat at a bar height pub table, next to an elderly couple who looked so much in love it made her smile. The way the older man tended to his wife and the way she leaned into his arm, and he kissed the top of her head. They looked to be in their late fifties and Claire could only hope that would be her someday. Just not with Sam and that was for sure.

A beautiful waitress, with blonde hair like her own, came to the table and asked. "Can I get you anything?" Sam started flirting with the waitress, using his eyes and bad boy mannerisms. Claire wanted to gag. She glared at him then smiled at the waitress.

"I'll have a Coors Light." Claire ordered for herself. Something Sam never did for her. She knew if she went to a bar with Joe, he would know her drink and he would order for her, and not flirt with the waitress.

"Bud." Sam nodded and winked at the waitress, who seemed to walk away and roll her eyes.

Claire had remembered men like Sam all too well. Perhaps he was somewhat of a comfort when she left the strip club, but now he was only a bump in her road to happiness. She wanted love that was real, like the older couple next to them. The older lady must have seen Claire's look at contentment watching them. She turned and smiled then turned back. It felt friendlier in her smile then she had seen in a while.

That smile helped her summon up the courage. _Better now than later_. She told herself. "Sam... Sam!" His eyes were still on the waitress. _Jerk!_ "Sam! It's over between us." There that was easy. Now he would leave her there with the bill, but that would be ok.

"Yeah, well it was never anything to begin with. You're an easy thing in my life, a little something to tie me over till I get home to the wife. Shit I figured you had figured that out by now. I mean come on Claire... set schedule, no home number or address, just a cell to reach me by. You seemed ok with the arrangement, although the sex has been lacking lately, so I'm moving on." He stood up, left her at the table and walked towards the pool table room, stopping at the bar to flirt with their waitress.

Claire was shocked. However, she was more shocked when the waitress turned and decked him, and then some big burly man picked Sam up and escorted his butt out of the bar.

Claire started to giggle to herself. Her laughter got louder and louder. The older couple had turned to her earlier when Sam was speaking to her but now they looked concerned for her. The lady walked up and put her arm around Claire's shoulder.

"You alright honey? We couldn't help but overhear and shoot, you alright?"

Claire was unable to speak, only giggle to herself, a nervous reaction she never out grew as a little girl. She was still giggling a little when the waitress walked up and put two Coors Light long necked bottled beers on the table. "On the house." She smiled at Claire. "You ok? What a jerk!"

Claire felt so safe and secure at that moment, with the older lady's arm around her and the smiling waitress. That would have been her. She would have done the same thing if it had happened to her and then she would have bought the poor soul a beer on the house. Only all these people thought 'oh poor her' and really it was as if she wanted to sing a verse of hallelujah.

"I'm ok. Really! Thanks for the beers. I actually came here to break it off with him. He didn't take it well." She giggled again.

"Can we call someone for you? Or did you drive yourself?" The waitress looked at her helmet on the table and assumed that jerk face had driven her.

"I'm ok. I've got a few friends to call." She smiled at the waitress and took a sip of her beer. "Thanks. This taste really good right now."

The sweet couple next to her stood side by side holding each other and looking at her like she was a little girl in need. "I'm ok. My girlfriend Lou Ann said she'd pick me up if this happened."

"Oh gosh dear, I thought you looked familiar. You're Claire! Lou Ann's new manager. I'm Shelia, Lou Ann's aunt. She's talked about you a lot and I've stopped at the shop for product and caught a glimpse of you working your hair coloring magic on a some poor soul who turned their hair orange doing their own hair."

"One in the same." Claire smiled and held out her hand to Sheila. Both of them shook her hand. Randy's was huge and callused. She assumed this man was the Randy that Angel worked with out on the Ralston Ranch a while back.

"Sit! I want to finish my free beers and then I'll give Lou Ann a call." Claire smiled and patted the stool for Shelia. They both sat down and the waitress came back when Randy raised his hand to get her attention. He told her another round and to put the beers on his tab. Shelia started talking to her like a long lost friend and told her to let them drive her home.

A couple hours later, they had a great time talking about Lou Ann and Angel as little girls and grown women. Claire felt a need to protect her past but talked about her grandma back home and Joe. Strangely enough, they knew Joe as well. But then, in a town that size it did not surprise her how many people knew each other. She felt so at home and happy at that moment. She was so glad things turned out.

Pulling up to her apartment, Sheila gave her a hug and told her not to hesitate to call if she needed to talk. She was so motherly and could tell that even though this was Claire's breakup; the news he was married had shocked her with disgust. She thanked them for the great evening and told them Lou Ann was talking about a barbeque at the ranch. She'd look forward to seeing them again.

She opened her apartment and locked the door, flipped on her kitchen light. Looked around and then switched the porch light on and off a couple times. She saw them drive away from her kitchenette window that faced the alley.

Claire was all too happy with how the night played out. She was done and over with the old and moving on with the new. Meeting new friends was the highlight of the evening. The only thing that might have put the cherry on top was to get home in time to see Joe.

It was eleven p.m. and tomorrow was Monday, her day off. Before all hell broke loose, in the Tuesday eight a.m. meeting Lou Ann had planned, she'd catch him for their normal Monday coffee and some shopping if he didn't have to work.

Falling asleep to thoughts of Joe in her head, led Claire to the best night sleep she had in a long time. Lingering in bed on a Monday was a luxury she would allow herself. She stretched like a cat, still in Joe's t-shirt and reached for her silk robe. She hadn't bothered to close the curtains last night and her room was flooded with daylight.

She sat on the window box seat and looked out at the Bait Em shop across the street. She wondered if Joe would be in today since Barney had the day to himself yesterday. She looked down at the shop entrance and saw the sign flip to open. It was ten a.m. and she wasn't sure but the arm that flipped the sign to open looked like Barney's.

Claire figured since the salon was always, closed on Mondays, she would have all day to horse around and since that was what she and Joe had done for the last two Mondays she was kind of counting on doing that today.

Her dreams last night left her feeling content. This was the first, time in a long time, which she awoke with such a visual of her and Joe together. It was clear to her now that she was available, she could inform Joe, flirtatiously of course, and see if he decides to ask her out.

She took a sip of her sweetened coffee she just brewed and figured after a shower she would stop in the shop and get Joe's phone number from Barney, if he wasn't coming in today. It did not dawn on her that she was never the one to call him, nor did she have his home phone number. He was the one always stopping in or calling. In fact, the more she thought about it, he had done some pursuing of his own and she was always the one ranking on her ex or the women at the shop. However, all that was going to change today. Today she was going to let Joe know her true feelings.

Claire got herself dressed in a pair of cut off jean shorts and a black Harley tank top. She slipped on her black wedged flip-flops, grabbed her black sunglasses and headed out her door in the back alleyway. She walked around the corner towards the Bait Em shop and peeked in the window. She saw the backside of Barney and figured Joe might still be at home or in the upstairs office.

The front door chimed as she walked in and Claire had a full smile on her face with her eyes gleaming. Thinking how this is a new beginning. "Hi Barney, Joe here or coming in today?"

"Hi Claire. Nope."

Barney looked as if to busy himself with a nervous air about him.

"Oh well, hay I don't have his home number. Would you mind terribly giving it to me? I have some great news and I figured I would call him." Seeming hopeful, thinking it should not be a problem; she smiled at Barney and waited for his answer, which did not come quickly or easily for him.

"Uh, nope." Barney looked away again.

"Excuse me." Shocked and put out, she was not sure what to think. "Why can't you give me Joe's number?" Miffed, she was not giving up. Something was up and this did not seem like Barney at all.

"If he wanted you to have his home number he would have given it to you himself. Besides Claire, he is gone on business for the week. Some type of emergency. Hush. Hush. You know I can't tell. Now just go on and forget about him for a while. Ok?"

"Oh." Claire turned and walked out with everything Barney just said bouncing around in her head. She was certain today would be an incredible day and then this. The news that she could not have Joe's home number and that he would be gone all week was tormenting. Barney's behavior was not at all like his normal cheery self and she could only imagine what type of emergency was hush, hush. She wondered if everyone in his family was ok, or if he needed any help

She walked out of the fishing shop and walked back to her apartment alley. She sat on her metal steps leading to her apartment door and started to cry. The tears streamed down her cheeks before she knew what was happening. This was awful. This was not what she had planned. What if tomorrow, at the shop, turns ugly? Claire did not know if she could handle all this. She ran up her stairs into her apartment and threw herself on her bed.

She didn't remember falling asleep, only crying herself there. It was getting dark out and her clock read 8:12. She had slept most of the day. Obviously exhausted from all the crying and the lack of sleep she had the last two weeks.

She didn't feel much better except her positive self-talk convinced her to not jump to the wrong ideas. Maybe she should not jump to any conclusions and just be patient. After all, she just broke it off with Sam and Lou Ann would have her up to her elbows in hard labor the next week or two with all the changes in the shop. She would wait and see if he called her and then if not, she would wait until he came back and surprise him with a warm welcome.

She picked up the phone and started to dial Lou Ann's phone number than hung up. She would wait and see how tomorrow goes and then try getting his home number from Lou Ann. However, if he was already gone, what was the use. She could not reach him until he got back and Lou Ann probably didn't have his cell number. She would just wait and keep herself busy with all the changes going on at the shop. Sure, that it would make the next week fly by quickly.

She had so looked forward to spending time with Joe, now that Sam was gone and she was an available single woman. Now she would have to wait it out and hope he was still as excited to see her, as she was to see him.

CHAPTER SIX

Joe walked up the Main Street mall, in downtown Denver, to the address the man had given him over the phone. He worked out of renovated lofts that overlooked the mall. This man came highly recommended from Lou Ann's husband, Mike, a while back. He remembered fondly when they joked about how Mike was not always the way he is now. Self-confident and a lady-killer, which was evident the way Lou Ann and the other women seemed to swoon over him. Mike joked how many corporate wannabes use services like this to break the shy barrier and learn to hold, poise and create an air of illusion that there is no one better. Joe found it funny at the time, but secretly remembered the man's name Mike said he used.

When Joe had called the man, the Sunday Claire drove away on the back of her boyfriend's bike, he stated it was an emergency. The man told Joe he could slide him in and took his credit card information over the phone. He could only hope this was not a waste of his savings; along with the Harley, he planned to purchase later that week, after he took motorcycle classes. He wondered if one woman was worth all this trouble. Then remembering Claire and their day at the lake he confirmed to himself that this needed to happen and now. He could not wait anymore. Being with her, but not being able to touch her, or tell her how he really felt, killed a little piece of his heart every time.

He got off the elevator and looked down the hall for the suite number the man gave him. The hallway was glass walls and incredible executive front room that seemed to lead to private offices. As he passed several suites, he noticed all the people he passed seem to hold a high level of professionalism. When he reached the suite he needed to go in, he saw a woman in a cream-colored three-piece suit, with her whole presence, screaming professional and serious.

"You must be Joe?" She stood up to greet him and walked around the desk with her hand outstretched.

"Yes" Even with a total strange beautiful woman, he had no bravado and he was here to change all that. He looked down after shaking her hand.

"Can I get you something to drink? Bottled water, coffee? Mr. Malcolm will be off of a conference call in a moment."

"Uhm, water. Thanks." Still not able to look at the woman in front of him until he could tell she walked away. He pretended to be in awe of the view, of the street mall below, as he stood in the window looking down. It was really his shyness and inability to be normal in the presence of a beautiful woman. He wanted that confidence the next time he was around Claire, so he could express his true feelings and maybe not turn when she decided to flirt with him again. The thought of Claire in her wet, white tank top after she took off her fishing vest put a smile on his face.

"Joe Stellee. Pleasure to meet you. Malcolm."

Joe turned to the sound of an authoritative voice. The man's hand outstretched towards him for a greeting of professionalism. His suit looked to cost more than Joe's monthly mortgage payment and he knew this man's advice was not coming cheap.

His secretary walked up with the bottled water and spoke with such a professional voice. "Your interview room is ready sir." Then she walked back to her desk and proceeded to go back to work as if this was a normal job. Maybe to them it was, but to Joe it was weird. Mike had joked that it was really, awkward at first, but by the end of the week, with this man he felt like he could take on the world or select any gorgeous woman from a room and approach her.

Joe followed this man into a room that was very manly and comfortable. There were large, mahogany colored, leather chairs, coffee table and end tables made of dark wood. Almost like walking into some executive man's living room. There was a flat screen television, behind a gorgeous painting, that appeared as Mr. Malcolm pressed a remote controller. "Sit. Get comfortable. We will have some time to get to know each other; then my assistant will take you shopping the rest of the afternoon. With all the paperwork, you emailed last night she has a hotel booked for you down the street and the two appointments at Harley shops you can visit. Your private motorcycle class will come from the Harley shop as soon as you make purchase. I have set up a private instructor for you so that we may stay on schedule. You will be spending the next week with either Ms. Smith or myself, to achieve what you requested."

As Joe sat and got comfortable bearing his soul to this man, he could see why Mike had recommended him so highly. Because at that moment, no psychiatrist would have been able to drag all the information he indulged upon this man. This man was good and he had very accurate reasoning's for Joe and why he was the shy, nice guy, and also why Joe wanted more.

If the man had property at the bottom of an erupting volcano to sell, Joe could tell he would buy it. He wanted that air of confidence and way with words, the ability to make others comfortable and himself. He wanted to be able to walk in a room and not shy away from beautiful women, one in particular, Claire. The whole reason they were there. By the end of their session, it was clear exactly why he was doing this. Malcolm did not guarantee Claire just that he would help him establish the skills to handle Claire and woman like her.

Everything seemed to happen so fast, but by the end of day on, Joe was given homework to go to three local pubs that night and approach women that he would never approach for conversations. Not to pick up but just compliment them or buy a drink and then he had to go back to the hotel and fill out a list of questions on how he felt or what things would he had said differently. By the end of the night and five stiff shots of confidence of whiskey, Joe could see he needed a lot more work. That he learned to never lose eye contact and smile if he could not find the right words.

Ms. Smith had taken him shopping for clothes earlier in the evening, into stores that he never would have gone into. He loved his regular jeans and tee shirts or his khaki and polo's. She had him purchase a lot of black, steel gray and very GQ type of tee shirts that costs him more than half his closet full of clothes at home.

She had appointments for teeth whitening, grooming counselor at a local salon, facials, massages, a personal trainer and dietician and of all things a date with an escort service that would critique him in two days and then again on the last day. This was all bizarre and not his thing but he could see how other peoples advice could not hurt.

He could only hope he did not have to shop anymore that week, because unless he was shopping with Claire and buying her stuff he hated to shop. In addition, in making that comment to Ms. Smith, she bookmarked over ten sites on his laptop for him to shop at in the future. Making suggestions from each site on which clothes would work best for him for when he needed to order clothes in the future. This truly was all very weird and cosmopolitan like, but he wanted to go home showing Claire he was better choice for her than Sam.

After Joe's first escort date, he felt more confident already. She had told him she would email her comments to him by eight a.m. so that he could go over the changes to be addressed with Mr. Malcolm or Ms. Smith's assistance. The escort was gorgeous but she was not Claire and that was all he could talk about. The woman did not seem to mind. She explained she loved the changes she helped see in men over time and that gave her a sense of accomplishment. That her services, were not of the sexual nature, only the type to polish a man like himself. That gave her great pleasure.

It was as if he was in a strange sci-fi movie and he was the main character. He wanted nothing more than to hop in his jeep and drive back home to his house and call Claire. He wondered what she was doing and if she really did break it off with Sam. Although it did not look like it when she drove out of town on the back of his bike with her arms wrapped around him. But not one to lose faith he could only hope when he went home she would be available to him or he might have to make her see the error of her ways.

A few more days and Joe would be heading home towing his new Harley and new image in hand, to present his bad boy self to Claire. He hoped she would drool and beg. Because as he saw himself in the mirror that morning and read over the escorts comments he had a whole new level of confidence in himself to deal with a woman like Claire, who only seemed to want a bad boy like Sam. However, he knew he could give her so much more than, that man, and treat her so much better.

Claire could not help but to think that Tuesday's meeting went well; and most of the woman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief in the salon, as Mike helped escorted Jackie and Patty and all their personal processions out the door. Along with their last paycheck and a warning from Lou Ann that charges would not be pressed however, they were not allowed to step foot in her salon again.

By Wednesday afternoon, two of the women invited Claire out for drinks at the same roadside bar and grill that Sam had dumped her. She accepted and drove herself, of course. The women had truly been nice to her and explained Jackie and Patty threatened them several times, if they were nice to her. They divulged Jackie's evil plan to get Claire's job and they apologized profusely repeatedly for their caddy behavior.

She even ran into the waitress that was there the night Sam dumped her. Kim was her name and she was there getting her paycheck. Claire invited her to sit with them and have a drink. Kim accepted and chatted with the other women as if she was one of them.

It was like old times in the city; hanging with the chicks, drinking beer, buzzing about the latest gossip and pointing out the good-looking men. However, none of them was Joe. A little part of her heart could not stop thinking of him.

Driving home, she cried with elation. Claire knew it was only a beginning and her tears were a mix of joy for her new friends and missing Joe. She wondered how his emergency was working out. She had not said anything to anyone but one of the women told her that Barney was to be going out on a date tomorrow night with Shelly and she would work it out of him where Joe was.

She wondered if everyone could tell she missed Joe, because several people, including Lou Ann and Mike told her to be patient with him.

By Friday night, Mike had the entire salon wired for a new cashier system and had all the women trained including the two new ones they hired. One woman was from the next ski town over, that came highly recommended and the other was a shampoo assistant, phone gal, errand runner and shop clean-up. Lou Ann even offered to hire another one but the rest of the women piped up that they would pick up, on the gals day off and help out. Claire could only wish she had the poise and confidence to handle all the employees the way Lou Ann did.

Once again she found herself learning the ropes from this incredible woman and wondered if having a shop of her own was her ultimate dream or settling down with Joe, liked she had dreamed about so many times in the last week. She was beginning to realize that her true dreams lied within her heart and her heart was wishing for a man to marry like Joe and start having kids. That managing Lou Ann's shop was enough to make her happy at accomplishing her goals of owning her own shop.

As Lou Ann started closing up the shop, Mike kissed her good-bye and told her he would see her at home at a reasonable hour. He made her promise to call if they did not feel like driving. Lou Ann promised, then kissed him. She told him to scoot and let the women have their gal's night out without all the husbandry nagging. She swatted him on the ass as he walked out and he looked back at her with such love in his eyes, Claire wanted that. She wanted all of that and she wanted it with Joe. The love, the looks, the kisses and swats. The fact in knowing, that her man would be missing her dearly, on her girlfriend night out.

As Claire grabbed her purse and shoved out the backdoor with Lou Ann, they chatted and giggled like old times. Angel told them she would meet them there at the Mexican Cantina they liked to go to for the incredible meals and the monstrous margaritas. Although with both of them pregnant, Claire knew she would be the only one drinking tonight. It was not like old times of getting buzzed together, but she knew it would be a good time.

By the second margarita, their food was being served and they were already getting full off the basket of chips and salsa. Their giggles were getting louder and their behavior just shy of obnoxious. And they loved it. This was the second time they had gotten together since Claire moved there and they all made a pact that this had to be a once a month deal. They were taking their work too serious and this was fun.

When they finished eating their dinner, while waiting for the leftovers to be boxed up, Lou Ann dropped a shocker on Claire that blew her away.

"So I was over at the diner with Mike having dinner with Officer McCormick. Apparently, Joe did not have an emergency. Joe went into Denver to Mike's old image consultant they had all teased Mike about before. McCormick heard from his cousin Shelly, that Barney gave her all the juicy details over head." Angel and Lou Ann started to laugh so loud that a lot of folks were looking oddly at them while Claire sat there in a state of shock.

She had been fretting over Joe all week and he was not off for some emergency. He was off at an image consultant. But why, she had to wonder.

"So Barney, tells Shelly, that Joe wanted to change his looks to a bad boy image for someone. That he was planning on buying a Harley and coming back all manly and confident." Lou Ann laughed really, loud and this time both Angel and Claire looked at her.

"Barney told Shelly all that while getting head." Angel looked very serious at Lou Ann. "I don't know about you guys, but when I'm giving my man head, it's all about him and I only want to hear him moan, not gossip. God that's gross!"

Claire realized that Shelly had stated on their girl's night out that she could squeeze the information out of Barney. She did not realize she meant to really squeeze or suck it out of him. _Why would Joe do all this? Doesn't he realize I like him the way he is? Is he doing this for someone else?_ That thought made her shutter with the thought of how awful that would be.

With thoughts racing through her mind, it had her thinking about staying there at the salon. Could she watch Joe fall for another girl, day in and out? Could she handle watching him kiss or hold hands with some other woman? Those thoughts put Claire's face to the shade of a pale ghost.

"Claire!" Lou Ann chimed. "Out with it. Do you have something you have been withholding from us all this time? Is Joe doing all this for a particular best friend of ours? You look a little pale. Out with it or I'm getting you a shot of tequila to confess."

Shit! Double, triple shit! Is Joe doing this for me?

"Claire...?" Angel stoked her arm with her hand in a touch of endearment. "Are you ok?"

"I... I... I didn't think Joe liked me quite like that, yet!" Claire stammered. With just a touch of her face returning to normal color she questioned herself repeatedly if she missed the signs that Joe liked her more than a friend.

"Well according to Barney he is doing all this for you. To win your love over Sam and the Harley and image changes are all for you." Lou Ann could not help but smile and stare at her best friends sitting across from her. She loved those two women and one of them was being plain blind if she had not known Joe liked her all this time.

Lou Ann had never pushed or prodded when she dated Sam, she just knew it would be a matter of time before she wised up and dumped the creep. Then it dawned on Lou Ann the timing of it all. Claire's night of breakup and the next morning Joe taking off for Denver. Joe had no idea that Claire liked him back or at least she never let on. "Oh my God! Claire! You never let Joe know how you felt did you?"

"I tried. I really did. That day we went fishing when you called me back to the shop. He was at his jeep changing shirts, since I fell in and got my white one all wet. He gave me his and turned away, but when he got back from his jeep from getting another shirt I was planning on telling him. Then decided I didn't want to look like a slut, so I promised myself to break it off with Sam, then let Joe know how I feel." Then as Claire sat there, thinking the timing of it all became evident. "Shit! Joe left town before I could tell him about Sam and my true feelings for him. He must have seen me leave town with Sam."

"According to McCormick he did. Worse, he looked like heartbreak city after he saw you, then the next day he was gone. Don't worry. Joe should be back by Sunday. Tell him then, or write him a letter if you are embarrassed. Either way you had better catch him soon, because according to Mike and the information on this makeover business. Joe will have enough confidence when he gets back in town to date any woman he chooses." Lou Ann raised her eyebrows at her in a let me tell you what sign.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Claire had been sitting on her bedroom window seat since the sunrise that morning. Joe was due back in town today and she was hoping to see his arrival at the shop from her window. Hoping he would be coming by the Bait Em shop to check up on things as soon as he got in town. She didn't want to miss him.

She had her huge cup of coffee and her morning paper sprawled out on the window seat. Normally, on a Sunday morning, she would be listening to the morning news or some music. However, she wanted no distractions that morning. She wanted to catch Joe first thing, give him a huge hug, and kiss.

By nine a.m., she had to use the restroom and she could not hold it any longer. She ran to the bathroom, took care of business, and ran back. By the time, she got back, no Joe. Her hunger had taken over and she was thirsty. She ran to the refrigerator and grabbed a diet coke and a plan bagel. She ran back to the window seat. No Joe.

As the day approached noon, she realized how silly she was being. She would just run to the diner for lunch and hope see would see Joe soon. Because it was starting to feel like another moment without him would eat away at her heart and she was anxious to see what the man did with himself. Hopefully, not change his looks maybe just a little more forward and less shy. By what Lou Ann had described about the makeover, it was more about clothes and disposition, which made her relieved. She loved him just the way he is.

As Claire walked up to the diner, she spotted Levi and McCormick, Joe's two best friends. She figured inviting herself to sit with them to eat and prod on Joe would be ok.

Levi was a handsome devil but a few years younger. He was a firefighter for the county and he had asked Claire out when she first arrived in town. She had turned him down, since she had just started to date Sam, but looking at him and the handsome older Sheriff McCormick next to him, she saw potential in this town if Joe did not want her.

Then it dawned on her she had been keeping her eyes closed to other possibilities. Deep down her heart was wanting for Joe and so was her mind. So she had to hope Joe had done all of this crazy business for her and was looking forward to seeing her as badly as she wanted to be with him.

She needed to pass the time with friendly conversation and the two men had always been very friendly.

"Boys! Mind a little company?" Claire smiled at the two local handsome heroes and hoped they would take her mind off things.

Levi moved over one stool. "Please. Sit. I could use the good-looking company. McCormick here is bumming about his transfer to swing shift from graveyard. He is not the best of company."

"I'm not moaning. I hated graveyard, it's just I wanted days and I'm one away on the rooster from making days."

Claire smiled friendly at Officer McCormick. He was a few years older than she was, but he held the presence of a man in charge. His tall height always gave him the presence of looming over you and his shaved head and muscular body could scare any wrongdoer right. His blue eyes always sparkled with sincerity. However, Claire had always seen the fun loving side when she ran into him. That, made her feel like, he was more of a protector than an enforcer. Her thoughts of the two great men she was sitting between stopped short with the server's voice.

"What can I get you?" She asked Claire.

"A cheeseburger, fries and chocolate milkshake with extra whip cream." Nothing made Claire feel better than fries and a milkshake. It reminded her of Joe. Plus, she was ravished since she didn't have anything but her bagel and coffee that morning and a diet coke did not constitute a meal.

"You guys seen Joe?" Claire asked all nonchalant. As if she had no idea what was going on.

"Nope" They both replied.

"I heard he'll be back in town today." McCormick chimed in.

"Oh. I mean that's good. It's been a little lonely all week without him." She smiled and then took a sip of the chocolate milkshake that the server laid in front of her.

As Levi and McCormick continued idle chatter over her head. Claire sat looking at the mirror they faced that showed the reflection of the street out front. Then in an instant, the sound of Harley pipes caught her breath. She looked in the mirror, as Levi and McKinley were oblivious to the noise. She saw Joe but better looking, refined with more muscle definition and a tight black muscle shirt and black riding sunglasses. The man turned his head towards the diner and revved his bike. She froze. It was Joe and he was looking right at her, but he was not smiling. She picked up her purse off the floor, grabbed a twenty, set it on the counter, and ran out after him. As she got to the sidewalk, Joe glared at her and drove off.

Claire stood there watching him tear down the street on a new Harley and was in such a state of shock that he did not even smile at her. It was like invasion of the mean aliens and she did not know what to do. She could not go in there and face Joe's two good friends. They're not women. They wouldn't understand the tears starting to fall down her face.

Before she knew it, she was walking up her metal staircase, to her door, in the alley and she was filled with such frustration and disappointment. She had envisioned Joe taking her in his arms, hugging her, kissing her, and telling her how much he missed her. Instead, he glared at her and sped down the road.

He looked good, though. He looked like he lost a couple pounds in just a week and his attire was bad to the bone, badass man. The kind of look she was drawn to. However, she was not drawn to the mean look she got anymore. That she learned was not worth from any man, even Joe.

She slammed her door shut and leaned against it inside to catch her breath. The air wasn't coming fast enough and she felt like she was hyperventilating. Her chest was so tight and her eyes stung from the hundred or so tears she shed walking back to her apartment. She knew she gathered looks from people she passed walking to her apartment but she did not care. She felt alone and helpless.

There was a soft knock at her door. She wiped her eyes with the tips of her fingers and whispered out with whatever will she had left. "Who is it?"

"Claire, its Levi. McCormick and I boxed up your dinner and brought it over. Are you ok? Do you need to talk? We might be able to help. Claire? Claire, are you ok?" Levi sounded genuinely concerned and Claire knew the police training with McCormick that they might not leave her alone.

"I'm ok. I... I... just got my period that's all." That should scare them away. That should scare any man away.

"Ok. Well Claire if you need to talk just call us. We're both listed. Joe's listed too."

_God. How stupid could I be? This is still a smaller town then Denver. Of course, Joe was listed. Why didn't I think of that?_ "I'll be fine. Thanks for grabbing my lunch."

Claire heard them walk down the metal staircase and she looked out her kitchen window and waited until they were gone. She knew her tear stained face was puffy and splotchy from all the tears. She opened her door and saw on the top of the Styrofoam box that one of them had written in pen; "don't give up on Joe". Claire breathed in as much air as she could. They knew. They knew she saw him and they had to of seen the way he glared back at her. But why? Why would he do all this for her and not be happy to see her? Nothing made sense.

She grabbed her container and put it in the refrigerator. She had no appetite to eat and she needed a long hot bath in her tiny tub to think. Once she pulled herself together, she would call Joe.

As Claire soaked in her small apartment tub full of lavender bubble bath, she began to reevaluate where everything went wrong. Going back to their day at the lake, she remembered stumbling when she told Joe about leaving Sam and if he were to ask her, she would say yes. Yet he said nothing. When her last comment about definitely leaving Sam, he said nothing. So if he did see her with Sam that Sunday night with her arms wrapped around him to hold on while riding on his motorcycle, she could see how maybe she looked like she wasn't going through with things.

Would Joe had done all this if she never told him she was breaking it off with Sam and continued to be her friend? But in the end, she didn't have any answers to her questions swirling in her head. She knew leaving Sam was the best thing she ever did. No matter how much she felt for Joe she would not let him act like Sam if he chose to never be like the old Joe. Then she would just offer her friendship and move on.

Things were feeling great at the shop and Lou Ann being home and checking up on her from time to time made her feel good. Even Angel called and stopped by more just to see how she was doing. The women in the shop had made amends and the new gals were fitting in great.

As Claire dried her hair and put it up in some jumbo rollers for curl, she applied make-up and took a good hard look at herself in the mirror. She knew she had great looks, she had been told that, all her life. She knew she had a bubbly perspective on things. It was what all her friends commented about how much they loved that about her. She knew she felt something for Joe and he must have felt something for her or he would not have gone through everything he did. All she could do now was tell him how she felt and let him take the next step. Being single for a while won't kill her, it might actually help her spend more time with just the gals.

Pulling the last hot roller, out of her hair and giving it a loose shake through her long blonde hair, she applied a quick layer of setting spray and smiled at herself. She always loved having long blonde hair and knowing how to style it was something she enjoyed pampering herself with.

She picked up the phone and dialed information for Joe's number. As the digital operator read out the phone number, she jotted it down on the front inside cover of her pink-jeweled journal. Then the information system automatically connected her phone to Joes. It was ringing. Still ringing. By the fifth ring, his answering machine picked up.

"Hi! Joe its Claire. I'm sure I saw you today outside the diner. You look great! I would love to talk as soon as possible. I... I..." Then the answering machine cut her off before she could conjure up the nerve to tell Joe she had dumped Sam that Sunday night. She figured the answering machine cut her off since she was at a whisper while trying to say the last sentence. She didn't have the nerve to call back and leave more message on his machine, since she still wasn't certain where she stood with him.

As Claire hung up her phone, she looked at her journal. The one place she wrote all her true thoughts and feelings. Something her mother always encouraged her to do as a little girl and she enjoyed it significantly. She had all the journals she ever wrote in a wooden chest her grandma bought her many Christmas's ago. This last journal she had picked up at a stationary store in Copper Mountain Ski resort. She ran her fingers over the jeweled cover that sparkled in silver over the pink backing. She picked up the pen she had just used to write Joe's phone number on the inside cover and flipped to a clean page.

Staring at the blank page, she gathered her thoughts as to what she wanted to say to Joe. As she began to write, she heard the sound of Harley pipes out in front of her shop. She dropped her journal and looked out her living room window to see if it was Joe.

It was him! He looked incredible. His dark brown hair seemed brighter somehow and she saw him smile at a very pretty brunette. His teeth seemed whiter even. He was wearing a pair of tight black Levis and a rough looking leather riding jacket. He was even wearing a tough looking pair of riding boots that Claire, never in a million years, could see him picking out. He was a sneaker or hiking boot kind of man. She wondered who the woman was and what all he did on the image makeover, because there seemed to be nothing shy about Joe. She ran out her alley steps, and unlocked the salon back door and ran through the shop to try to unlock the front door to run out. Just as she unlocked the front door and stood on the sidewalk, Joe revved up the Harley and started driving down the street with the brunette clinging to his backside. Claire felt crushed. Her heart tightened and her throat felt like it was closing.

She did not know how long she stood there, it could not have been more than a minute or two and then she heard the Harley pipes heading back in her direction. She wiped her eyes and looked down the street to see Joe driving right back her way. She waved as he started to slow and the brunette looked at her and smiled while she was still hugging around Joe's waist. It did not seem like a mean smile and she had never seen this much younger gal before, but all the same she was ripped to shreds in jealousy and all she got from Joe was a flat lip glare through his dark black sunglasses and he sped up and jerked the bike forward and took off.

Claire stood once again in disbelief. Nothing made sense. Everyone must be wrong and he did not do this image thing for her. He did it for the brunette on the back of his bike. Maybe her telling Joe she was breaking it off with Sam made her unsafe as a friend. Maybe he decided now that she suggested more than friendship it was time for him to make the moves on his true woman of interest. She just wanted the old friendship back and missed it more than anything.

She turned and walked back through the shop. She locked the front door and walked back to the back. She locked the back door up, and headed up her stairs and closed her apartment door. She walked over to her window seat and sat and looked out. Hoping, to get another glimpse at Joe, and Joe alone. No brunette. No clingy cute girl, on the back of his brand new Harley. She wanted to be the blonde, on the back of his new bike and she wanted to be the one with her arms wrapped around him.

Moments passed and she looked back at her journal she had started to write in earlier. She picked the pen back up and this time she would write as if she was fighting to get Joe's friendship back. And if, her nerve supported her, she would take the note over to him personally.

CHAPTER EIGHT

After a very restless night of no sleep and plenty of tears, along with no return phone call from Joe, Claire got up the nerve to stop by the Bait Em shop. After she got the salon opened, she took coffee orders from the women. The local coffee brew was only three doors down and they were great at giving the women discounts. She would use the coffee run as an excuse, to drop the note off. She had seen Joe in the window working the register that morning and he looked like a GQ model. He looked hot and she hoped once he saw her in person maybe he would not blow her off.

With the letter in her pocket, inside a pink envelope she made by hand, she held her hand on it in her pocket as if it gave her strength. She had written Joe's name on the envelope with little hearts on the back flap. Opening the door to the Bait Em shop, she held her breath. He stood behind the register looking better than any man had a right to. She smiled as she walked towards him listening to her heartbeat louder and louder. "Hi, Joe. You're back!"

Joe didn't even look up at her. He was studying the register books and he spout out in a very mean voice. "Listen Claire, it's not a good time. I've been gone all week, if you even noticed and I'm really busy."

"Ok. Will you call me later?" Claire could tell he was busy and figured that a week off from your business could get you distracted as soon as you got back.

"Yeah. Sure."

Claire turned and saw Barney who looked equally uncomfortable. "Hi Barney."

"Hi Claire" And he took off into the backroom without another word.

Claire walked out the shop and as she passed the window, she looked over her shoulder back towards Joe. He looked away so quick. However, he had been looking. What was he thinking? Why is he so mad at me? Thoughts tossing around in her head made her heartache and her head pound.

As Claire walked back from the coffee shop with two trays of coffees in a carrier she looked over at Joe's shop and swore she saw him looking her way. She remembered the letter in her pocket and realized she forgot to give it to him.

She handed all the coffees out to the women and asked if anyone would mind picking up her clients. She had a killer headache and needed to lie down for a while. Being a slow Tuesday, she could only think of one client that might protest and at that particular moment, she figured she would call and reschedule her with a discount.

Once Claire was in her apartment, she closed all her drapes and slipped out of her clothes into a tank top and underwear. She popped a couple aspirin and headed to her freezer for some java chip flavored ice cream. She grabbed a big spoon, sat on her bed, and ate a couple bites looking at a recent hair styling magazine. She finished a bite, took the ice cream back to the freezer, and figured a day of rest might cure her headache.

After tossing and turning for an hour, she screamed to herself in her head. _Who are you kidding? This headache is not going anywhere until you talk to Joe._ She pounded her pillow, buried her face, and let out a blood-curdling scream. Thankful her pillow was a good sound barrier or those women from the shop might have heard her over all the hair dryers and chitchat.

Joe was kicking himself every which way. How could he be so cold and callous? After calling Levi last night, he realized when he saw Claire in the diner she was not flirting with his best friends as he originally thought. She had actually gone home crying and then here she was at his store and he could not even look her in the eye like a real man. Because if he did he was sure, his bad boy image would shoot straight out the door and shy embarrassed Joe would be back. Not to mention how badly he had wanted to cry as she walked out the door looking hurt.

Barney had given him the what for and Joe could not bring himself to leave, so he went into his office to bury himself in paperwork he had to get done before his weeklong fishing trip with the men. They left next Monday and the image consultant thing came at a bad time.

Barney had hired some part-time college guy to help out while Joe seemed to be spending way too much personal time away from the store. But then, that was what he liked about Barney. It was just as much his store as it was Joe's. So, when he took a lot of time off, Barney stepped up and took matters into his own hands and Joe always rewarded him with a huge bonus. That was the great thing about their friendship. Almost like him and Claire. They both used to know the right time to see each other, the right time to laugh at life's idiosyncrasies. The diner would never be the same without her. Hell, he would never be able to order a side of fries and milkshake without thinking of Claire. Even looking at bananas in the grocery aisle would remind him of Claire and cause a semi erection.

Sitting in his office mulling all this over, Joe watched Claire in her apartment close all her window drapes. Something she rarely did. He wondered why she was not at work and if he should call or go over there. He was being an ass and he wondered if it was her attraction to the bad boy image or she missed him. She did say on his answering machine how great he looked. Playing hard to get was getting her attention. Maybe if he kept that up until after his fishing trip, she would beg him to have her.

Once Joe was caught up on his paperwork, and checked in at the store below, he noticed Claire's curtains were still closed and it was three in the afternoon. Barney told him to take his foul mood elsewhere and Joe jumped on his bike and tore out of town for a mountain drive.

He could now tell why so many average guys went and got themselves a motorcycle. You did not need to be a bad ass to appreciate the feel of the motorcycle between your legs and the open road in front of you. The wind in your hair, and wide-open sky ahead. The only thing better would be Claire on his back with her arms wrapped around him. With that thought, he rode for two hours before heading back to his place.

Claire woke to the sound of Joe's motorcycle taking off. She had already had his motorcycle pipe sound pegged and it was nerve raking. She was useless up in her apartment. She went into her bathroom and freshened up her makeup. She tossed on a sexy top and tight low hip jeans, a cute pair of boots and went down to help in the shop.

The women were all surprised to see her but relieved because they had too many walk-ins, along with the new line of products and clothes Lou Ann brought in, the register seemed like it never stopped ringing up a sale.

Claire jumped right into the thick of things and got her mind off Joe. In fact, she didn't even hear him drive by. The women in the shop were doing double time and someone had turned up some awesome tunes to get the blood pumping with the mood. Great idea, since the coffee they all had from that morning had worn off and it was quitting time. Everyone voted Mexican Cantina and margaritas.

Claire was in. She looked hot in her outfit she changed into and being she had not eaten all day but coffee she was starved. The shop was jumping and she was glad she dragged her ass out of bed to help. A good manager did not take their personal problems to work. She would bury herself into the shop and hang out with the women every night she could until she got over Joe. He could come to her when he wanted to be friends.

Joe was mesmerized when he drove by slow and saw Claire in her cute outfit working a mile a minute. She was laughing and dancing and by the fifth drive by, he parked his Harley in his alley behind the shop and went back to work where he could have a legitimate excuse for staring out the window at her. When he watched her sashay out of the shop with all the other gals having the time of her life, it dawned on him maybe she didn't need him as a friend anymore and then where would he be. She would not keep chasing him down forever.

The week passed quickly but not without a moment passing, did that man not leave her thoughts. She constantly wondered what made him have such a nasty attitude towards her and she was sure word had gotten back to them that Sam and her were officially broken off. Yet he avoided her at all costs.

Sometimes she was sure he was looking at her working in the shop and she would turn and smile. However, she could never get eye contact out of him.

A few of the gals made comments that she was out of his league, that she should move on and even with the image makeover he might have finally realized that. Claire knew that deep down they had built an incredible friendship before all this and that there was no reason they could not go on being friends.

She was petrified to make another move, because one more cold shoulder moment and she did not know if she could recover physically from all the tears that flowed afterward.

She knew one thing was for sure. She could not let it go on without Joe knowing how she truly felt. She just needed to find the nerve to approach him again, but not in public. Somehow in private where she could take a hold of him in a hug and never let go. Because that was what she wanted to do, hold him in a hug that would squeeze all the bad moments between them out. There had been, too many bad moments, between Joe and her, since the night she broke it off with Sam.

The one good thing that came out of Sam was her desire to never be treated poorly again, by any man that way and meeting Kim, the waitress from the bar. Kim and her were like two peas in a pod, only Kim was about ten years older. Kim came across as the type of experienced woman who had been there, done that. She was very athletic and was always taking off to do some type of adventure. However, what made them so similar was their bar experience, mixed with the attraction to bad boy types and their love to giggle at the little things and clothes. They were both clothes hounds.

Thinking about Kim and her looks; the muscular athletic build and her short brown hair weaved with expert highlights of blonde. Ones she did herself for Kim. Her blue green eyes and tanned skin made Claire think how nicely Kim and Officer McCormick might hit it off. He was always doing some extreme sport or adventure. She saved that thought away for the right moment.

By Saturday, Claire figured she had enough of Joe's cold shoulder. She needed to straighten things out with him. He would hear her out or at least she would hand him her letter. Then if he did not ask her out or want to be friends, so be it. His loss, not hers. Well not really. It was a huge loss to her, but she would supersede this moment in life like all other bad moments, and be a trooper and march on.

Being it was another gal's night out for all the single hearted women, she was looking forward to catching up with her new friends. Kim and a few other single women from the shop, along with a few of their friends, all decided on the road side bar and grill. Kim voted there since she knew the local men that hung out there were hot and her boss gave them the two for one special.

Claire was really beginning to enjoy all this social time. She forgot how much she missed it. She missed Joe even more, but there wasn't more she could do other than what she planned for tomorrow. She figured a fun night out with the gals would take her mind off of things and maybe tomorrow would turn out better than planned. It had been a few days since Joe was back and since she tried talking to him. Maybe he had spent a few days thinking, and was ready to talk as well.

Everyone kept encouraging her to hang in there and that he would pull his head out of his ass soon. However, Claire could not help wondering what put it there in the first place. She also could not help wondering who the brunette was, since she never saw her again after that day riding on the back of Joe's Harley.

Everything seemed so twisted and child like that she knew all she could do was try to get it all out there and straighten it out with Joe. If he fought her on it or gave her the cold shoulder, she would at least do her part and give him the letter, even if it was by mail. She knew she wanted Joe and she wanted him more than a friend. She also knew she deserved to be treated far better than the way he had been treating her since he got back in town.

CHAPTER NINE

Barney turned to the sound of the door chime. Sunday mornings were usually slow since all the regulars got their bait the night before and headed out to fish in the wee hours of the morning. However, every now and then a tourist stopped in.

"Hi Barney! Joe around?" Claire was pumped and not taking no for an answer.

"Oh Claire,. I just hate being in the middle of whatever this is that is going on with you and Joe. I'd like nothing better if you two squared it away. Joe's gone to his yearly Alaskan fishing trip. He won't be back until next week." Barney frowned and turned back to what he was doing. This high school fighting between the two of them pissed off Barney each day that pasted. Because each day Joe got grouchier and grouchier.

"You're right Barney. I am here to clear the air. A week you say. He already left?" Claire didn't like involving someone who didn't deserve to deal with her personal problems. All in all, Barney was a genuine nice guy.

"To my knowledge he left to catch a flight today. Or so, he said. He might be at home. I don't know. I'm starting to feel like I own this shop." Barney smiled.

Claire smiled back. "Barney you know Joe thinks you're the best. I'm sorry if all this hub bub has gotten you down. Why don't you stop in this week for a special shampoo massage and trim? On the house."

Barney liked that idea. Joe talked about that shampoo massage for days after he got his first. Some of the regulars that used to go to the barber shop went there just for a shampoo scalp massage and trim. "I'd like that Claire. I just might take you up on that."

"See ya later than." Claire walked out with a spring in her step. The last thing she wanted to do was make Barney bummed. However, once she rounded the corner to her alley and head up the stairs to her shop the shortness of breath and tears were back. She needed to clear her head. She needed to go somewhere she felt good.

She got in her apartment and threw together a bag with her journal, music, some munchies, sodas, suntan lotion and a thick tanning towel. She knew where she felt the best and she didn't care if it was Joe's private fishing hole. She was going to get her head straight on her day off if it killed her. She put on her bikini under a sweatshirt and some comfortable sweat shorts. She pulled out her hiking boots in case she inclined to go for a hike.

Driving up the backcountry roads, she was mesmerized with all the tall pine trees enveloping the bumpy dirt road. The road had seemed much smoother in Joe's jeep, but then her little car was not built for four-wheeling. The dirt road she had to turn off onto, to park, that lead to the path to the lake, definitely constituted a four-wheel drive road. The way Claire saw it, if her car breaks down, she could hike home or least to the nearest busy road. Then she would finally have the excuse to buy the four-wheel drive she knew she would need for the winters ahead in the mountain valley, that was, if she decided to stay.

Broaching the top of the hiking path that opened up into the fishing lake, her breath was taken away once again. It was more beautiful than the first time she saw it and the weather with its clear blue skies and powder puff white clouds made it just right for a little sun tanning. Claire found a great flat rock to lie on. It overlooked the lake and had just the right view for lying on her stomach with her hands under her chin. The scenery gave her the inspiration to contemplate the situation between Joe and her.

She spread out her thick beach towel. She stripped her shorts and sweatshirt and neatly folded them next to her bag. She reached to her bikini bottom to adjust it to comfort level. This one was one of her thong tanning suits that she wore only when in a private situation and the lake was very empty and surely not to be occupied anytime soon until Joe returned.

She began applying sunscreen over her arms and belly wishing her hands were Joes lying on the layer of sunscreen protection. She stretched out a leg onto the rock as she applied the sunscreen to her right leg and massaged it in thoroughly wishing once again, her hands were Joes. She took a deep breath after applying the sunscreen to her left leg and then lay on her belly.

Reaching inside her bag, she packed she felt inspired to write in her journal. The place she had left her thoughts escape more than once in the last twenty-four hours. She began writing about Joe again, but more in a poem style. Shortened and condensed.

Getting her thoughts out on paper all week helped her more and more. She expressed every feeling, every emotion in her paper journal and each time she felt a bit more relieved that all would be ok.

As she wrote her poem about Joe, she imagined them out on the lake making love. She knew it was a possibility that might never happen, but all the same, she loved dreaming these hot sultry dreams about him. It relaxed the tension she felt when she thought of how he ignored her all week.

The moment she was done writing; she set her journal and pen back in her bag and picked up the pink envelope containing the letter she had wanted to give Joe all week. She gave it a little kiss and set it back in the bag. She promised herself she would give it to him before making up her mind to go back to Denver. She knew leaving would break Lou Ann's heart and cause her undue stress finding a replacement. She seemed so happy in her new free lifestyle that her and Mike had carved for themselves. Coming and going as they pleased, to enjoy some of their retirement riches before they were old.

Looking out over the pristine lake with not a ripple of water it reminded her of smooth glass. She reached behind her and untied her bikini top to avoid any tan lines. Something she did regularly from her stripping days. Laying there for about fifteen minutes, she felt the need to flip. She grabbed her lotion and mp3 player, inserting her ear buds into her ears and turning it on to her list of favorite songs. She flipped her loose bikini top off to the side by her bag and poured some lotion in her hand and rubbed it together in the palm of her hands as she lay on her back, closed her eyes and started to move her feet to the rhythm of the song.

She began rubbing her breasts with the sunscreen lotion, covering her nipples to avoid any sunburn. She envisioned Joe's hands again rubbing in circles over her nipples and tenderly getting the lotion to soak in as he massaged her breasts. Warm seductive thoughts started visualizing in her head. Her whole body hummed with visions as she listened to her music.

Her thoughts turned to the 'what if's". What if she couldn't have the real Joe then she would dream and fantasize about him. Knowing that the fantasy was all she could have for the moment; she felt a bit of sorrow and wished like hell she had been more forceful and gave him the letter when he first got back earlier that week. It wasn't in her cards to be aggressive or assertive. She always needed the man to give her the lead.

Pacing back and forth on his deck of fifty feet was not getting Joe any closer to talking to Claire. He promised himself he would not leave on this trip until he cleared the air. He hadn't given her an inch to talk to him this week but he didn't want his heart broken. Besides, the more he treated her like a bad ass, the more she kept coming around instead of him seeking her out like before.

All though the last few days he had not seen her at all, except from a distance. She seemed distracted but happier than before he left for his character improvements he endured. He could not even catch her glances anymore. She seemed really, busy at the shop with some improvements Mike and Lou Ann had thought up.

A loud echo of a large boulder falling down the barren rock side of the mountain was heard. Joe went to look over his deck to see if it rolled towards his lake. Then a site he would never had guessed in a million years caught his eyes and caused a rise of emotion in his gut. He could not believe it. He ran inside and grabbed his binoculars out of his kitchen drawer to see if his eyes were misconceiving him.

Nope. They were not deceiving him. He saw her. Every inch of her bare flesh, as she was rubbing herself on her breasts of all places. She looked naked, except for maybe a very skimpy bikini bottom.

What was she thinking? Obviously, she didn't know that some of the mountainside homes had a perfect view of his lake, like Levi for instance. A man that had said he would gladly step in and ask Claire out if he didn't pull his head out of his ass. 'Claire might be a year or two older, but nobody can resist a fireman ol' buddy. So make your move or I will.' Levi's exact words stung his brain as he put the binoculars back up to his eyes to watch Claire once again. He felt a little like a peeping Tom, but if the assertive class taught him anything last week, was if you have your sights on a goal, don't take them off and go for it.

With a grin on his face, he set his binoculars on his slate gray marble counter top in his kitchen and grabbed his keys off the hook by the garage door. He hit the open button to his garage and then started his Jeep up. He tore out of his garage without closing the garage. His mind was set on Claire and getting there quick, before she left or Levi saw her.

He knew Levi was at home packing, since his phone call an hour ago. His friend and fishing buddy of four years had given him the ultimatum 'tell her how you feel or I make my move'. What a great friend. He knew Levi was pushing him, but he also knew Levi was a man and he obviously had interest in Claire. The next week fishing with a bunch of guys, two of which express they had feelings for Claire and they wouldn't mind expanding on it if he didn't get his butt in gear.

Then there was his granddad going on this trip. What if he decided to come back here instead of going back to Florida? If his granddad ever got his sites on Claire, she would be putty in his hands. He might be old, but he knew how to work the women, something he was not good at but had just learned how and here was the big test.

As he reached the trailhead, he saw her car parked there and he shook his head wondering how she made it up the very rocky, bumpy last turn off. Her little car and its small tires belonged in the city, not here. Once he got back from this fishing trip, he was giving her his Jeep. He had his sites on a new Dodge pickup to tow his trailer for his new Harley.

Walking the five minutes up the path only took him two. His stride was almost a run but he did not want to scare her. He reached the opening of the trail and took a few steps towards a very old aspen tree. He gazed up and down her body letting his eyes graze wander over every inch of her that was mostly naked. He smiled to himself. _This is it. Don't screw this up. Never take your eyes off your goal in sight. Never back down. Take the upper hand, but still be a gentleman. Badass does not play well anymore._ Talking himself through the motions, he began to walk towards her.

Claire was swaying her feet to her music, and adjusted her butt just an inch to move herself off a sharp point of the rock she had wiggled herself onto. One side of her earpiece fell loose to her music and she swore she heard a branch crack. She could be mistaken but the sound came from the hiking trail and it sounded like something was walking towards her. She felt paralyzed for a moment, and then reached into her bag with her other hand on the opposite side of the noise. Fumbling for a second then her hand pulled out a small handgun and she knew she had only seconds to sit up, release the safety and shoot. The momentary question in her mind was could she shoot a wild animal or would she rather die. She never wanted the gun, but Lou Ann had insisted she would need it if she was going to continue taking up hiking by herself.

Swiftly she sat up, released the safety and pointed the gun with both shaky hands in the direction of the noise. A sight unexpected caught her off guard and caused her mouth to open and render her speechless. She couldn't move. The man of her dreams and fantasies stood there grinning at her, looking bad ass in tight black levis shorts, black tank top that showed off his ever increasing muscular biceps and a pair of black sunglasses that caused the only bodily reaction she couldn't control; taut nipples and a warming sensation between her thighs. As if her sexual body parts had a mind all their own and knew how to react to this man even if she did not want to react at that particular moment.

Joe froze and put his hands up. A slow sensual grin crawled across his face. This was the first time Claire had been able to see Joe's new physique up close and private. His personal consultant had muscled him up, but his workouts had only intensified once he got home. He had so much frustration to work out that hitting the weights in his basement over pigging out at the diner was his new way.

Claire could not help but examine him inch by glorious inch. His body was a benefit to this new Joe, but she had to remind herself it was the old Joe she had fell in love with. The old Joe she needed to talk to or at least get up the nerve and hand him the letter. She would try to wait until he responded to see if she should stay or go back home to Denver.

Then it dawned on her. She had a gun pointed at him and he was trailing kisses with his eyes over her entire body. No words spoke between them yet. She set the safety and put the gun back in bag behind her. She reached for her sweatshirt and put it in front of her to cover her chest. Being that this was the very first time he has seen her with barely anything on and she was not uncomfortable but did not want to distract from what needed to be done. A hazard of her old job she thought to herself. She decides to tease him to break the spell bound silence between them. "Like what you see?" The first words spoken between the two, but it broke down the wall of crystal ice that had frozen between them in the last week.

"Like what I see? Why yes, I definitely like what I see!" Taking the steps towards her to close the space between them, that was keeping him from putting his hands on the one thing he wanted... her! He liked this not being shy or polite. If he turned his back to give her privacy, he would not be getting the view he was getting that very moment. Any moment he would be touching her and that would be even better.

"Well you big bazooka if you would ever talk to me, you could see more of me like this." Claire liked that he did not turn away to be discreet. That he was being anything but. She could feel his eyes traveling every inch of her caressing her and it made her feel warm and oddly comfortable. Sure, she had danced naked for hundreds of men. However, she wanted Joe to want her and want every inch of her.

_If you ever talked to me, you could see more of me like this... like this... yes I like this very much._ That thought caused him to be extremely aroused. His blood was pumping and he liked everything that was happening to his body while looking at Claire naked. Perhaps she had something to say as well. First, he needed to kiss those luscious poignant lips she was showing him. She had not even really tried to cover up, since one of her breasts was still peeking out behind her sweatshirt. As he closed the final inch between them, he paused.

Taking a scoot back on the rock, she stammered. "Oh no you don't. You stop right there. I have a few things to clear up first." She took one hand and held it to his chest. She wanted badly to feel him under that black tight tank top he was wearing but she needed a moment of space to pull herself together.

Joe wrapped his much bigger hand around her wrist and took a step back pulling her off the rock she sat on and had her standing in front of him with her face reaching his neck he knew they were such a great match. "Stop where, here?" Putting his hand on her shoulder, he gently began caressing her bare skin with his fingers. He put his other hand on her waist and pulled her closer. "Here? Should I stop here?"

Her voice was stuck in her throat, her breathing labored and her temple started to bead a sweat. His touch was so soft and sensual and his pursuant demeanor was not Joe. She felt confused. She loved the old gentle Joe, but this Joe had her hotter than a record breaking day in Arizona. She felt the moisture between her legs and his hand move from her shoulder to the back of her head. He slowly pulled her in for a kiss. She wet her lips while staring into his brown eyes almost pleading for him to go through with it. He stopped as their foreheads touched and they were breathing each other's air.

His voice, husky and manly. "Here? Should I stop here? Or should I go on Claire? Can I kiss you Claire? Do you want me as much as I've wanted you?"

Her lips parted and her chin tilted up. She all but prepared for his kiss while her heart was beating fast. The wait was killing her. She needed to feel his lips, his tongue devouring her and exploring every inch of her mouth. She tried to speak but only a whisper sound escaped her lips. "Please..."

He pressed his lips so firmly and his hand on the back of her head was forcing her into him. It turned tender for only a brief second than his tongue rushed into her mouth and their tongues tangled and danced to an exotic beat. She had never had a man kiss her so erotically before. She pulled in a deep breath through her nose and he pulled away as if something forced him to stop but he wanted to go on. He wanted her and she could tell. He wanted to lick every inch of her and she smiled thinking she could do the same.

"You... you need to know something." He cleared his throat and looked down into her eyes. He knew she could feel his excitement in his shorts and he needed to make it clear. _Do it now. Tell her you did all this for her and that you want her._ However, the words could not form and it came out all wrong. "I can't have you thinking you can... I did this for you and you just..."

Claire knew the old shy Joe was fighting for words with the new bad ass Joe. It wasn't natural for him and the old Joe is what she loved best although he could keep the physique. She took her hand and held it up to his mouth to stop him from stammering. "Joe." She talked in a very slow, seductive, hushed voice. Oddly a voice they had to teach her at the strip club but it came in handy. "Joe, I know where you went and why you did it. You left before I could tell you the good news after fishing. I broke it off with jerk face. And Joe? I did it because I wanted to tell you how much I wanted you without a guilty conscience that I had another boyfriend. Joe you make me so happy and I... I want you."

Totally utterly lost in his thoughts Joe looked for composure. He just had to wait for her to break it off. She wanted him before all this and then he was a complete jerk. Just like the man he kept wanting her to leave. It was all starting to clear up but then her hand was still on his mouth and her eyes were watering with tears. He pulled her in as close as he possibly could and hugged her so tight. He kissed the top of her gorgeous head warmed from the sun and the suntan lotion made her smell like a tropical island. One he could live on forever.

"Claire I don't leave till tomorrow night. Will you join me for dinner tonight at my house?" Knowing if they continued on they would be tangled in a heap on the mountain floor, next to the lake, in the open and Claire deserved the privacy of his home, not where they could be seen.

"Yes." She spoke softly still enjoying the warmth of his strong arms surrounding her and holding her so unyielding. She wanted this moment to last, but knew she would be crushed when he left for another week. She didn't want to go a minute without him now that he knew she wanted him. But what if, he didn't want her the same way? What if, he was enjoying his newfound image? The doubts started to flood her brain, and then she felt him dress her by putting her sweatshirt on over her head and pulled it down slowly over her breasts as he let out a low moan.

"Woman you are gonna... you are so incredibly beautiful and I have wanted you since the day you cut my hair. Every time we've been together, I have wanted you like this and so much more." He reached down, grabbed her bikini top, and stuffed it in her bag. Then he reached in her bag and made sure her safety was on her gun. Claire picked up her notebook and towel and helped stuff them in her bag.

As Joe watched her silently and seductively put on her shorts and hiking boots he heard a familiar sound that he loved so much. They both looked up and their eyes followed and watched as an eagle flew over their heads and dipped down into the lake for a catch of fish.

"That was incredible! I've never seen an eagle before, or one do that. Geese, Joe and you live overlooking this lake. How cool is that? It's like National Appreciation Day!" She tossed him a sweet smile and blew him a kiss.

_This is one day you can't laugh at buddy_. Joe couldn't help but think how her silly antics were but they spoke the truth at that very moment.

He had showed Claire his private fishing lake and if she had not come up here to clear her head he didn't think his nerve would have made it into town to tell her all that he just told her. He had so much more and he wanted her to stay until he left. He wanted to go on this year long planned trip with his best friends to know that she would be waiting for him at home.

"Wait until you see my custom built home up there." He pointed in the direction of his house and she shielded her eyes and looked at an incredible house on the hill with a huge balcony.

It was not that far off and she was surprised she had started to bath half-nude with a few houses that looked down onto the lake. She just felt so content here and she needed to think. It worked out for the better though.

"You looked great from that far away, just think how good you looked from Fireman Levi's cabin on that hill. He has a better shot of the particular spot you were laying out on."

Claire could not help but giggle. She was not shy when it came to her body. Years of stripping took away any modesty she had. However, firefighter Levi was hot, just not her type and she could tell already that Joe was a possessive man and she was ok with that. "Come on I'm hungry. What cha gonna feed me?"

Joe just grinned at a sexual thought of what he would like to feed her.

As they climbed in the jeep, Joe had to ask. "How the heck did you find out about where I went and what I was doing?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Barney's lips are a little loose when it comes to Shelly at the shop. He told her everything. He didn't even hold out for the good stuff."

"Rotten, burger. Oh well. That man has been trying to get in her pants for months. Hopefully for his sake it has progressed or he can be a grumpy old fart." Joe was almost glad that Barney had let it slip. It wasn't like it was secret agent stuff. If Shelly knew than the whole town probably knew and he grew up here. Although this town was not that small anymore and one day it is something crazy you do, the next it would be a tourist or a young kid making the gossip train.

CHAPTER TEN

Driving back up the dirt county road to Joe's place, Claire figured in her head she was definitely going to need a four-wheel drive car if she was going to date a man that lived in the wilderness.

She peered out ahead of them on the road, looking at the homes and landscape. Each home was uniquely different that they passed. Most were tucked back so far off the road you really didn't see the entire house. They turned up a driveway, landscaped with moss rock, aspen trees and wildflowers. It looked professionally done. The paved driveway of about hundred feet stretched towards an incredible log cabin house. Its thick logs nestled on top of each other reminded Claire of a set of Lincoln Logs she built with once in kindergarten.

His home or 'rustic palace' she could easily see herself calling it, expanded both up and out in front of her. The honey golden color of the stained logs made her wonder; if the outside looked this incredible what would the inside hold?

As they drove into his three-car garage with the door still open from when he left to rush down to the lake, Joe felt like he was bringing his princess home to their castle. So much emotion was toiling around in his brain and he knew he needed to make this a night to remember. For both of them. Since he would be gone a week fishing he wanted a night filled of memories to hold him over.

He looked over at Claire and noticed the look of awe on her face as she was examining every square inch of his place and he felt himself swell with pride. He gave her a gentle hug and directed her towards the bathroom if she needed to go freshen up.

She smiled at him coyly and wondered how he could read her mind so well. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Take your time. Do you like red or white wine?"

"Either." She closed the door behind her.

While she was in the restroom, Joe saw that a writing journal fell out of her bag when he set it down for her. Picking it up and touching the pink satiny cover with jewels, he thought of what a girlie, girl Claire is. And he loved that about her.

As he set her bag on the counter top, an envelope with his name on it fell out of her journal he was about to replace back into her bag. It was not sealed and it had his name on it. Feeling his pulse quicken, he decided to read it, hoping she did not walk out of the bathroom at that very moment.

Looking at her elegant handwriting, he fought back any misleading indication as to what the letter might hold.

Joe,

I'm writing to you to tell you what you won't let me tell you in person. I'm not the best with expressing myself and I am often blind to what is truly a gift given to me. I finally realized why I always dated men that treated me poorly and then you were sent to me like the most precious gift of all and I blew it. I loved our day at the lake and realized that I needed to make a clean break from my old boyfriend before I could tell you how I really felt about you since the day we met. You brighten my days and fill my dreams at night. I didn't think you were interested in me more than friendship until you kissed me that night after the lake. I was scared when my boyfriend showed up to talk that Sunday night after our fishing together. We rode to the next town for dinner and just as I tell him about you and that we need to break it off, he tells me he is married and I didn't matter anyway. He left me there and Lou Ann's aunt recognized me and took me home. I went to your shop the next day but Barney said you were gone for the week. If it wasn't for Angel and Lou Ann I truly think I would had left and never saw you again. They convinced me to stay and talk to you about me true feelings. But every time I tried, you were very cold. I decided to write you this letter and give to you and await your response. I understand if you never want to be friends with me again. I don't deserve you. You are the most incredible person that I have ever met and if all I get was those few weeks of friendship and that incredible date at the lake I will feel content with that. I was told you went and changed for me and all I want is the old Joe back if he'll take me. Not that the new Joe image isn't incredibly good looking, he's just not nice to me like the old Joe was. If you don't want to bother with me I understand. I am truly not the best you could do or deserve and as your friend, I only wish you the best.

Take care of yourself. Love Claire.

Joe carefully refolded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope. He placed the pink envelope with tiny delicate hearts and his name on it back into her princess style journal and set it in the top of her bag. He tried to breathe in a breath of air but his lungs felt restricted. He was so stupid with the way he acted all this last week. All he could think about was how he almost lost her.

He figured she would give it to him if she decides. However, just knowing what was in the letter tore at his gut. Then a tear ran down his face and he wiped it away and took a few deep breathes. All he could think about staring at the bathroom door, where she was behind, was all the wasted time he stewed over her and if he had just waited patiently until the next day, knowing she had promised she was breaking it off with her old boyfriend. Instead, he assumed the worst. He didn't deserve her and he didn't want to waste another moment on the face of this earth, not letting Claire know his true feelings and showing her his love.

He went to his wine cooler located next to his refrigerator and selected a very special bottle of white wine. Just then, he heard the bathroom door open and he turned his back to her afraid he could not face her at that exact moment. Afraid she would read his face that something was wrong.

He quickly opened the chilled wine and poured two full glasses. He set the wine bottle down and took a quick large gulp of his hoping it would instill the confidence he needed. He turned to her and handed her a glass of wine.

She looked beautiful with her hair swept up in a twist and her face freshly washed. All tear stains gone. Joe was taken away with her natural beauty and the fact that he loved this woman and she wanted him back. She accepted the wine from him while her eyes gazed over every inch of his kitchen gallery and the large open floor plan. He could tell she was in awe and he felt proud, since he had designed the place for sharing with a woman like Claire.

"Claire how's about I cook you up some fresh fish I caught yesterday, while I was at the lake thinking about you." Joe smiled hoping that the reminder that he thought of her would cheer her up.

"I'd love that Joe. You know you promised to show me how to gut and cook a fish?" Claire was starting to feel better, but her nerves had her stomach in a pretzel and she felt like she was on unstable ground. She took a drink of her wine.

If she could not make this night great with Joe, she did not know if she had the energy to wait another week and have him return from Alaska and reject her.

She turned from taking in his beautiful home to see him walk into the kitchen. She thought to herself, how a man who eats at the diner all the time he sure looked like he knew what he was doing.

She sat down on a bar height stool that nestled next to the large kitchen island. She grabbed her bag to lower to the floor and saw the letter she wrote to Joe sticking out of her journal. Pulling it out, she held it in her hands for a moment rubbing it then she laid it in front of her. She put her head on her clasped hands and began watching the man in motion. It felt so right to watch him and wonder.

Joe reached into his cabinet, started pulling out cooking spices, and pulled a pan out from under the cabinet. "There is some deli pasta salad and some fresh steamed vegetables, how does that sound to you?" He looked over his shoulder at her and she had her hands under her chin staring at every inch of his body. He knew his refined looks were getting him a lot of attention but Claire seemed mesmerized while staring at him. Then her eyes met his and they stared and smiled at each other for a moment.

"Joe. I have dreamed of this moment. You bringing me here and cooking me dinner. I have so much I want to tell you and talk to you about. I'm afraid that when you get back in a week, well... I'm afraid..."

As Claire had started to talk, Joe set everything down, began walking towards her around the kitchen island, and stood in front of her. By the time she was stuck on 'I'm afraid', Joe just wanted to devour her and hold her to reassure her he loved her. She did not know he read the letter and that was ok, because he needed to know those things and now he loved her even more. He covered her lips with his hand and looked down at her sitting on the stool. "I have something to tell you." He whispered and then he tilted her chin up with his hand and laid a sweet gentle kiss on her lips.

She parted her lips, raised her hands to rest them behind his neck, and pulled him closer. She wanted more. She wanted all of him and she needed to feel his tongue in her mouth, his lips on her lips. Just as her lips parted and she pulled him close, he rushed his tongue into her mouth, searching and exploring and lavishing her with the feel and taste of him. Moaning softly she felt refreshed with the sensations he gave her body.

He pulled apart slowly and spoke with their lips touching. "Claire, I need you and I want you to stay so I can explain things to you. Please Claire, stay with me tonight and when I come back, stay with me again." Joe was breathless and nerve racked but he knew this was the time for him to be a man and request his needs so that there was no more confusion.

Claire breathed his air for a moment as his words soaked in, her heart beat fast and her stomach tightened at his words. "Joe, I have something I wrote to you I would like you to read."

Joe was sure it was the letter that he already read. He would read it again like it was the first time and react with all the need and passion she deserved. He kissed her again this time with tenderness and compassion. She licked her lips as he pulled away, as if she was licking them from a desert. "Claire you are so beautiful and so genuine and I was a fool for not realizing your intentions."

"I just don't always do things the same as others and then I tend to miss out. I hope I didn't mess this up to get to know each other better and be lovers." She smiled up at him.

Lovers! He liked the sound of that and he dreamt many a nights of them being lovers. "I better get started on dinner. Would you like to eat out on the deck overlooking the lake?"

"The deck you spotted me from?"

"The one and only deck, which looks over the lake and land below. I had to use my binoculars to get a perfect view but that image will be burned in my fantasies forever."

Claire blushed, thinking of few of her own fantasies she had about the man before her. She watched him walk back to the stove to flip the fish he was frying. He moved efficiently as he added the seasonings to the fish. The smell of the fish cooking brought her back to reality and she looked down where the letter she wrote to Joe laid. She had a feeling the shy Joe did not want to read it in front of her, so she would set it next to him and find a reason to walk away. She walked over to him and set the letter on the counter next to him where he was cooking. He had already pulled out plates, pasta, and silverware. "I wrote this to you." She fingered the letter. "You read it and I'll set the table out on the deck. I hope it clears some things up between us." She gave him a peck on the cheek, turned, and grabbed everything to take out and set the table on the deck, including her journal from her bag.

Moments later, Joe came out with the fresh cooked fish on a tray and the letter opened. He had read it in the kitchen and he was smiling so sweetly at her. "Claire... I think we have a lot to talk about and I have some convincing to do on your behalf."

"You don't have to convince me of anything. Just tell me how you feel and I'll accept it." She was so nervous and happy at the same moment. She did not even know if she would be able to eat the incredible smelling fish he just cooked. However, it smelt good as he pulled it off the tray and set some on her plate. She picked up her wine glass and took a large drink to help settle her resolve.

"I read your letter and I am touched. I am in love with you Claire. Please stay the night. I leave in the morning with for our annual fishing trip to Alaska. We have planned this for over a year, the timing sucks or my timing sucks, otherwise I would cancel to stay with you. I should have resolved this with you weeks ago. I should not have assumed when I watched you ride away with your boyfriend that you wouldn't break things off. You said you were going to and I doubted you. I was always jealous of him and that is why I did this. Go to an image consultant, buy a Harley and took up my new nasty attitude that got me nowhere that I wanted to be. If I had just listened to you that day and realized by the next day we could be more than friends, we could have been lovers all this time."

She watched as him sit next to her and the emotional shown clearly on his face. He was so emotional, just as emotional as she was. She kissed him gently on the lips and whispered to his mouth while their foreheads touched. "I love you Joe Stellee. I think I always have since the day I cut your hair. I just didn't think I deserved you."

He kissed her back again. He felt every ounce of emotion from both of them in the kiss. It was a core-awakening kiss and it left tingles on his lips that he had never experienced before.

"Let's eat, I'm starving. Stay the night?" Hopeful he took a sip of wine and looked at his beautiful girlfriend over the wine glass. Just that thought warmed him and caused him to realize the time they lost could not be made up in one night, but he did have a night to convince her that things would be great when he got back from his trip.

"I wrote a poem about you at the lake today. It's nothing. I like to write in my journal when I'm confused and don't know how to express it. Your lake made me feel so at peace with myself that day of fishing. And well when I went looking for you at the shop again this morning, Barney told me you were gone to Alaska." She smiled at him and took another sip of wine.

He had finished a bite or two of his fish. He swallowed and questioned. "Do something, like what?"

She had just taken her first bite of fish and smiled. Once she swallowed. "This is good. From your lake?" She took another bite.

"You're avoiding my question, what were you going to do?" At this point he didn't care about the food anymore. She sounded more like she was giving up on him until today.

"Leave. I wanted to go back and live at my grandmas in Denver if I didn't make amends with you. Once Barney told me about Alaska, I didn't know if I could wait until you got back to talk with you. Now this is really, good fish and I'm hungry. Let's eat and then I'll read you the poem I wrote over desert." Smiling so sweetly, she imagined her Joe would be desert.

He smiled back at her thinking Claire as desert would be heavenly. "Stay the night?"

"Relentless aren't we. Yes it would be my pleasure." With a coy look and a smile she saw his face light up. She took another bite of fish. "Teach me this?" She asked after she swallowed.

"Anything you want me to teach." He took a big bite of his fish and watched Claire eat. She smiled back as she ate and in between bites, she told him about the changes at the salon. Their conversation had moved on to a more relaxed playful banter with Joe laughing lightheartedly and teasing back about how Claire reacted to his new bad boy image. She only smiled and asked about desert.

He felt the need to explain the brunette on the back of his bike so he changed the subject of desert to his sister. "My sister was visiting earlier this week for a quick day trip ride on the Harley. That was who you saw that day on the back of my Harley when you tried to flag me down and I took off. Anyways she's turned into a rebel herself with a thing for bikes. She wants me to take her to look at used Harley's. Anyways, after I took her on a ride, she made me dinner and brought me this 'better than sex' cake from the bakery in town. She told me if I didn't get some sex soon that maybe this cake would cheer me up."

"Did it?" Claire couldn't help but think back to the brunette on the back of his Harley and how she looked at her. Not like a girlfriend. She wondered if his sister knew who she was.

"No except after I ate some cake and went to sleep that night I dreamt of feeding you the cake naked and that sex was great." Joe stared into her eyes and hoped that tonight he could do just that. Lick chocolate cake off her lips and make love to her.

"That sounds delicious." She licked her lips sensually, looked down, and up again as to catch his stare at her lips.

"Which part?" He teased.

"Any or all of it. I'm done eating dinner. Bring on the desert." She teased back flirting was a past time favorite of hers and she was good at it. She knew how to make a man hot or tip well and now she had a man she loved to tease and make hot. That thought warmed her and caused her to feel liquid between her legs.

Getting up he started to clear the table. After his first trip to the kitchen, he reached for the letter and folded it then tapped the letter over his heart. "I've got to put this someplace special. Would you like something hot to go with the desert?"

"Anything hot liquid with desert would be delicious." She licked her lips and winked at him.

He smiled then turned. Walking towards the kitchen with that thought, he imagined her lips over his body would feel. He might be shy but he had few experiences under his belt. That would definitely be an experience he hoped to share with Claire.

As he walked inside, Claire envisioned how wonderful he will feel when she ran her hands over his bare chest and around his shoulders. She would like nothing better than to run her hands all over his body.

Getting up from the table, she decided to walk over to a reclining cushioned lounger that was on the deck. She sat down and swung her legs around then settled herself in by laying herself back a little. She loved being waited on for a change and the view from his deck was far better than any view she had ever experienced.

The vastness of the rolling mountaintops covered in pine trees and aspens with blended shades of green against the blue sky were beautiful. The sky was beginning to darken however, as the sun was starting to set on the other side of his house. A few stars were off on the horizon in front of her. She shivered for a moment as goose bumps crawled up her arms to warm her body. A slight cool breeze blew her hair and crossed her skin. As if to warm herself, she began rubbing her upper arms with the palms of her hands. Caught up in the moment she had not realized that Joe had set a tray of desert and drink on the table. He must have gone back inside because as she turned to see where he was he was standing over her with a big fleece blanket to cover her.

"Getting cold?" He asked as he laid the blanket over her.

"Thanks. Just a quick chill, it is actually really, nice out. But now that you're here you can come warm me up?" Claire looked up into his eyes at that incredible warmth that she felt each time she gazed into them.

Joe grabbed the tray and sat down on the recliner facing her with the tray between them. "Hot buttered rum?" He handed her a large latte size mug with a brown moose on it.

"Thanks!" She took the mug, wrapped her hands around it, and blew into the hot buttered rum.

Joe watched her with intensity as he took a piece of chocolate cake off with a fork and held it up to her mouth. "Better than sex cake from our local bakery, tell me what you think?"

Claire took the bite off the fork but slowly held the fork in her mouth as he gently pulled it out. "Mmm... I would have to try the sex part out to compare." She raised an eyebrow and winked. She had a gut feeling that sex with Joe would be better than this cake. She had wanted him for so long and now knowing he wanted her, she could not help but warm up to the thought of incredible sex. Tonight could only hold some incredible sensations ahead.

As he feed himself a bite of cake, she continued to sip on her hot buttered rum. The sky was darkening more so and the stars were getting brighter by the minute. "The view here is so incredible. Did you say you had this house built?"

"After I bought the land from my grandfather, I sold some of it off and had the house custom built by a local man. It took two years and I participated in some of the work, but it is my dream home." Watching Claire enjoy his house made him so elated with the feeling that she belonged there.

"You know earlier today when I spoke with Barney I was so upset that I didn't get to talk to you, I packed up a few things and drove to your lake. The only place I have ever felt so at peace with myself. I hope you did not mind. While thinking of us, I wrote a poem about you. Do you want to hear it?" Nervously she set her cup down on the deck floor, grabbed her journal next to it, and flipped it open.

"Sure." Joe watched her so intently he felt like he could burn a hole through her. Her pink-jeweled journal was delicate and girly. A lot like her, he began to think, how delicate and sensitive she is and what a jerk he had been to her lately. She never deserved it and he should had listened to her clues and waited. The only good thing he could think of in all this was he was much more self-confident in the way he handled her sexually. He had conquered his shyness.

Claire cleared her throat and began to read in a soft, seductive voice.

" _Gloomy in a rut, until your eyes brightened my night. Golden brown, so warm and comforting. Your smile, so genuine. The way your lips fill your face with a smile. Your skin like caramel, I want to lick and devour. Your generosity, wit and humor, elates me fully. Your polite nature and demeanor, bewildered me all as to how much our time together, you are more than a fantasy."_

Awestruck how no woman had said such beautiful words about him and he wondered if he could leave her tomorrow night. He had planned this trip for a year. He had to go, but tonight would leave her with enough memories to last all week.

"Claire that was beautiful. You have quite a way with words."

She fed herself a bite of cake and he watched as some frosting landed on the side of her mouth. He carefully set the plate on the deck and leaned into her. Slowly he set her journal down, took one hand behind her head, and gently pulled her head closer to his. Whispering into her ear. "You got a little frosting on your mouth. Let me take care of that for you." Then licked the small amount of frosting off the side of her lip and then ran the tip of his tongue over her lips. He did slow and sensually that a soft moan escaped her.

She drew in the air around them slowly, enjoying the feel of his mouth so close to hers and the wetness of his tongue on her lips was exotic. The feelings she felt were running the gamut of her entire body. She never felt this with any other man she had been with. The tingling he left on her lips sent sensations in waves to her core. She felt warmth gathering in between her legs and stared into his eyes as he pulled back an inch or two to see what her response was. "Joe... I"

Before he would let her speak anymore, he had to have her. He had to please her and show her how much he wanted her. This moment was about her needs, not his and he drew in a breath and lowered his lips to hers. His tongue pursued hers and their lips created friction and sexual sensations. Then he pulled away slowly continuing to kiss her on her neck and ear lobe.

A low moan escaped her mouth as his hot breath covered her ear and wet her lobe. He gave her diamond earrings she always wore, a little tug and that gave her lips a smile. They were the earrings he helped her select and insisted on buying her on their first shopping spree together. She loved shopping with Joe. He spoiled her. But more so at that very moment, she realized everything she felt for this man was love and she wanted him. Enjoying herself, she continued her soft moans and whispering "Joe... Joe that feels so good."

His hands had made their way under the blanket and were caressing her nipples through her sweatshirt. Causing them to get taut, he remembered the moment at the lake through her wet white tee shirt. He wanted to put his mouth over her bare nipples. He slowly moved the blanket off to the side and peeked up at her face before he began to pull her sweatshirt up and over her head.

She smiled at him as she watched him begin to undress her. His hands on her nipples, drawing them taut, were forcing her to want to devour him back. She restrained knowing this was his moment to please her. Her time would come.

"You're beautiful. I've wanted to suck on your nipples since your wet tee shirt at the lake." Then Joe untied her bikini top and slid it away. His mouth covered over her taut nipple and he began to suck on her and tug gently with her between his teeth then covering as much of her breast in his mouth with his hot air. With all his senses tensing with electricity, he could sense her excitement by the way her soft moans encouraged him on. He started to work at her shorts while his mouth felt as if it could not touch enough of her skin.

As Joe was causing waves of ecstasy Claire thought back to that great day at the lake and how she had wanted to have Joe then. His hands and breath were causing her to hit the brink then he pulled away.

"Is this ok, Claire? Do you want me as much as I want you?" He looked into her eyes with his hands about to work off her shorts and underwear he awaited her response.

In a barely audible whisper, "I've wanted you since the day we first me. I didn't want you to think less of me since I had a boyfriend. I'm all yours Joe." She smiled and wet her lips. A cool breeze ran across her naked chest and she was hoping the next place he was working on was where his mouth would be and soon. She reached behind her and lifted her back a little to lay the reclining lounger flat under her.

He smiled and began to continue kissing her belly button with his tongue. He shoved her shorts and underwear around her ankles at a fastened pace and took off her hiking boots. He began kissing the inside of her thighs then using his fingers exposed her and ran his tongue over her. She tasted like a cool drink of water that he'd been parched for.

Moaning and calling out his name, she looked up to the stars coming out above her and thought of how heavenly this felt. How she dreamed of Joe and this was better than any wet dream she imagined herself. His tongue sliding in and out creating friction and electricity that caused her to pool with hot warm liquid. His fingers penetrating her sent sensations through to her abdomen. His hands under her ass lifting her to a better position, his entire mouth was covering her and sucking in all the liquid pouring out of her. She grabbed the armrest and clenched tight as she let out an almost sensual plea. She was on the brink of an incredible orgasm and then she felt him begin to trail kisses back up her belly.

He wanted to be in her and didn't want her coming without him inside of her. "Claire, do I need to stop, do we need protection?"

"I'm covered. Don't stop." She smiled at him with half lids on her eyes. She was so close to the brink and he pulled away. He wanted to be in her when she came and that was a very pleasant idea. She would like nothing better than have her muscles tighten around him. He wanted her and she was ready to pleasure him back. "I want to see you, all of you naked. I love your body, even before. You've had me fantasizing even while being a jerk to me."

Joe froze. His gut tightened as he thought of all the times she attempted to talk to him and he blew her off. He watched Claire lick her lips and begin to fondle her breasts as she awaited him naked. He was not about to disappoint her now. He raised his arms over his head to remove his shirt and she sighed in delight as she covered her breasts with her fingers.

"Take it all off. I believe you have a very hard friend under those tight black shorts of yours looking for me." She smiled coyly at him. Talking dirty to him was fun but she wasn't sure how much talk he might want so she would keep it to a bare minimum for now, but lord help her the next time.

He undid his shorts and had them off in record time. Quickly he climbed back on the lounger and covered her with his body. The feel of her sent more than a physical sense to his mind, emotionally he felt so raw when they finished that leaving her was going to be hard.

He knew he could not withhold how he was feeling that very moment. He lowered his lips and settled his mouth next to her ear. "Claire... Claire I love you!"

Before Claire could tell him she felt the same they were blasted by a very bright spotlight from across the mountain way. Shining right at them through his deck rails. The light flickered on and off and then Joe's phone rang. Claire stared at Joe for his reaction. She was scared, but he was laughing.

"That would be Levi on the phone. He must have seen us through his night scope and wanted to send a message he's home and packing for tomorrows trip." Joe settled the blanket around Claire's naked body and seeped in the image of her nakedness and embedded it into his brain incase this was the last time he touched her before being gone another week.

She began to giggle. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and sat up tucking her knees into her chest as she watched a very handsome naked Joe walk into his house to answer the still ringing phone. Once he answered the phone, she stood and wrapped the blanket around her, then walked in to cover Joe with the blanket. As he stood with his back to her and her breasts pressing into his back, she took in a deep breathe of his skin. He smelled of sweat and salt from their lovemaking and she licked him between his shoulder blades. He responded with a quick shudder while talking to Levi.

"What is it? I'm busy." Quiet. "Yes, I'm still planning on going on our fishing trip. I'm just making up for some past mistakes and want to make sure I have something wonderful to come home to." Joe turned and pressed his body to Claire's while she still held up the blanket around them. Her mouth covered a dip in his neck and she began to lick. "I'll see you tomorrow." He dropped the phone without hanging up and figured if Levi wanted to listen in then that was his prerogative. Right now, he had an incredible blue eyed, blonde hair fantasy in front of him and all of her was real.

She dropped the blanket and stood there with him, not caring if Levi or anyone else for that matter could see them standing there naked in his living room in front of his floor to ceiling glass windows that held the night crisp air at bay. She was ready for round two and she wanted to move slower this time. Kissing every inch of his body and reminding him of why he needed to hurry home. "You're going to torture me. Leaving me here all week, fantasizing about you, and this, and us." She smiled up at him.

He put her face in the palm of his hands and looked into her eyes. They were such an intense blue at that moment. They tended to change with her moods and that he already noticed about her. "I don't want to leave you without giving you a hell of a night to remember me by. Stay the night? All night? Stay the morning and then be here when I get home?" His eyes pleading for her answer and his lungs felt like they couldn't breath until she answered.

"You're insatiable! Yes! I will stay the night and the morning and I will be here when you get back. I won't go back to Denver and when you get back, Joe Stellee. I am going to make you never want to leave me alone again." Smirking at him, she licked his lips, bit his lower lip, and pulled with a tug.

He breathed in the air he so desperately needed with that answer and gently laid her on the couch. With his body on top of hers, he began to devour her with kisses.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As they lay on his couch, with him snuggled behind her, holding her backside as close as he possible could against his chest, he kissed the top of her head. They both faced the floor to ceiling windows, looking out at the stars that were shining so brightly in the clear, darkened evening sky. The same windows he chose when building this place, with hopes of sharing it with someone like Claire.

He realized he had never made love to a woman like her, twice in one night. The awkwardness he felt, after having sex with a woman, was all part of his shyness. However, with Claire he felt like he could lay there and talk forever. He wanted to go again, and again, and to hold her and talk. She had not said much after the last orgasm they both just had on his couch. She seemed rather quiet and he needed to hear her sweet voice to soothe his soul. "You're incredible. They should name a star after you."

"I don't know if in a million years I deserve you, but I am so happy to be here with you." In a deep throaty whisper that sounded as if, she held so much emotion back with that statement.

He choked. It hit him like a punch to his gut, how much in love with him she was and all along, she thought she wasn't good enough for him. He needed to prove her wrong if it took the rest of their lives. He could only hope she would not change her mind about leaving to Denver, because he would chase her down and drag her back here.

"Claire I wanted to change and be the man that drew your attention and the man that treats you like a princess. I should not have been such a jerk and left you and an even worse jerk when I came back. I thought that was the attitude attracting you to me. Looking back it only kept us apart. I love you Claire!" Twice now professing his love, he awaited her response. Levi's phone call had messed up her response before. He needed to hear from her where she stood and he needed it like a glass of ice-cold water on a hundred degree day.

"Joe... I hope I can make you happy. I can be so blind sometimes. Things don't always seem so clear to me until it's too late. You took my breathe away when you stayed and helped me clean up the shop and took me to dinner. No man has ever been that considerate. Thanks for being the best friend and best lover a girl could ever ask for." Snuggling in closer to Joe and rubbing her hands on his arms that were holding her for dear life. She felt so much elation in her heart she didn't know if she could hold back the tears.

"Well now that we both know how we really feel and there's no more hiding our feelings. Are you hungry for a new slice of desert, because I am starving? I think I worked up an appetite." Working his way up from behind her gently he began to rub his naked belly.

Claire giggled at his silly posture.

"Let me get you a robe and a slice of cake and maybe we can sit in the hot tub in a little bit." Then he turned and walked towards a bedroom shaking his sexy rear end.

"That sounds delicious." She whispered more to herself, than spoke loudly towards his direction. "Got milk! It's National Dairy Day with Your Better Then Sex Cake Day! Although our sex is a hell of a lot better than that cake!" Laughter spilled out as she got up from the couch naked and headed into the bathroom to freshen up.

That comment made Joe stop and turn. He had a smile on his face from ear to ear. The thought of that woman that just walked into his bathroom could make him smile for the rest of his life settled deep into his soul. Watching her do a sashay dance move to the bathroom had him thinking how lucky he was at that moment and how it was going to kill him to leave her tomorrow.

Grabbing two robes from his closet, he had to smile. His little sister, Felicity, gave him the two white spa robes as a gift when he got the hot tub. "For your future girlfriend. You wouldn't want to her to freeze her nipples off getting out of that hot tub, now would you?" He laughed to himself thinking how his sister had wanted him to find his true love as soon as he finished building this house. She would tell him over and over how this house was built for a family and it needed a woman's touch to soften up the masculine edges it held in its design. He couldn't wait to call her and tell her about Claire. Or all the guys and his granddad for that matter. They were going to have to duct tape his mouth shut on this fishing trip, because the excitement he held inside he wanted to climb to the top of the mountain his house was built on and scream how he loved Claire.

She opened the bathroom door to find the big white robe setting on the door handle. "Thanks. Nice robe." She pulled her arms through the sleeves of the very soft cotton robe, wrapping it over her body and tying it as she walked towards him and sat next to him on the couch. Cuddling up as she smiled at him with a look of total contentment. His heart skipped a beat and he wondered if she felt as incredible as he did.

"My sister got these robes when I installed the hot tub. So my future girlfriend wouldn't have to freeze her nipples off." Then cocked an eyebrow her way to see what her reaction would be.

"I won't freeze my nipples off. I'm sure you can find a way to get me warm again."

He was stunned. Her suggestion of three times in one night was definitely a record for him. Was it for her? No. He would not think of her with another man. The possessiveness he felt at that moment was not his to take until he got a wedding ring on her. He wondered if a short courtship would be wrong and figured he would toss all that our there to discuss when he got back from his trip. They had only known each other such a short time, but he was sure this was the real thing.

"I think you will have to show me again to remind me how much better our sex is than this delicious, chocolaty, velvety, moist cake. Mmm... it's so good." He teased and knew he would get a fun reaction out of her. She was just so much fun to tease.

"Well my big, bad ass, Harley riding, is looking better than he has a right to be, boyfriend; I better finish this cake and quick. I have a mission to prove that our sex is awesome and it may take more than three times." Grinning knowing that three was a record in a night for her, but could tell he was shocked by two. "By the way while you soak that look of shock off of your face, I've always wanted to be taken care while lounging on a Harley after a long ride in the countryside. Having those vibrations between my legs, I need a good taken care of to satisfy the heat between my legs."

"You have a Harley in mind?" Staring at Claire with the straightest face possible a slight grin passed his lips. He knew she was taunting him on, getting him roused up for the next round, seeing if she could get his goat.

She stood up and had her back to him with her robe on and began to strip and tease in the robe. Each time baring some skin, looking over her shoulder and blowing a kiss. Then she turned and began to slowly caress the robe off each shoulder, but still holding the robe to cover her breasts. She kicked a leg out of the robe to her thigh, and then turned sideways as she dropped the side of her robe. She then looked at him with a come hither look.

"Last one to the hot tub is on top." She dropped the rest of her robe and stood there waiting for his reaction. The look of awe in his eyes, as they traveled over every inch of her body was compliment enough. She began to caress herself as he watch and she saw his erection rise out of the robe. "Come on ya big stud. You gonna chase me." She turned and kicked her heal out behind in a dance step.

Joe got up, ran at her, grabbed her, and swung her around as she giggled.

"Hey, it's not National Attack a Stripper Day!" Then before she realized it, it struck her. He had no idea of her past of stripping and he might not want her as damaged goods. She stopped giggling and waited for his response. He was quite for a moment but it seemed like minutes. Then his tightened hug turned to a carrying position. He was holding her in his arms and was starting to carry her towards his room. They walked past his huge king size four-poster bed out onto his private deck, where the hot tub stood flushed with the deck floor, cover off and ready for them to indulge.

"Well if it's not national attack a stripper day, is it national attack an ex-stripper day? Because according to my calendar, you're not a stripper anymore, your Joe Stellee's girlfriend and lover and that deserves an attack." Joe set her down gently and shed his robe.

She stood there looking at him realizing that her past didn't affect him as she feared. That loosened the tightness in her chest as he smiled at her and then jumped into his hot tub.

_Shit! He teased me and got in first_. This didn't bother her one bit. She loved the feeling of control when she was on top of her man. But then, losing control to this man was plenty all right with her.

Thoughts of making love to him ever so slowly and looking down into him as he came, would be terrific and she couldn't wait for round three. "You won Joe Stellee. I'm on top. However, we do it where I say and when. So until then I plan to drive you wild in this hot tub until you scream for me to be on top." Looking down at him as she slowly caressed herself into the hot tub like it was a sexual act all its own she heard him groan.

"Woman, you can drive me wild all you want. But, when I get back, I want my own private lap dance. I've never dated a stripper."

"Ex-stripper" she interrupted.

"Ex-stripper. In fact I've only been to a few clubs and in just those few moves I would give you my life savings."

"I was good. Made a lot of money. Had some fun times, in fact, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't given, a very drunk Mike, a ride home to his place, while Lou Ann was waiting in his apartment. But I won't ever go back. It was a moment of weakness that brought me to that job."

"You're good. But you'll never go back. You have me now and I want you." _For the rest of your life. I want to take care of you and treat you like the princess you deserve._ "Someday tell me about Lou Ann and Mike, but for now I need you sitting in my lap next to this huge boner I'm sporting."

"I'll sit on your lap and I'll lick your neck and ear while you tell me all about giving me a ride on that Harley of yours when you get back. I need the imagery to hold me over till you're back." She slowly walked across the tub to him with her breasts skimming the water for him to stare at and drool. She climbed up on his lap with her knees bent, resting on the seat he was sitting in and kneeling over him with her breasts to his neck and her mouth nibbling on his ear.

Joe was speechless. He was new at all this bravado and bad boy talk. But this incredible woman had her breasts right below his mouth and she was slowly sliding in on him as she licked his ear lobe and whispered, "tell me Joe, how's it gonna be Joe". He took one hand, settled it on her bottom to encourage her against him, with his other hand held her breast up to his mouth, and began to suck and nip at it drawing it taut.

Pulling his mouth away from her taut nipple, she looked down into his eyes. She wanted him now and forever, which scared her some. These feelings were so large and out of control. She knew that tonight would be so incredible and inhibitive. When he got back, they would see how things stood.

"You look perplexed?" Looking back into her incredible blue eyes and wet hair dangling around her shoulders he wanted inside of her not just rubbing against her. "Shall we finish this in a nice big comfortable bed?"

"Yes. That would be perfect."

She climbed off his lap and he practically jumped out of the tub. Grabbing a robe for her and holding it up for her to slip her arms in, she climbed out of the tub. Water glistening off her body and droplets of water dripping down her breast and belly caught Joe's imagination.

"Thanks" Taking the robe from Joe, she wrapped it around to warm her back up, from the cool breeze that caught her, as she climbed out of the hot tub. Her thoughts of continuing their efforts in on his big bed kept her warm.

She strolled into his room, the room he carried her past to take her out to the tub. She imagined herself waking up here often and cuddling up to Joe at night or in the morning. The house was the most expensive one she had ever been in and she felt somewhat out of place. Everything was so masculine and large in size. The ceilings soared upwards at least fifteen feet and the dark navy bedding was so plush and warm looking. Then Joe's arms wrapped around behind her and pulled her back to his chest and his manly existence had not dissipated any while putting the cover back on the hot tub. In fact, it felt like it was seeking her out.

She turned her head a little towards his face as he kissed on her neck. "This is my ultimate fantasy. Having you here in my room. I spent many a nights after you moved here dreaming of you on that very bed." He turned her towards him, unwrapped her robe ties, and eased the robe off her shoulders. As the robe dropped a whoosh of breathe escaped his mouth. "Will you be my princess?"

Claire smiled. A pet name she could handle. Their secret bedroom code name; 'Princess'. It fitted her. She always wanted to be someone's princess and being Joe's would definitely fulfill plenty of her own warm and steamy fantasies. She untied his robe and eased her hands inside over his chest slowly pushing the robe down and over his shoulders as her hands wandered down his backside, she drew herself closer and nuzzled her face to his neck. "Princess is nice."

He picked her up and set her down on his bed. He took a step back to see her soft white ivory body sprawled out on his navy comforter; examining the contrast of her blue eyes standing out and her wet blonde hair all resting out next to her head. He took in the visual and tucked it away in his brain hoping all that happened here tonight would be the thoughts that got him through the next week until he was back in her arms. He slowly eased himself on top of her and gently slid himself in.

They both sucked in a breath of air. This time would be slow. This time he would savor every inch he put inside her and every brush across her skin.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The feel of his warm muscular chest pressed up against her back and the weight of his arm holding her close was the ultimate emotion. This man was finally hers and she was awestruck by the feeling welling inside her.

She grazed her eyes around the room and soaked in the attractiveness of his room in the rising morning light. The cream-colored walls and dark navy curtains, they never closed, caught her eye as the eastern rising sun started to shine through the tall evergreens that surrounded his deck and bedroom window in utter privacy. It was as if he thought of everything when building this house. She gently eased his hand away as she slipped out from beneath the covers and his protective hold.

She was hungry and needed the bathroom. She grabbed a robe off the floor and reminisced for a moment of the dropping of the robes after getting out of the hot tub. His look gazing over her body, did not feel invasive like it always had when she worked in the club. It felt warm and soothing, almost tingly as she enjoyed the look of a happy man strolling over every inch of her naked body.

Stepping out of the bathroom quietly, she looked back over at Joe in bed. His hand rubbing the pillow she slept on last night and then he pulled it into his face and moaned softly. She could only hope he was as in love with her as she was with him. He had professed his love but she knew it was easier for a man to say that in a time of heightened sexual passing. Then it dawned on her she never said it back and how that might make him feel.

She promised herself if she ever got this far with him, she would spend every ounce of energy convincing the man that she was the one true love for him. That this was not a passing fantasy. She wanted to tell him she loved him but not at a heated moment of passion and see if he reciprocates easily.

Heading quietly into his kitchen she felt like she was walking into a kitchen show gallery. Every appliance was the ultra large stainless steel size you would see in a restaurant. The man was a great cook and mentioned he loved to cook, but always ate at the diner down the street. It dawned on Claire she would be lonely too if she lived here by herself in this huge house. She would not want to cook for one in this huge kitchen. However, thoughts that Joe might just be looking for some friendly companionship to keep him company in his big house had her thinking. Did he really love her as he professed of was he in love with the idea of having someone here with him? She tossed those feelings aside. She always had self-doubt in her emotions or others true feelings, but she was good at taking the positive side to things.

She saw the tray they used for taking their food out on the deck last night. She pulled it off the tall counter island and set it next to her by the sink. She peered in the refrigerator and saw some diner biscuits and some jam in a jar. She pulled them out along with a tub of strawberries and grapes he had in the produce bin. She started the coffee and began washing the fruit to set on a plate. By the time she warmed and buttered the biscuits then spread jam on them, the coffee was almost done. Amazed at how organized his entire kitchen was she realized that Joe was a very neat and tidy man. His shop was the same. She quivered for a second to think how unorganized and sloppy she could be sometimes. She wondered if that would turn Joe off. She wondered if he was only in love with her for her looks.

_Enjoy the moment. Live for today!_ She told herself. Dabbling in self-consciousness now would only ruin the most perfect morning of her life.

She found two cups and made Joe's coffee. Two sugars, no cream. Hers was lots of cream, sugar and an ice cube to bring the temperature to just right.

She carefully put it all on the large serving tray with handles and walked towards Joe's room. She eased his door the rest of the way open with her foot and saw him stretching in the morning light shining across on his bed now. She held her breath as he rolled over exposing all of his perfect body out from the blanket and stretched his arms out above his head. His dark caramel colored skin and dark brown hair, all tousled about, he looked heavenly. He slowly peeled his eyes open and smiled up at her as she walked in with the tray and set it at the foot of the bed.

"Good morning, Princess!" He started to pull himself up and prop some pillows behind him against the headboard of the bed. "You read my mind. It smells great."

"I'm not a great cook, put I can pull a meal together if need be." Wondering why she felt the need to confess her inability to cook. She didn't think pointing out her down points was something she really needed to do. But part of her wanted to test him and see if he would love her if she wasn't the perfect domestic goddess.

"None of the women in my family are really big into cooking. Mostly just the men. But, just having you in the kitchen watching me would be nice. In fact, having you here at all, waking up with you is just about the nicest thing I can think of." Sensing some of her hesitation, he patted the bed next to him.

She dropped her robe and climbed over him causing an immediate reaction to his manly parts. She pulled the tray up between them and in doing so had given him a shot of her bare behind.

He growled a deep low gut growl. "Princess, you are going to make me one happy man after we eat some breakfast."

"Anything you say Joe." Smiling at him she held up a strawberry to pop in his mouth, then handed him his coffee.

He pulled some of the comforter that rested between him over his lap to drink his hot coffee. No burning the manly parts was in his plan this morning. He didn't want to be a casualty to breakfast in bed.

With idle chatter, and the breakfast and coffee quickly filling their belly, Joe glanced at the clock and realized; he had less than two hours to finish up with Claire; pack for the trip and get her back to her car parked by his lake where he found her yesterday. "I hate to..." he was about to say rush things, then Claire dropped a dab of jam on her breast while taking a bite of biscuit. He stopped his comment and stared at the dribble of jam starting to slid down her breasts. Claire seemed unaware as she looked at him with a perplexed look.

"You hate to what, Joe?" She tilted her head.

As he began to move the tray to the end of the bed from between them he finished the comment but on a totally different ending. "I hate to let you sit there with jam on your boob. I think I need to lick it off you."

She looked down at her breast and then smiled at Joe. "I think you better take care of that for me." She saddled on top of him and help guided her breast into his hot mouth. At some point, he licked if off all while sucking and nibbling on both her breasts.

Claire began to lower her breasts to his chest slowly as she brought her eyes down from the ceiling and looked straight into his eyes. "Tell me you want me Joe. Tell me you love me and tell me how you want me."

"Princess, I love you. I want you, every which way you could possible imagine. I want to make you happy for the rest of your life." He shuddered with a release of emotion, grabbing her on her back and pulling her in as close as possible.

"Joe! I love you!" With their bodies pressed as firmly as possible against each other. Their breaths, heavy and thick, with warm air settled on each other's necks.

He took her face in the palm of his hands and positioned her mouth right above his for a kiss. "I love you. Be here for me when I get back?"

As if, he had to ask. She was ready to beg him to be here for her. She hoped the time away with the men would not put any doubt in their newfound love. "I'll be here for you Joe, unless you change your mind."

"I won't change my mind."

As she rolled off to the side, she let her body settle next to him as they felt a return of normalcy to the heated passion that just past between them. Then from outside the bedroom, where the door was barely closed, was the sound of several men.

"Hello? Joe? Buddy you up yet? One hour and counting. We need to get to the airport. You up and packing?" A mix of McCormick and Levi's voice were booming from the other room.

If they were at all observant, and they should since they were a cop and a firefighter, they would have noticed Claire's clothes draped on the back of the living room chair.

Crawling off the bed with a smile, she grabbed a shirt out of his closet and headed to the master bathroom in his room.

Joe threw on a robe and went to greet his intruders. He knew, that they knew, what was up. They thought he might change his mind, knowing how long he had wanted Claire. Walking into the front area where the two men stood, only glares exchanged as Joe grabbed Claire's bikini, sweatshirt and shorts.

He turned his back and started to walk back to his room.

"You packed?"

"Nope! I still got time."

"Shit Joe, we need to leave in fifty minutes to get your grandpa at the airport and catch our own flight."

Joe turned back around. "I will be packed and ready in less than a half hour."

Levi grinning at his best friend had to ask. "Claire still here?"

Joe held up the bikini. "What do you think?"

Both men smiled at him and cleared their throats. They were happy and jealous at the same time for their friend. They just didn't want him to miss this trip of the lifetime over some woman.

Hollering over his shoulder and leaving his door open. "Don't worry I'm going. She promised she'd be here when I got back." Then they caught a quick glimpse of Claire standing there in Joe's shirt that barely covered her ass. She fingered a wave and shut the door.

"Damn! That is one lucky man!" Levi spouted.

"She's too old for you. You're still a pup. Come on, her and Joe had eyes for each other since they met. Be happy for your friend, and help me clean up his kitchen and turn off coffee maker and lock up. He's not going to be ready in half an hour." McCormick being the older, mature one, in the group always took action when something needed to be done. He wasn't going to miss this trip for anything.

The men moved quickly prepping the rest of Joe's house for vacation. Then Claire bubbled out in Joe's tee shirt that he wore to the lake the previous day and had her bikini top showing under it. Her shorts were short and her long bare legs tanned. Both men stared in envy as she bent over to get her socks and hiking boots on.

"You boys excited about your trip?"

Joe walked up to them, with Claire's back to them. "Put your eyes back in your head. She's mine." In a possessive growl.

With her back still to the men, Claire smiled and her heart beamed with love and hope. The way he said, 'she's mine' could not have made her happier at that particular moment.

"You boys want to give me a ride back to my car?"

Joe answered before they could "Let me clean up our breakfast off the bed and rinse the dishes off and we can all drive down to your car and then head out to the airport."

He disappeared into the bedroom as the other two men smiled at each other reading each other thoughts. Clothes out here. Breakfast in bed. They had been at it more than once. Lucky Joe.

As they packed up Levi's black Dodge four-wheel drive truck, putting the rest of Joe's luggage under his truck bed cover that locked. Joe opened the door, helped Claire into the back, and settled next to her. With his hand on her thigh and a shit eaten grin on his face. He had the best-looking woman next to him and two very jealous friends that were settling in up front.

Levi starting to drive the truck. "Where to?" Levi spoke up as he started to drive down the mountainside.

"She's parked at the spot in front of the hike to my lake." Then turning to Claire, he planted a possessive kiss on her lips that caused those sparks she loved and would miss all next week.

The idle chatter between the men in the front seat was soothing to listen to. Claire felt anxious for Joe to leave. It had been the most incredible night and morning of her life and then he was going to be gone all week. As if he read her mind, he put a hand under her chin and raised her eyes to his.

"Keep yourself busy and out of trouble all week and I'll have a special present for my princess when I get back." Whispering into her ear.

Claire smiled. God how she loved it when he called her princess. She needed to ease her mind. "Promise?"

"Promise. And you need to think about staying at my place for good." He took an extra house key he had for when he locked himself out and handed it to Claire. He closed her fingers around the key. "Stay at my place while I'm gone if you like. Call me on my cell anytime. I already programmed my number into you cell phone that was in your bag. I plan on calling you whenever we are in range. Out on the ocean ship for fishing there won't be range or when we are in the air flying to and from. But early and in the evening we should be at the cabin. I jotted down our itinerary in your journal and a little note to you." He squeezed her thigh and then rubbed gently up and down it from her knee to the edge of her shorts.

"Not too early!" One of the guys snuck in the comment from the front.

Not taking her eyes off Joe, she figured they were listening in and Joe didn't seem to care. Claire was so overwhelmed with this new relationship, but all of the men seemed so comfortable with it. As if they knew that this was what Joe wanted. She had to think this was something he wanted for them all along. That was what he had said. She needed to quit doubting herself and this relationship. It was going to be glorious and everything she dreamed of.

As they pulled up to where she parked, they commented on her needing a four-wheel drive for the winter months ahead. Claire agreed and gave Joe her hand to help her out of the truck. He had her bag in one hand and her hand in the other. He drew her up to his body and kissed her on the mouth. The kiss held so much passion and possession that as their lips drew away her mouth burned from the friction and her breath felt sucked out of her lungs. "You keep me here, while I'm gone." He tapped on her heart. "I have every wonderful moment we shared in the last twenty-four hours burned in here." He tapped his side of his head. "I love you Claire!" He said it loud and clear that the guys turned around in the truck to stare awestruck by Joe's confession so soon in the relationship.

She didn't care. They loved each other. She loved the fact that he was a romantic at heart. He programmed her cell with his number, gave her a key to his house, wrote down his itinerary and proclaimed his love very loud and clear for his buddies to hear. That was all she needed to get her through the next week. "I love you back Joe Stellee!" She kissed him gently one more time, while Levi laid on the horn.

"We've got to go!" Both Levi and McCormick shouted at the same time, with the same look of exasperation on their faces.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The ringing of the phone jarred Claire awake. Groggily she reached for her phone, trying to focus on her digital clock next to it. Wondering why on earth someone would be calling her a t three in the morning. Her heart stopped at the thought of it being bad news.

"Hello?" Answering with a deep raspy voice, as her voice felt trapped in her throat. _Don't let it be Joe, don't let it be something bad._

"Claire, honey is that you?"

"Yes. Who is this?" Still feeling the need to breathe with her hand wrapped tightly around the phone and her other hand holding over her fast beating heart.

"Sweetheart its Tia, your grandma's aide. I hate to call you at this hour, but hospice just left. Honey your grandma past away in her sleep last night. Sometime around nine thirty, they are guessing. Sweetheart I am truly very sorry."

"Oh my god! Grams!" The tears exploded and would not stop. Her breathe would not fill her lungs. Her airways restricted, her eyes burning. She continued to hold the phone to her ear as she cried hoping this was all a bad dream.

Tia's voice of sincere apologies kept trying to calm her. Several minutes past before Claire could speak with a strained voice from crying. "What.... What happened? I mean I just called her this morning. She seemed happy... healthy. She told me she was great!" Claire remembered the conversation between her grams and her that very morning. Flooding through her mind like a warm river. As bits and pieces of it trickled into view, she remembered telling her all about her and Joe. She told her grams everything wonderful about him and she could not wait to meet him as soon as they could get there to visit.

"Claire, she went in her sleep. There was a smile on her face, I am sure of it. We had dinner together and we spent most of it talking about you and your new beau. She was so happy. I left my purse here and when I came back to get it she was gone. Honey, I'm so sorry, but it was her time."

Claire knew Tia was a very religious woman and believed all things go in their time. She hired her for her caring nature and the way she seemed to spend extra time, above what she paid her for to go and spend time with her grams.

No matter how peaceful she went that did not console Claire. She wished she had been there. She had wanted to go see her but had been so busy. She hated herself at that very moment for not taking the time to get back to Denver to see her. The frequently spoken words 'life is too short' tossed around her mind as she thought of all the times she meant to get back to spend some dearly missed time with grams.

She knew the job in the mountains would take her away, too far away from her only living relative. There were times she wondered if it all was worth it. Thinking of Joe and being with Lou Ann and Angel back in her life again, she tried to reassure herself that her grams would have wanted all this for her.

By the time Claire hung up with Tia, she was frantically packing a bag. She tossed on Joe's shirt over a white tank top and put on her most comfortable jeans. She pulled her hair up in a twist and clipped it. She knew the three hour drive to Denver would be tedious, but she needed to get there quick.

She flipped through her phone book to Mike's condominium in Denver. Lou Ann had mentioned they would be there for a couple days.

Mike answered the phone groggily but aware of who was calling. "Claire! Is everything alright?"

Then she heard Lou Ann's voice in the background. "What? What happened?"

"Mike, I need to talk to Lou Ann." Her voice still choked with tears she sounded terrible.

"Honey, what's wrong? Why ya calling?" The genuine concern in Lou Ann's voice soothed Claire. She needed that right now. She needed Joe. Shit he was in midflight to Seattle about now. It would be late tomorrow until he was home. She would need to leave him a message at home. She couldn't wait.

"Lou Ann. Its grams. She's... she's gone." Then the sobs returned at the constriction in her chest. Damming herself for being an emotional wreck and not being able to handle this situation. She hadn't slept much that night wondering why she hadn't heard from Joe before he boarded his plane.

Lou Ann calmed her down. Telling her to get to Denver as soon as she needed. She would call her mom Bee to open the shop and take care of things until she drove back up there. She told her repeatedly not to worry. She would get back in town tomorrow afternoon and she could take all the time she needed.

Claire knew at that moment that Lou Ann and Angel would help her through this. She hated to do this to Joe, but she was sure this was a test for him as well. Helping her through all this would take away from her physically and emotionally. She would not be able to give him the incredible welcome home she had planned. All he would be getting was a message on his answering machine.

She wondered what malicious force was working against them to form a relationship. Then she realized that only good things come from hard work. They had worked hard that last night before his trip to work through their emotions. She was thankful they had that time right before he left on this trip.

Quickly she dialed his cell phone, with shaky fingers, to leave a message that told him she loved him, but that she won't be here when he gets back. She rushed out her sentences about her grams death and she would be in Denver when he got back. She pleaded with him to call her cell phone as soon as he got this message.

Hanging up the phone from leaving him a message, a negative thought crept into her mind; maybe he changed his mind on his fishing trip to keep things more casual.

With negative and depressing thoughts nagging at the base of her skull, she grabbed her keys and bag, leaving in haste, not noticing that her cell phone was not in her purse, but on her charger by the kitchen sink. Her mind being in such a rush to get to her grams house she got into car and headed out through town towards the main highway to Denver.

She drove faster than the limit and thought of her grams the whole way. Thinking of all the ways her grams had acted like a second mom or sister and even at times like her best friend. She had lived her life for her daughter and granddaughter and then when her mom died suddenly of breast cancer she was there for her to raise her and make her feel special.

Claire wanted to do that for her. Make her feel special. Make her funeral special. Her gravestone special. She figured if there wasn't much family to invite, she would invite as many old friends of hers she could find. She deserved that.

With all the wonderful memories flooding in her brain as she drove, not once did she realize she still didn't have her cell phone with her. It was the least of her concerns.

Joe's concerns were numerous as they stopped for breakfast after their five a.m. flight landed in Denver's International Airport.

As they had just placed their breakfast order, they all proceeded to flip open their cell phones, including Joe's grandpa, who was planning a quick trip back to his old stomping grounds in summit county.

Thinking it was too early to call Claire, he figured he would see if she left another of her sexual innuendo messages again for him.

As his coffee arrived and all the guys were busy checking their messages on their phones, Joe spurted out loudly. "Crap. Ah shit, this can't be happening."

The chimes of 'what's up man' and 'what is it' came from all the guys as Joe's caramel colored skin turned pale.

"It's Claire. I mean it's her grandma. She died last night and Claire has already left for Denver."

"Shoot that sucks. You guys were looking forward to a reunion." Levi spoke in first.

"You need to take care of her Joe." His grandpa chimed in.

"You need to do what's right. Barney will take care of the shop." McCormick chipped in.

"Hell, son, I used to run that shop. I'll help Barney out till you and Claire get all this taken care of.

"What time did she call?" Levi asked.

"Around quarter to four this morning."

"Try her cell. I bet she's already on the road into Denver. We'll hang back until you find out where her grandma lived and take you there." McCormick always the thinker and doer was already planning on how all this needed to go down. "Eat your breakfast because Claire is going to need your energy up."

The waitress then she delivered the food, just as McCormick was telling him to eat. All the guys dug in, except Joe. He was frantically redialing Claire's cell number repeatedly and not getting an answer. On his last try, he decided to leave a message.

"No answer?" Joe's grandpa quizzed.

"Yah. No answer." Frustrated he decided to start trying Lou Ann or Mike's place. He was sure Claire wouldn't take off without letting Lou Ann know. She was always so responsible about that shop. One of the many qualities he loved about that woman and he knew it was love.

He missed her on this trip with every aching minute. It was all he could talk and think about. The guys took it well, but by the end he noticed they just shook their heads in agreement at his comments and then continued on with a different conversation around him. He found himself laughing to himself on this trip on how all this would look to him if it wasn't him who was in love. His friends were great, helpful even with suggestions on how and when to ask her for marriage. Because they all knew, their relationship had taken on that level that quick. He was even sure that was why his grandpa insisted on cashing in his ticket home just to hang around for a while.

With the meals almost gone and Joe's getting cold, he finally reached Lou Ann on her cell. She told him all he needed to know. She could not explain the unanswered cell phone only that Claire was so upset she would not have been surprised if she left her cell in her apartment. Then she remembered Claire's grandma's address from their college days and told him to go there and call her back if it is not right. Her mom could run to the shop and double check her employee paperwork for information.

By the time, Joe hung up all the men were expecting a heads up. He told them all he knew in between bites of his cold breakfast. Half way through his breakfast, his phone rings with a call from caller unknown. Choosing to ignore it, it continued to rings several more times.

"Answer it Joe. It could be Claire." McCormick appearing level headed as always.

It was Claire. She bought a throwaway phone at a twenty-four drugstore heading towards Denver. She was frantic.

Joe began calming her down with his plan to stay in Denver. He just needed to get her Grams address. Knowing that he will wait there until she got there.

McCormick handed him a notepad and pen to jot down the address this time, since last time when Lou Ann gave it to him, he just repeated it and forgot.

Levi took care of the check with all the guys cash and came back to the table with the waitress's phone number on a napkin. That got a round of chuckles from all of them.

Claire asked what was funny. Joe's voice and promise of staying with her had her unwinding the tight coil she had put herself in. Joe told her about the phone number from the waitress for Levi and she giggled. She was only an hour away and was trying not to put the pedal to the floor to get there quicker.

They continued to talk, per Claires request, as it kept her focused on the road and not her grandma's death. As they talked, Clairshee asked how the trip went and Joe told her about the big fish that got away. That got more laughter from the guys as Levi herded them all back to his truck in the airport parking lot.

Minutes later they were in front of a grocery store and Joe continued talking to her and how much he missed her. He let all the guys walk on ahead as they headed into the store. Not too sure why they stopped and why all of them were going in, Joe gave them a look of what's up? As he continued talking to Claire.

McCormick whispered in the opposite ear of Joe's cell phone glued to his head while talking to Claire. "Trust us."

Then he watched the men throw in prepared food from the deli, then they strolled to produce where fruit and precut and pre-cleaned vegetables got put in the cart. He saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers go in and then they headed to the other end of the store. He smiled at these guys and nodded with his head in approval. He knew that once he got Claire at her grandmas he did not need to worry about food. The flowers were to make her feel special.

Then Levi tossed in a case of Coors Light beer and McCormick held up a four pack of a strawberry fru-fru drink and mouthed Claire's name in question as to whether she would like it.

Joe asked Claire on the phone if she liked the drink and he shook his head yes, as he proceeded to explain they were in the grocery store and wanted to know if there was anything, she might need.

Her words of just him and a tight hug almost brought him to his knees. He had never had such an incredible woman want him as badly as Claire was telling him at that moment, as she had all week while he was hundreds of miles away from her. His groin was aching for her and his mind was spinning with all the ways he wanted to make her feel like a princess.

As they headed to the card section, Joe's grandpa disappeared down the next aisle over in health and beauty. The men were each picking out a card for Claire when grandpa tossed in two boxes of condoms. Laughter spilled out as Joe mouthed 'Jesus, grandpa.'

Grandpa replied with a very surprising and sarcastic remark. "Bee, Lou Ann's mom and I have a special relationship. One of those boxes is for me, son. And if any of you repeat anything I just said I will have to hurt you."

Knowing he was joking. Although, none of them were the kiss and tell type of guys. They were just slightly shocked that grandpa was not only the one to think about protection, he was also the only other one that needed to buy it, making McCormick and Levi a tad jealous.

Joe wasn't about to announce that Claire was on the pill and smiled nodding his head as he looked over the cards to find the one just right for Claire.

She told him she was probably only twenty minutes away and wanted to make sure he had the address.

"The address..." Joe spoke loudly while giving McCormick a nudge with the slap of his hand.

McCormick quickly responded pulling the address out of his wallet and putting it in front of Joe. As soon as Joe read it aloud repeating it to Claire to reassure her, McCormick took the napkin written address and handed it to Levi.

"Got any clue where this is?" McCormick asked Levi.

"Nope. Better get a map." And grandpa was off in search of maps. However, McCormick already was typing the address into his phone for a map. They figured sending grandpa off for a map would keep him busy for a minute or two and hopefully out of trouble.

Another five minutes and they were heading through the checkout. The other guys had grabbed a couple drinks for the road figuring that as soon as Joe and Claire reunited, they had a long drive ahead of them back home.

"Claire, honey. A black truck with a load of men just pulled up and they are all getting out with bags of groceries. Do you know them honey?" Tia hand gently rubbed Claire's shoulder as she was talking to Joe.

"You're here?" A shrill of happiness escaped her lips as she dropped her cell on to the carpet and ran outside to greet Joe.

She gripped him with all fours, jumping on him with her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist. Dropping the grocery bags, he held in his two hands he wrapped his arms around her to hold her up. They kissed so passionately and without a pause for the audience of men standing behind him.

"Uh hum. Hey Claire. Sorry to hear about your grandma." Levi was staring at the two kissing and hugging and it struck him that after a week of fishing and being a man he needed to round up a date as soon as he got back in town. The two were almost pornographic.

Tia was standing at the door holding the screen door open with one hand and Claire's cell phone in the other. "Howdy, boys. You need to bring those in here?"

Being the diplomatic one, McCormick walked around the kissing twosome, on the small sidewalk, and continued to carry in handfuls of plastic grocery bags, followed by Levi and then grandpa. "Howdy, mam'. Sorry to hear about the loss. Where can we put these groceries?"

"Follow me. This was very kind of you. I take it that is Joe out there with Claire?" Tia led the men into the small eight foot by eight foot kitchen that looked like it was still stuck in a fifties movie. With its dark wood cabinets and burnt orange countertops to match the olive appliances that had not been updated since lord knows when.

"Yes, that is Joe. Claire caught us as we just flew in from a fishing trip from Alaska. We just arrived at the airport this morning when Claire called. We figured we best get some food so that Joe and Claire have no worries here. We'll be leaving Joe here to help Claire out if that's alright with you?"

"Oh, my, yes. That would be great. I was Claire's grandmas nurse aid. This was all the family Claire had left."

The room filled with what felt like a sci-fi movie of silence. All three men had set their bags down and looked at each other in shock. The ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway stuck on the hour and then Joe's grandpa spoke up to break the trance that felt like sliding through the vortex of silence. "Well... we'll just have to share our families with Claire now won't we."

Both men, Levi and McCormick, spoke up with agreeing words and then turned to head out to the truck to grab the rest of the groceries and Joe's suitcase. They ran into Joe and Claire starting to walk through the door as they were heading out to the truck.

"Where's gramps?" Joe questioned the guys.

"In the kitchen helping unpack the groceries. Hey... Claire, we're really sorry."

Claire grabbed McCormick for a hug. "Thanks." Then turned to Levi who looked more awkward than a boy in an all-girls choir. "You too. Thanks." Hugging the two men made her feel like she had more friends to be thankful for.

"We can't hang around too long. I gotta work tonight. Joe we'll grab your suitcase and the last of the groceries. Then we need to scoot."

Joe slapped McCormick on the shoulder. "Thanks man. Let me get gramps out of the kitchen before he has Tia naked on the countertops."

Claire giggled. She wanted to meet the famous grandpa who could smile the panties off a beauty pageant winner. However, knowing the men were in a hurry she would have to make it quick. Walking into the kitchen hand and hand with Joe leading the way, Claire saw a very handsome older looking Joe turn and smile at her. Her insides melted. She had that to look forward to. Their genes definitely got better as they got older.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"That was an amazing service, Claire." Lou Ann looked at one very strong woman that was holding up rather well considering she just lost her last relative known to her. Mike was holding her sideways with his strength as she and Claire hugged and kissed each other on the cheek. Mike and Lou Ann turned to walk over and stand next to the group of friends that gathered at the end of the hall in the church.

A moment of solemn peace passed amongst all of them as Claire and Joe stood side by side wishing everyone their thanks for coming in a procession style. Claire felt like half the town showed up. People she had never met drove all the way down once they heard about Claire. She hated to think that it took this incident to happen to make her realize that a lot of people from town truly appreciated her and liked her. She thanked each person or couple as they walked by with more and more gratitude. Knowing that the house she grew up in with her mom was no longer home. Home was back with Joe and Lou Ann and Angel and their family.

She was blown away to hear that the gals at the shop covered her job with much participation. That the flowers, from clients and friends, surrounded her grandma's casket at the church. The main centerpiece of white roses on a huge standing spray of flowers with white gardenias and baby's breath and a ribbon that simple read 'GRANDMA' was the one that Joe surprised her with.

After they spent their first reunion night making love and crying, Joe soothed her continually, letting her know that he was going to take care of her now. Then he took charge with all the funeral arrangements, flowers, cemetery plot and headstone. Never once asking for any money from Claire. This put even more certainty into her mind that he really wanted her and did not change his mind over the fishing trip as she feared he might.

She could not have realized that less than two weeks ago she was ready to give up on the best thing that ever happened in her life. She knew from this point forward, she would fight to keep him no matter what it took, no matter what troubles lay ahead she would always remember the Joe that swept her off her feet with his kindness and passion. The man that took charge at her weakest moments and made her feel like a princess every step of the way.

The day had given way to a beautiful blue clear sky with only a few white powder puff clouds and a slight warm breeze. The plot that they had picked set next to a big oak tree on the edge of a hill. The line of cars that had followed from the church to the cemetery had seemed to go on forever.

What stuck most vivid in Claire's mind, as she headed back to her old house, gram's place, was how peaceful and fulfilling the service had felt. Gathered around, with all her friends and new family, listening to the sermon as they lowered her casket, left her with a cluster of feelings swirled with very sad to elation. She was putting to rest a woman she adored but in the process discovered how much she felt loved by those around her in her new life.

As the line of cars started out of the cemetery plot, Joe held Claire's' hand in the limousine that he ordered through the mortuary. He had been her rock, her steady, her saving grace. He said all the right things at the right time and just thinking if he had not been here for her she did not think she would have made it through without having a severely broken heart.

Clearing her throat to talk, she felt him cuddle up closer to her. "Thanks for everything and not just paying for everything. Thanks for rushing here and being with me the last few days and helping me with all the decisions with my grams. You made it so much easier for me since you've been there every step of the way." Claire tightened her grip on his hand. She felt so in love with the man next to her and more thankful than anything that he was there right now.

"I want to be there for you every step of the way, for the rest of our lives." He tilted her chin up and lowered his lips to hers. His kiss was more meaningful than he had ever kissed her and yet so gentle. He pulled away and looked into her eyes brimming with tears. "Why are you crying?"

"Because... because of what you just said. I love you Joe." Claire voice was above a whisper, her eyes felt filled with happy tears and her heart felt twice its size.

"Claire I want to propose to you but not here or now. Just know that my intentions will be quick after we return to _our_ home. I love you Claire." Joe put a gentle kiss on her forehead and pulled her in closer to him, letting her head, rest against his chest and wrapping his arms around her as tight as possible. He knew that was a lot for her to soak in, but it was all he thought about since their night together. How he knew there was no one else for him and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman in his arms.

Epilogue

As they pulled up in front of Joe's house with some boxes in the back of her car and a sleepy eyed Claire. Joe turned to her and announced they were home.

Home never sounded so good to Claire especially from Joe's lips. She had fallen asleep thinking about all that Joe had done for her.

As they walked inside through the garage, Claire smiled at all the flowers from the funeral that had been placed on the counter top by Lou Ann and Angel. She knew she would find a way to thank those two one day. They had done so much in helping her sort through her grandma's house on what to keep and what to go.

Joe and Claire had agreed on the drive home, that the day needed to be spent in rest and then tomorrow to try to reside back to normal. They both needed to get back to their jobs and Joe had promised Barney two weeks off for all the headaches he had caused him over the last month. With pay of course.

However, Joe held back one important detail. With the salon closed on Sunday, only three days away, Joe's granddad was going to watch the shop while Joe surprised Claire with a proposal out on their lake. The weather forecast was for clear and sunny skies, seasonally warm and Joe had found Claire's grandmas wedding band in her jewelry box when helping her pack. He had it hidden in his wallet to propose to her with, knowing that the sentiment alone would mean more than ever to Claire.

As Joe hung Claire's car keys up next to his truck ones on the key hook on the wall, Claire kissed his cheek for the sentiment. On the wall phone next to the key hook was the answering machine blinking. Hitting the play button, figuring it was recent, since he had been checking all his messages from Claire's grandma's house. He hit play to hear his vivacious sister's voice. "Joe, I'm coming. Warn the posse. I have to meet this Claire chick. She sounds perfect. Leaving tomorrow sometime. I'll be coming in my new black jeep wrangler. She's a beaut. Love ya Felicity." The message got a chuckle out of Joe and another kiss from Claire.

As their settled into bed for the night, they continued on a sleepy conversation about Joe's sister. As he went on for a while, she couldn't wait to meet her. Secretly she had always wanted a little sister. Figuring she would only be a few years older. However, she liked what she heard as Joe bragged about what a great gal his sister is, only that recently she seemed rather restless.

They talked on for another hour about going to visit his whole family in Grand Junction, Colorado where the rest of the family lived, lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. All the while Claire seemed thrilled, Joe started worry his family would over whelm her.

Telling him, how excited she is to be Mrs. Sallee, and that she would love it if they got married at the lake. That he does not have to do a formal proposal. Joe asks her to be patient, he really wants to make this special remembering his secret plan for Sunday.

With thoughts of marriage and family swirling through both of their minds, they made love in a home they both now considered theirs, only to succumb to a good full night's sleep afterwards.

With Felicity miles away, driving towards her brothers place, without a care in the world.

The feel of her new black jeep wrangler and it's incredible sound system roaring up the mountain highways made her feel like a badass through and through. She liked playing the tough part, but knew deep down parts of her loved to be soft and feminine. This was just a part in her life she wanted to play out while she was still young.

She loved the looks from the men when they looked at her license plates 'swtthng'. Short for 'Sweet Thing. She had it airbrushed on the backside of her jeep professionally, not but one hour after she drove it off the lot.

She had spent most of her life as the little sister do-gooder and now that she lived in her first apartment away from her parents and brother, she had found her bad side in the last year. Her decent paying job allotted her the luxury she gave herself. But at twenty-two she felt like she had her whole life ahead and she was going to spend the next few being a hellion, just shy of the legal side.

She knew she looked hot in her jeep with her long black hair up in a ponytail to keep from whipping in her face. Nothing was more exhilarating than having the top off her jeep... well maybe a Harley.

Now with her brother swept him off his feet and in love, she needed to meet the crazy fool who was going to marry her brother.

Troubled waters lay ahead for Felicity with her new reckless ways. Lucky for her, Fireman Levi was not too far away.

Could the young dynamic duo turn the heat up and cause reckless havoc?

The End

About the Author

Kat Von Wild

Like luscious liquid dreams, my stories pour from my flittering fingertips, creating a provocative experience, for your pleasure. Deliciously dark dreams dare me to be so bold. Stimulating warm trickling sensations like a waterfall gently washing over your soul. Simply enticing your desires, whether you be a man or woman, may you find yourself lost to the scrumptious experience I have presented to you.

Accept my offering of a moment in time to escape

Thank you for allowing me to offer you pleasure.

With each story you read, is it important to me that you take a moment to rate the book you read from where you bought it. This allows me the pleasure of knowing if your desires were filled and entices other readers such as yourself to read my stories. Thank you for your time.

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There is something about a man in uniform with the emblem of a hero, muscles so big and strong you want him to rescue you. Every woman fantasizes about a hero. Summer was about to meet hers. Until then, every sensual feeling encapsulates her body and allows her the physical feeling of self-pleasure. Then the moment they meet, her fantasy hero just became her sensual reality. Sometimes fantasy just warms the senses for reality and how sizzling it can get.

COMING SOON!

Three short erotica stories about men that make you want to melt. These are the short stories that ladies like yourself like to read; alone in a hot soaking tub or before your lover takes you in their arms. These men will have you warm and ready for a fast adventure of passion.

