Trial Period
The first person Shauna called when she received the contract offer from the publisher was Karen Chasez. The woman who had helped and encouraged her was thrilled.
“Will you quit your job now?” Karen asked. She and Shauna had discussed the prospect a number of times. She also realized Shauna’s relationship with JC was strained by the time apart because Shauna wasn’t free to travel.
“I don’t know. Should I? I mean writing has just been extra cash until now…”
“Don’t you want to concentrate on your writing?”
“Well, yes…”
“It happens to be a very mobile career,” Karen hinted.
Shauna chuckled. “Not subtle, Karen.”
“I confess to an ulterior motive. Josh is lonely and so are you.”
“I haven’t even discussed this with Josh yet. I wanted you to be the first to know. You made this happen.”
“No, dear, you did. I just helped where I could.”
“I don’t know if I would have taken the leap from series romances if you hadn’t nudged and encouraged me.”
“I saw potential.” Karen changed the subject. “Now, go call my son.”
“I will. Bye!”
“Hey, babe. I can’t pick up right now. Tell me what you need and I’ll get back to ya. Love ya!” BEEP…
“Josh, it’s Shauna…well, of course it is. Who else has this number? Darling, I have wonderful news. Call me when you can.”
Ringing off, Shauna made it across the room before the telephone rang. “Hello?”
“What’s up, honey?” JC’s cheerful voice came across the connection.
“Hello, Josh.”
“What wonderful news do you have for me?”
“I got a book deal!” She nearly squealed with excitement.
“Fantastic! I’m so proud of you.” And he sounded as if he truly meant it.
“It means I could quit Taylor, Taylor and Melanski.”
The line was silent for a moment. “Will you?” he asked quietly.
“Should I?”
JC would love having Shauna with him. Did he dare ask? Would she be willing to trade her quiet life in Chicago for his chaotic existence? “You know I’d love having you with me, if you wanted that, too. Baby, think carefully before you make and life-altering decisions. I won’t pressure you.”
“Please?”
“Please, what?”
“Pressure me.”
“Sorry, Shauna. You know how I feel. That’s all I’ll say.”
“You are no help at all,” she sighed.
“I don’t want to be the one you blame if you aren’t happy.”
“Sometimes you can be so damned adult!” she accused, frustrated.
JC laughed. “Usually that isn’t a bad thing.”
“It isn’t really. Josh, I don’t know if I could be a nomad.”
“No one is telling you to be.”
“I’d be your official tour groupie.”
“That’s not true. I love you. I don’t make love to groupies.” He wanted to reassure her she was a permanent fixture in his life, but it was damned hard over the telephone.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. I wasn’t supposed to meet you.”
“Are you sorry, Shauna?”
“I didn’t mean to love you. I was just going to lust after you.”
“I think you do a great job at both.” Amusement was apparent in his voice.
“This is true.” Her good humor had returned. “Thank you, Josh.”
“Thank me? For what?”
“For staying on the line while I whined.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“Can you answer me one thing, yes or no?”
“I suppose that depends on what it is.”
“Do you want me along?”
He didn’t remind her he’s already answered that question earlier. “Yes.”
“I guess I can try it for awhile. If I do okay, I’ll need to close up my apartment for now. Joshua…you’ll be paying for everything…”
“It’s cool, honey. It’s what I want, too.”
“You’re so good to me.”
“And you’re great to me. We’re even.”
Shauna heard commotion behind JC’s voice. She knew he had to ring off. “I guess I’ll let you go then. Talk to you later.”
“You bet, sweetheart. Later!”
She rang off.
Her life was about to change in a big way.
JC had prepared everything for Shauna’s arrival. He was as excited as a little boy on Christmas morning. And she was his present, having her beside him through the night, having her face be the first one he saw in the morning. He had this dopey grin on his face he couldn’t get rid of even if he wanted to.
She had kept insisting this was a ‘trial period’ to see if the arrangement worked for her. As much as he had wheedled, coaxed and promised, he couldn’t get her to give up her apartment. He was convinced once he proposed that would all change; she would move into one of his houses when she wasn’t with him on the road.
Shauna boarded JC’s private bus directly behind him. She had been on it several times before, but now she was going to call it ‘home’ for a while. Anticipation and dread were her main emotions. JC just couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t throw herself whole-heartedly into the situation. Once she had told him she didn’t want his life of travel and hotel rooms, yet, here she was. Loving JC was one thing; living with him was another thing entirely. To encourage her, he pointed out that nearly half the year he divided his time between his homes in Orlando and Los Angeles – and she would love Europe.
“Of course, this is our room – and you know where the kitchen and bathroom are.” JC tossed her luggage on the bed. “But I have a surprise for you.”
Shauna set her laptop and handbag on the bed. Were surprises a good thing? “Josh…”
“Don’t argue.” Taking her hand, he led her to a pocket door part of the way to the main living area. “I want you to be able to write while you’re with me – well, basically, so you’ll stay with me.” Turning her towards the door, he said,” Close your eyes, honey.”
Obediently she closed her eyes. She heard the door slide open and then she was guided into the room.
“I know it isn’t anything like home,” he said as he moved behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Okay…open your eyes.”
Easing her eyelids up, her gaze fell on a desk and chair against the window so the user could catch the scenery as it whizzed by. Atop the desk was what appeared to be a state-of-the-art laptop computer.
“You have wireless Internet,” he told her. “All the bells and whistles. The best they make.”
“Oh, Josh…”
“There is a loveseat for you to relax.” He pointed to the wall area left of the desk. On the wall opposite the loveseat was a credenza with door on the front of it. “There’s a scanner and printer, the reference books you said you use and your supplies: printer paper, notebooks and your favorite pens you like best.”
Shauna took in her new cubbyhole office, impressed by the thought he had put into the project. “Josh, this is wonderful.” She turned and hugged his neck. “It was very thoughtful of you.”
“So I did okay?”
“You did fantastic, darling.”
JC beamed with pride. “I wanted to surprise you with your own space.”
“And you certainly did.” If she recalled correctly, this compartment had been his media/game room. “Umm…where did all your stuff go?”
“I put a lot of it in our room. We can chill in bed; listen to music or watch movies. I can play the games somewhere else when you’re working, that way I won’t bother you.”
“You’re very sweet, Mr. Chasez.”
“It’s easy to be sweet to you.”
Shauna stroked the sensitive flesh at the nape at his nape with a feather-light touch. In a husky voice, she asked, “When do we leave?”
He shivered as her sensual touch had the desired effect. “In another few minutes,” he replied thickly. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”
Though she had slept with him on the bus, they had never made love, preferring the bigger beds. The much smaller double bed on the bus had been a place to catch a few hours of extra sleep. “I’ve never made love in a moving vehicle.”
“It’s something you wanted to try?”
“I am always open to new experiences.”
“Once we’re underway, wanna christen the bed?”
She gave him a slow seductive smile. “I thought we might.”
This was something new JC hadn’t really anticipated. The bed on the bus had been for sleeping, but the as it stood; they hadn’t been together for weeks. “For real, Shauna?”
“Uh-huh.”
Instead of a rough eager kiss, his mouth moved over hers tenderly. “Thank you, baby.”
“Thank me?” She laughed softly. “What ever for?”
“For being much more than I ever expected and a helluva lot more than I deserve.”
Taking one of his hands, she led him from the small room. She backed up the hallway towards their room. “Maybe I’m just horny,” she teased.
Grinning, he said, “I know I am.”
She dropped her eyes to the button fly of his jeans. The fabric’s tensile strength was being tested by his obvious arousal. She licked her lips as if in anticipation of a tasty treat.
JC groaned as they entered their compact bedroom space. She looked like she was going to devour him – he could hardly wait! With his free hand, he closed the door between them and the rest of the bus.
Releasing his hand, she turned to the bed. She carefully set her laptop on the chair but the rest of her things hit the floor as she jerked the bedcovers towards the foot of the bed. The spread and blanket were in a heap with her luggage. Facing him once more, she slowly unbuttoned her blouse and tugged the tails from her jeans. She shrugged off the top then removed her bra.
He made quick work of his fly, giving himself a small measure of relief. She seemed to be doing her naughty striptease fro his benefit – he didn’t know how much longer he could bear it. With his eyes fixed on her slender torso and pert breasts, he stroked himself.
“Ah-ah-ah…” she scolded. “None of that. That’s mine to play with.”
“You’re killing me here,” he complained.
“Then die, baby, die,” she taunted with a wicked smile. Unfastening her jeans, she leisurely peeled them down her legs. Kicking away the jeans and her sandals, now only her red satin thong remained.
“Dammit, Shauna!” How was he supposed to control himself?
She arched one derisive eyebrow in question. Putting her back to him, she made a lengthy production of removing the tiny scrap of satin.
With his eyes fastened on her sweet backside, he licked his lips in anticipation.
Straightening and turning back to him, she walked over to him. Skimming her hands under his shirt, she smoothed them up his chest. She kissed him long, slow and hot, rubbing herself against him.
JC couldn’t keep his hands to himself. He slid his hands up and down her back. Once in a while he’d shove her lower body into his so she could feel his hard-on.
“I think you need to get naked,” she whispered before she nibbled on his earlobe.
“I know I need to get naked,” he declared. Setting her a little bit from him, he made quick work of his shirt. He let out a feral growl when her hand went beneath the waistband of his shorts and squeezed him. “Fuck!” He kicked away his flip-flops before yanking his jeans and shorts off. He was now as naked as she. He drug her back into his arms, kissing her hungrily, seeking her breasts with his hands. He plucked at the pebble hard nipples carefully.
“Joshua…” she purred, once again rubbing herself against him like a cat.
“I’m gonna lose it right here and now if you don't stop,” he warned her gruffly.
“That won’t do.” Moving away, she took his hand and led him to the side of the bed. “Have a seat, Mr. Chasez.”
JC’s eyes gleamed as he obeyed and she knelt at his feet. She was going to use that talented mouth on him – at least, that’s what he believed. At first, she merely looked at his family jewels, studying him as if he was beautiful, intriguing and wondrous. He couldn’t recall any other woman doing that.
“It’s so fascinating, the way you are put together,” she murmured as if awed. Then her hands slid up from his knees to the inside of his thighs. She leisurely explored him, caressing, fondling, squeezing, and drawing a pleasured moan from him. One hand grasped his throbbing shaft as she took the head into her mouth.
“Oh, God, baby!” For a moment, he had to close his eyes to savor the wonderful twin sensations of her mouth and the feather-light touch of her other hand caressing his sac, then he forced his eyes open. The sight of Shauna loving him was just too fantastic not to watch.
Delicately, her tongue traced the contours of the crown of his penis, knowing this was where she could give him the most pleasure. With her fingertips, she lightly stroked the underside of his manhood, making him shudder with delight. Wrapping her fingers around him, she pumped him in the rhythm of her sucking, her tongue like a fluttering butterfly against the tip.
“Oh fuck, Shauna!”
Then her hands and mouth were gone! He looked up. He saw how swollen and ready she was as she stood before him. Placing his hands on her waist, he drew her closer; first kissing her belly, then lower still.
“Josh!” Shauna gasped as his tongue dipped in to taste her.
“Bring it here,” he commanded silkily. He guided her legs on the outside of his, drawing her down astride his thighs. Bending his head, his mouth courted her breasts until she mewled helplessly.
With a fire of need, she pulled her knees up to the mattress on either side of him. Balancing carefully, she lifted her hips. Coming back down, she guided him into her hot wet core.
JC wanted to shout out at the perfection of the moment but perfection got better. She began to lift herself up and down on him. Keeping his hands at her hips, he helped her keep her balance. “Shauna…damn…so good…so fucking good, honey…”
She continued to ride him, maintaining her precarious position by clinging to his shoulders. It didn’t take either of them long to approach the peak. She felt him tense just as her walls began to clench around him. “Josh!”
JC pushed his hips up on her last downward stroke. His hands moved to her back, holding her close as they both shattered into rapture. A moment later his arms went around her trembling body, holding her tenderly.
“Umm…Shauna?”
She lifted her head from his shoulder and gave him a drowsy smile. “Hmm…”
“I hate to tell you this…what we just did was…well, you know was...”
“Very good,” she teased.
“Way beyond good…but I am not sure if it counts as christening the bed. I mean we were hardly on it.”
“Oh.”
“And the Earth sure as hell moved, but the bus isn’t moving yet.”
“Are you telling me I just did all that work for nothing?” she demanded jokingly.
“I wouldn’t say it was for nothing…but we’ll have to do it again,” he announced with mock seriousness.
Shauna eased off his thighs and moved onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. “Well, I’m not gonna do all the work again, buster.”
Laughing, JC shifted to lie next to her. “You just relax this time.” Tenderly, he brushed damp tendrils of her hair from her cheek. Lowering his head, he kissed her softly.
They both felt the bus pull from the parking lot to the street and grinned.
“Now?” she asked.
He nodded. “Now.”
“Then put your back into it, Chasez!” Shauna told him, giggling.
JC was quick to obey – and this time, the Earth and the bus moved.