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  She cried out, his mouth absorbing the sound.

  He plunged slowly, keeping the pace tender and gentle, the pleasure heightening slowly. As her first orgasm approached, Josh slowed his pace, keeping her on the precipice without letting her roll over it.

  * * * *

  Josh could feel her sheath tightening around him, her muscles quivering right on the edge of release. But he didn't want this to end just yet.

  Gia was so soft, so gentle, in this early morning interlude. She seemed more open than usual, wearing her emotions on her sleeve. He loved it.

  Taking his time, extending the pleasure for both of them, he thrust slowly again, gradually speeding the pace.

  Once again she reached that edge, but this time he let her slide over it, her orgasm rolling through her. Rather than her usual squeezing grip, her internal muscles seemed to almost pull at him, caressing him with her body. Josh tried to hold off his own pleasure. When her orgasm continued on and on, he couldn't hold back any more.

  On a long, deep groan Josh joined her, crashing over the edge into the deepest orgasm he'd ever had.

  As soon as he could breathe again, he leaned in to kiss her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply in return. As he pulled back she whispered, "I love you."

  His breathing stopped completely. His heart lurched in his chest. When everything finally restarted, he managed to ground out "I love you, too."

  Gia smiled softly, rolled over and was asleep instantly.

  Josh pulled her tightly against him, afraid to let this moment go. He never wanted to lose this feeling. Even with her tucked safely against him, sleep was slow in coming.

  * * * *

  The next morning Josh rose, having barely gotten any sleep. After Gia had finally dozed off last night, Josh had tried to process what had happened. Or more specifically what she'd said. It seemed too good to be true. And totally out of character for her.

  Josh wanted to believe her, to believe that she felt the same. Yet nothing in their relationship thus far had given him any indication that she felt that way. He wasn't stupid. He knew she was attracted to him. Extremely attracted to him. She definitely felt the same chemistry he did. But... and this was a big but, she didn't even want anyone to know about them.

  If you loved someone, you wanted to share that with your friends. She was insistent that they hide it from them.

  It didn't make any sense.

  At. All.

  So, he was in the kitchen, making coffee and puzzling over what to expect from Gia this morning.

  He poured a cup of coffee, turning as he started to take a sip, to see Gia standing in his kitchen wearing his shirt. And only his shirt.

  "Good morning." He paused a beat, testing the waters. When she looked a little cranky, which was totally normal for Gia in the morning, but not in the least bit uncomfortable, he smiled. "Want some coffee?"

  To that she rolled her eyes, walked past him and grabbed a mug, pouring a cup from the pot.

  She leaned back against the counter, using both hands to bring the mug to her lips. She paused, to inhale the aroma before gingerly sipping the hot drink.

  Josh groaned. She even made drinking coffee sexy.

  After a couple of sips, she looked up at him and smiled. "Better. Thanks."

  The laugh rumbled out of his chest. It would be too easy to get used to having her here in the mornings. Every morning.

  She started heading out of the kitchen, back toward the bedroom.

  "I'm going to jump through the shower, if that's okay. I need to get home and get changed before work."

  "Uh, yeah. That's fine."

  She was acting completely... normal. Like Gia. Not like a Gia who had told him she loved him the night before.

  Had he dreamed it?

  She stopped just outside the hallway, stripping off his shirt before looking back over her shoulder. "Want to join me?"

  Yep... it must have been a dream. He grinned, grabbing his mug and following Gia back toward heaven.

  Chapter 31

  The following week, Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. Though it was early October, this weekend promised to be unusually hot, not to mention humid.

  Josh had plans to play tennis with Blake, but the thermometer was already creeping past ninety when he got there just before nine. When he saw Blake walking towards him, already looking as wilted as he felt, he made an immediate change in plans.

  "What do you say to skipping the tennis and heading straight to lunch?"

  Blake laughed. "Works for me, but I think it's still breakfast."

  "Whatever. As long as it's indoors. This heat is nasty."

  After a brief discussion, they decided to forego the club completely and head over to a nearby pancake house to eat and grab some coffee. After getting seated and placing their orders, it took Blake a matter of seconds to start grilling Josh.

  "So, you seem to be in better spirits these days."

  Josh smiled. He knew it probably looked a little smug, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about that. "Yep."

  "You must have managed to get over the 'heartbreak' of losing Deb?"

  "Uh, yeah. Totally over it."

  Blake just laughed, long and deep, making Josh join right along with him.

  "So, things are going well with Gia, then?"

  Once again Josh realized that he couldn't blatantly lie to Blake. So he settled for a shrug.

  Which just set Blake off to laughing again. "You know, for such a damn fine lawyer you have a terrible poker face when it comes to anything personal."

  Rolling his eyes, Josh finally gave up and said, "I just don't want to outright lie to you. And I can't say anything... about anything."

  Blake nodded his head as the laughter started to die down. "Okay. So, don't say anything. It's not like we couldn't tell something was up anyway. You guys were setting off some pretty decent size fires last weekend."

  Josh froze. So much for not lying. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  Another laugh. "Wow, totally deadpan, man. And right on the heels of 'not lying'. That's kind of amazing."

  Now Josh sighed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  When Josh simply repeated the same thing, all Blake's laughter died. "So, I'm getting the impression that we're not supposed to talk about Gia."

  Josh looked straight at him and cocked his eyebrow. "I have no idea..."

  "What I'm talking about. Okay, got it. So, don't talk, just listen. I'm assuming that you and Gia are working things out, something you can sit there and deny all you want, but the chemistry between you two is off the charts. And for whatever reason you guys want to keep it to yourselves. Which is fine. In theory."

  "In theory?"

  "Yes, in theory. But, you're forgetting that we are your best friends. Most of us have known each other for at least eight years, and in some cases a lot longer than that. Kelly knows, I know, Dev knows you're at least trying to make something happen there. That's what I know for sure. But, unless they're blind and stupid, everyone else has figured it out after last weekend."

  Feeling the air leave his lungs in a rush, Josh acknowledged defeat. "She wants to keep it a secret. From everyone... including you guys. That was the one stipulation she had. No one was supposed to know."

  Blake nodded. "Well, that at least explains it."

  "Explains it?"

  "Yeah. Kelly and I have known that something was different with you guys for a while, but neither one of you had said anything to either one of us. We were debating whether or not you guys were still fighting the attraction, or if you were both too stupid to see the potential. Kelly was telling me she was surprised at first, but then it made perfect sense. I was never all that surprised. Actually, I was more surprised it took you damn near a decade to wise up and see her."

  "It didn't."

  "No? Then... why?"

  Josh sent him a wry grin. "You ever seen something you wanted, and just known
there was no way you could have it? Ever? That was Gia."

  "Why couldn't you have her?"

  "At first, it was just bad timing. I had a girlfriend when I met her. A situation I rectified as quickly as possible. But, by the time that was over, she was seeing someone. And then, we were friends. She just never thought of me that way."

  "But you thought of her that way?"

  "Always. I just learned to ignore it after a while."

  "Until a few months ago. So, what changed?"

  "Nothing changed. I guess it had just built up. I had made sure I was never alone with her. Not in years anyway. In fact, until the tattoo, the last time I had been alone with Gia was when she went with me in college to buy my Mustang."

  "Damn, that was like five or six years ago. And you hadn't been alone with her ever... not in that long?"

  "Nope. At first it took some effort... I'm not kidding when I said we were friends. We had actually spent some time just hanging out before then. But after a while, it got easier. Then I got together with Deb, and well... the rest is history."

  "You know, now that I think about it... I kind of remember that. Although I had forgotten that you guys used to hang out. Maybe that's why I always thought you guys might get together."

  "Really? I know you said you weren't surprised, but you thought there was something there?"

  "Until you and Deb had been together for almost two years. After that, I figured you had just settled into the life plan your family had and had decided to keep that other piece of you buried forever."

  "The other piece of me?"

  Blake laughed again, although not a sound that had any real humor to it. "The piece that you try so hard to keep hidden. The piece I've been rooting for since the day I met you. Kelly has too, by the way."

  "What the hell are you talking about Blake?"

  "Josh, you and I both know that you have never really fit the mold. You try, harder than you really should, but that's why you've always had the little secrets. The one's everyone knows about and no one talks about. Like your damn car. The trial law back in college. The kickboxing. The tattoo. And, apparently Gia. You don't fit the world you were born into."

  Josh smiled a little ruefully. "And here I thought I was doing such a good job of hiding it."

  Blake shrugged. "You do for the most part. There's only a few of us that can see it. Me and Kell, but we've known you forever. Deb, though I think she was a little surprised by it at first. And Gia... which is why she has been a thorn in your side for as long as you've known her. She mentioned as much to Kelly the last time we were at the lake actually. Said she liked to needle you until you finally relaxed and pulled the stick out of your ass... or something to that effect."

  Josh smiled, remembering that particular trip. Tackling Gia, getting to see all her delicious curves in a bikini. Watching her nipples tighten under his gaze.

  He looked up at Blake, who had a matching grin... "Lake trip!" They both said at the same time.

  It was absolutely perfect for an absurdly hot day in October. "It's probably the last time this year it will be this hot. And it's way too gross to do anything else."

  "Yep. And, I'm sure the thought of Gia traipsing around in that killer bikini played no part in that idea whatsoever."

  Josh growled. "If you want to keep those eyes in your head Blake, you make sure to keep them off of her."

  Blake was back to laughter. "And why do I need to do that, Josh? Isn't Gia single?"

  When Josh simply glared at him, Blake laughed again. "I'll make sure to tell Kelly to keep it quiet."

  Josh continued to glare. "And I'll keep my eyes off... promise."

  Easing back in his seat, Josh reached for his cell phone dialing Gia first. "Well, start by dialing. We've got to see if everyone else is up for a little end of summer celebration. We can spend the day at the lake and wrap it up at my place tonight. Pool, spa, pizza... Sound good?"

  Blake nodded just as Gia picked up her phone.

  Chapter 32

  The timing couldn't have worked out better. Everyone had been pretty much free today, Gia included. She had only had one client booked for the day with a preset appointment, and she had called early this morning to reschedule. She had said she had a flu bug, but Gia suspected she was merely chickening out. It was going to be her first tattoo and she had already admitted to being scared.

  Either way, she was able to leave Aaron to man the shop and head to the lake completely guilt free. This time, they were all meeting over at Josh's house, leaving most of their cars there and piling into two. The drivers this time were Dev and Josh.

  Josh, surprisingly enough, had brought the Mustang out of hiding for the trip. As much as Gia wanted to ride in that car, she figured it would be best if she rode with Dev. As they all piled in the cars, she was surprised to see Deb climb into the front seat with Dev, Shannon and Scott already in the backseat.

  Okay, she would ride with Josh. She sighed, mentally preparing herself to being trapped in a car with him for the next thirty minutes. When she saw Blake and Kelly in the backseat, she brightened, coming up with a plan. Surely Kell would help her out.

  "Hey Kelly, why don't you climb into the front. I'll ride in back. I know you weren't feeling well yesterday. I wouldn't want you to get carsick or anything."

  Kelly squinted her eyes at Gia, letting her know she saw through her weak efforts.

  "Are you sick?" Blake asked.

  "No... I'm better now. I think I just ate something that didn't agree with me yesterday." Turning back to Gia, she continued, "I'm already tucked in back here. If there's a problem I'll let you know. But I'm sure I'll be fine."

  She smiled and batted her eyes at Gia. On another sigh, Gia climbed into the front. At least she didn't call me out as an outright liar.

  They got down to the river, and everyone quickly unloaded, dropping their stuff on the sand, stripping off clothes and reaching for the sunscreen.

  Gia took a few moments to sneak discreet glances over at Josh. At the remembered feel of running her tongue down that beautiful chest last night, she couldn't help but lick her lips. God, he tasted so good.

  When he met her eyes, she could see the heat burning in his gaze. Knowing she'd been caught, and not even a little repentant, she smiled softly before returning her attention to her sunscreen.

  As she finished with her legs, she started on her shoulders.

  "Here, let me get your back for you." He was kneeling directly behind her on the blanket she had laid out.

  A quick glance around showed her that while everyone was still near, they were all sun-screening and chatting. No one was paying attention to them. With a little shrug, she handed him the lotion.

  Within seconds, Gia knew that had been a horrible mistake. Josh was taking full advantage of the situation. He started at her shoulders, leaning in and nipping her neck with his teeth, before soothing the little bite with his tongue.

  As he moved down to her upper back, he ran his hands around to brush the sides of her breasts. Her nipples tightened immediately, pressing against the damp fabric of her swimsuit. She suppressed the little whimper trying to escape... barely. She didn't want to make any sounds. Nothing to draw any attention to them.

  After teasing her breasts mercilessly to attention, Josh moved down past the bathing suit tie. He continued wrapping his hands, around her sides, tickling her belly with his gliding fingers. When he reached the edge of her bikini bottoms, he gently pushed them lower, then lower still. As his dipped his hands inside, massaging the cheeks of her ass, he whispered in her ear, "I can't wait to spank this ass again Gia. Would you like that?"

  * * * *

  Deciding that this was merely a bad idea gone worse, Gia lunged to her feet and ran back down to the water to join Deb and Kelly who were cautiously wading into the slightly cool water. Tossing caution to the wind, Gia dove headfirst into the river, surfacing far enough out to get caught in the current.

  As she worked her way back to shore,
she swore she could hear Josh laughing despite the water in her ears. Damn man!

  Everyone seemed to sense that today was for merriment. A party atmosphere was the mood of the day. They tossed a ball around in the water for a while, and when everyone got chilly they headed back up to the sand to play some beach volleyball.

  The afternoon had been amazing. Josh had taken every possible opportunity to tease her, sneaking in little touches every chance he got. When they played volleyball and she tackled him in her efforts to reach the ball, he took an extra second to squeeze her tush before setting her away. He brushed her nipples at every opportunity. He even slipped his hand between her legs once when they were out in the water. All tiny, quick little touches designed to inflame.

  They worked.

  By the time they all got back to Josh's house, it was all she could do not to jump him, people be damned.

  All this pent up desire was making her testy.

  Everyone sort of split up, grabbing sweatshirts and such out of their car. Gia headed into the kitchen to grab a soda from the fridge. When Josh followed her in, she scowled at him.

  "So, do I need a credit card or does Papa John's have yours on file for delivery orders?"

  "So, we've decided on Papa John's for pizza?" Josh asked, smirking a little at her tone.

  "Yes, I did."

  Now he laughed, reaching into his pocket to grab his wallet before handing her the card. As she reached forward to grab it, he pulled her in and kissed her hard.

  Despite her ire, her body responded to his as if they'd been together forever. She melted... every bone in her body bending to wrap around his muscled frame.

  He backed her up, one slow step at a time, never taking his mouth from hers. Their tongues fought a battle for control, even as her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him closer.

  When she felt the counter hit her hips, she remembered not only where they were, but just how many people were in this house with them.