“God…” She purred like a content cat, caressing his abdomen. “Who said that dreams are always better than reality?”

“You’re sending me mixed signals, doc,” he stated in his baritone. “A few hours ago, you didn’t even want to think about dating me. What’s changed since then?”

“Well, lots of things.” Josephine replied, slowly looking up at him. “I thought about what you said about living, back in the club. I’ve always believed that my job is the most important in my life. Your words made me realize it actually is my life. People should work for a living, not live to work.”

“Nice,” Tim commented, as a happy smile spread across his face. “Go on.”

“Go on?” She squinted at him.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “I really like your voice.”

“See?” She smiled, before kissing him on the chest. “This is what I’ve been missing out on; the little things in life. Thank you.”

“Does that mean that we’re going to keep seeing each other?” He inquired, his voice suddenly riddled with tension and fear.

“Yes.” The soft whisper that left her lips put a smile on his face. At long last, Josephine Taylor had said the single word that he had been longing to hear for days. He ran his left hand up her back, looking down into her big, beautiful, blissful eyes, feeling his heart beating faster than ever before. There were so many things that he wanted to say to her and yet, he could not utter a word.

“My God…” she whispered. “I’ve been missing out on a lot of good things.”

“Like what?” he wondered.

“Like the look in your eyes.” Josephine’s sweet voice sent waves of bliss up and down his body. “It’s so peaceful. It’s beautiful, really.”

“Stick around, then.” Tim urged. “You might be seeing that a lot from now on.”

“I certainly hope so.” She laughed. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you insist so much?” His eyes glinted with amusement, upon hearing her question.

“I’m not the only one who’s insisted, am I?” He answered it with a question of his own.

“If you’re referring to Maddox, I really don’t want to talk about it.” She grumbled. “He was the biggest, dumbest mistake in my whole life. Could you please give me an answer?”

“I will, on one condition.” He raised his right hand to his mouth.

“Let’s hear it.”

“I want you to tell me why you had a crush on me.” Tim’s short sentence did not have the effect he expected. He believed she would laugh, but Josephine did no such thing. Incredibly enough, her cheeks flushed, as she looked away from him.

“That’s a tricky one,” She said in a somewhat stiff tone.

“Oh, come on!” he complained, “Why not?”

“Okay.” Josephine sighed, returning her gaze to his face. “I’m listening.”

“Great.” He said with a nod. “When I met you, I said to myself: ‘She’s really beautiful. What the hell is she doing with that old man?’ You acted so aloof; I really don’t like it when someone does that to me, especially for no reason. The night you came to my room, I realized how wrong I’d been. You’re nothing like the snobby doctor I thought you were. In fact, you’re nothing like any girl I’ve ever met.”

“Could you please elaborate on that?” she requested.

“I’m an outlaw, Joey,” Tim maintained, as images of his numerous lovers flashed through his mind. “What kind of girls do you think I’ve met? Strippers, hookers, junkies… I don’t know if any of them were any good. How could I? I never stayed in one place long enough to find out. But, my gut feeling said that I should stay away from them. And I did. Your turn.”

“It’s so strange.” Josephine whispered, shaking her head sideways. “Up until we spoke, I was only physically attracted to you. Then you said you’d keep my secret; that’s when I saw you differently. That’s why I wanted to kiss you.”

“We both know what happened after that,” he teased her.

“Something amazing,” she said, her voice lowering to a sweet whisper.

“So, it wasn’t a mistake?” Tim wouldn’t let up.

“You should read my diary again, if you don’t believe me.” Josephine suggested, as he burst into loud, hearty laughter. He even slapped his hand against his forehead.

“Oh, man,” he chuckled.

“That’s not funny,” she protested.

“I know…” he nodded, getting serious. “I was really shocked to read that diary, by the way.”

“So that brings us to the ‘physical attraction’ part,” Josephine spoke in lazy tones. “Honestly? It’s never happened to me before. Add to that the fact that you’re an outlaw and you can understand why I was so attracted to you.”

“What does my being an outlaw have to do with anything?” Tim raised his tone, unable to hide his surprise.

“There’s a certain amount of mystery surrounding your life, as is the case with every outlaw,” she explained. “People like you tend to live life to the fullest and don’t care much about rules. I was raised Catholic; I’ve always had to live by a strict set of rules.”

“I get it.” He heaved a long, deep sigh. “So, what’s next? Hiding from everyone?”

“I’m afraid so.” She whispered. “But first of all, you need to talk to Laura and tell her that you’re staying.”

“Fine,” Tim reluctantly agreed. “Is there anything else?”

Josephine did not say another word. Crawling up against him, she brought her face directly over his. Then, she bent her head down towards him, angling her lips. Tim circled his arms around her back, welcoming her into his embrace, as he once again got lost in the magic of her sweet, tender kiss. He was ecstatic; he wouldn’t let anything or anyone stand in the way of his happiness, regardless of their name.

The new couple stayed up all night, having sex and talking until the early morning. Neither of them wanted to sleep. Unfortunately for Tim, he had to leave her house before the crack of dawn and go back to the facility. People would start gossiping about Josephine, should they see him getting out of her house. But even so, he wouldn’t complain. He had just spent a wonderful night with her and he couldn’t help but feel that the best was yet to come.

I guess that old saying is true: never say never. Who would have thought she would change her mind like that? I sure wouldn’t. Good job, Tim. You did something a rich suit like Maddox never could: convinced her that you’re worth something. I can’t wait for more nights like these, Joey…