THANKS: To three ladies: Lesley for asking, Morgan for obsessing over the details and Jo for sending fabulous feedback.

****

"No," CJ said, and slammed the door in his face.

Josh blinked hard, then resumed knocking. "CJ," he whined. He pulled absently at the remnants of his bow tie, unfastening it completely and working on the first couple of buttons on the once-crisp-but-now-slightly-rumpled white shirt. "Come on! You're going to make me sleep on the street?"

"Don't be melodramatic," CJ shouted back through the door. "The bus is parked in the lot outside. I can see it from my window."

Josh scowled. "Can you also see the gigantic rain drops coming down at, like, warp speed?"

Snickering, CJ cracked the door and peered out at him. "Warp speed?" she mocked.

Josh scowled some more. "It's going to hail any minute. I just know it."

"Go away."

"What if there's a tornado?"

"Josh, seriously?" CJ opened the door a smidge more, leaning her body against the doorframe so that he couldn't see past her. "I'm not letting you crash here. You and Sam have a perfectly good room--"

"Sam," Josh interrupted, gritting his teeth, "is *using* our room, if you catch my drift." Josh sometimes regretted being the one with the fanclub. Sounded glamorous, of course, but what it really amounted to was a large following of fourteen year old girls. It was flattering, but Sam and his disgustingly pretty good looks managed to attract the occasional *adult,* a trick Josh had yet to master. Not that he'd been trying particularly hard.

CJ's grin morphed into a smirk. "Really?"

"Yes." He tried to rise casually onto his tiptoes to catch a glimpse of her room, but CJ was really just way too tall.

Also enjoying the situation entirely too much. CJ stifled a laugh, then asked, "He managed to pick someone up at a fundraiser in Tulsa?"

"Yes."

"I thought this was the Bible belt."

"It is."

"But yet--"

"Fornicators," Josh sighed, impatient and wildly unamused by her amusement. "Yes."

CJ nodded thoughtfully, "Hmmm."

"Yes. So can I--"

"Absolutely not."

"CJ!"

"Josh, go away! I don't have room for you."

Josh's eyes narrowed. She looked different than she had at the fundraiser. Her dress was a bit rumpled, and her hair was kind of messy. He tilted his head, but she shifted with him, still blocking his view of her room. Frustrated, he crossed his arms and said, "Look, if you don't let me in, I'll have to go bother Leo, for the love of god."

"Jenny flew in this afternoon," CJ noted. "The Governor and Dr. Bartlet have already retired for the evening, I don't think they'd take too kindly to you bunking with Zoey, and--"

"Toby's not answering his door," Josh finished. "Which is why I'm here, humbly begging you for shelter."

CJ rolled her eyes. "Humbly, my ass. You were, if memory serves, demanding shelter, for which you have no need, as a big, empty campaign bus is sitting right out there in the parking lot with four bunk beds."

"CJ," he whined.

"Why don't you go get a room at the desk?" she demanded, exasperated.

Josh just glared at her.

"You're kidding," CJ said, trying not to laugh outright.

"No."

She nodded a couple of times, her lips pressed tightly together while she fought her amusement. "No room at the inn?"

"No," he answered testily. "There are no rooms, because your fellow Christians are here celebrating some ridiculous--"

CJ frowned, "It's the Promise-Keepers, right? They've got one of their stupidass revivals here in town?"

"Tomorrow," Josh confirmed.

"I, Josh, am no Promise-Keeper."

"Evidently."

"Josh," she warned.

"Also," he continued, just to piss her off, "I'm pretty sure women can't be Promise-Keepers. It's God's will. Or so I hear."

"Josh, do you really want me to come out there and kill you right now? Besides which, the Promise-Keepers are sexist, I'm Catholic, not Baptist, and I am absolutely not letting you in here."

"CJ!"

"You can whine all you want, Josh, but I'm not letting you in." She pulled back and Josh made one last attempt to get a look at the room. Or more specifically, the presumed other occupant of the room. No luck. CJ slammed the door in his face a second time and said, "Shoo!"

***

Donna dug through her carryon until she found a half-used book of matches. She all but skipped back to the bathroom to check on the tub. Deciding she needed another inch or two of deliciously warm, bubbly water, she set her travel candles on the edge of the tub and lit them, one by one.

She grinned at her reflection in the mirror, humming softly under the sounds of running water, and fastened her hair into a makeshift french twist, small tendrils escaping in all directions from the top. Not that it mattered, she thought, because no one would see her; she had her own room.

Donna twisted the taps and then stripped in the sudden silence. It was decadent, she thought, stepping into the luxuriant tub. Pure decadence. Her own motel room. And more importantly, her own bathtub. Hallelujah. She slid into the water with an appreciative groan.

She wasn't too impressed with Tulsa, Oklahoma thus far, but this particular Hampton Inn was her new favorite place in the world. It was the first time on the road that she'd been able to afford the utter luxury of her own room, and she was taking full advantage. First, the candlelit bubblebath, then bed. Gloriously alone.

No one snoring in the next bed, no midnight phone calls for her various roommates, no bending to anyone's whims. Just hers.

The knots in her shoulders eased at the mere thought of bubbles and peace and quiet and--

"Donnatella Moss!"

Donna's back tensed up and her eyes popped open. Even through the wooden door, Josh's impatient voice carried a clear note of petulance. Donna gave the undeserving spigot a ferocious glare.

"Go away!" she yelled. He probably couldn't hear her, but at least she'd tried. She rolled her neck a little to loosen her muscles. She could, with a clear conscience, just sink right back down into the bubbles and--

"Donna, come on!" he shouted. "Open up!"

"Oh, for the love of god," Donna muttered, pulling herself up right and clambering out of the tub. The Hampton Inn had many good qualities, including its first rate bathtub, but free bathrobes for the guests was not one of them. Donna habitually packed only a thin kimono--terrycloth tended to be a bit bulky for living out of a suitcase--which she pulled on en route to the door, leaving a trail of water droplets in her wake.

"Donna?" Louder still, if possible.

"Hold your horses, Josh!" Donna shouted from right in front of the door. She was far too annoyed to modulate her voice. Besides which, her robe was clinging to her in a nearly indecent fashion, her shoulders were up near her ears with tension, and her stupid, demanding boss was interrupting her damn bubble bath.

Donna yanked the door open and stood there, glaring at Josh. "What do you want, Josh?"

***

Josh stared. His hand hung in the air, forgotten halfway to knocking once he'd laid eyes on his assistant.

Instead of her normal, relatively conservative, milkfed Midwestern girl clothes, Donna was clad only in a damp, silky green robe-type-thingie. An exceedingly short, damp, silky green robe-type thingie. Also thin. And clinging to her body in the most amazing--

"Joshua," Donna interrupted his inspection with a scowl, "what are you doing here?" Then her gaze dropped, skimming down his tuxedo-clad body quickly.

"Uh," he answered intelligently. Was it possible that he'd interrupted her in the shower? Or in the bathtub? "I..."

She shifted her weight, crossing her arms beneath her breasts and glaring at him some more. "You what?" Her gaze dropped again to the tie hanging loosely around his neck, and she licked her lips.

Josh swallowed hard and, as always, spoke without thinking. "I need to sleep with you tonight." He flinched as the words left his mouth, half-expecting some sort of physical retribution.

"Excuse me?" Donna yelped, backing up a step. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, and Josh couldn't help but notice the way her lips parted just a bit to accommodate her accelerated breathing.

"No!" Josh held up a placating hand. "Wait, that's not what I meant."

Pulling the lapels of her kimono closed more tightly, Donna gave him a doubtful look. "You don't want to sleep with me?"

I do, he thought immediately. This sudden awareness of Donna as a beautiful, damp, sexually alluring female nearly knocked him over. How had he not noticed her before?

"Josh," Donna practically growled. "Are you going to answer my question?" The look on her face was indecipherable.

"Sam," he managed with a distracted wave of his hand. "He's, you know, busy."

Donna relaxed slightly. "Busy? As in--"

"Yes," Josh nodded. "He met someone at the thing."

Donna grinned a little. "In Tulsa? Home of Oral Roberts University--"

Josh blew out an impatient breath. "Yes, the Bible belt, whatever." He edged forward. "So I can't exactly stay there, Toby's not answering the door, and CJ won't let me in."

Donna bit her lip and considered. "What about the bus?" she asked suspiciously.

"Donna!" he whined. "I don't want to sleep on the bus."

"Well, I don't want a roommate, Josh," Donna argued, strands of hair escaping her makeshift french twist. "This is my first night alone in four months! Why don't you go get your own room?"

Josh sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "No rooms." He felt less and less annoyed about that, the longer he stood there, arguing with Donna. In fact, he was starting to feel almost... chipper.

"Oh," Donna said. "The Promise-Keepers?"

"Yeah."

"I don't like them," she decided. "They're justifying sexism with Biblical passages written by sexist men many, many hundreds of years ago. I don't like that."

"Neither does CJ."

"CJ's smart."

"CJ wouldn't let me in," Josh scowled.

"Joshua," Donna admonished. "She has a perfectly good reason not to let you in tonight. She and--Never mind."

Josh perked up. "Excuse me?"

Donna shook her head. "Nothing. Listen, Josh, I--"

"No," Josh advanced on her, narrowing his eyes. "You said she has a perfectly good reason? I can only think of one reason that involves being alone in a hotel room with a member of the opposite sex."

Donna stared at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Two reasons," he fumbled. His face felt oddly flushed. He wondered if he was coming down with something. "Two perfectly good reasons."

Donna didn't look convinced. "Really?"

"Yes?"

"Are you asking me or telling me there are two perfectly good reasons."

Josh's glance slid to the side. "Telling."

"Okay," Donna smirked. "Name them."

"No," he shrugged, heading for the mini-bar.

Donna stepped forward and blocked his way, trapping him in the makeshift hallway. "Name them or you can't come in."

"I'm already in," he pointed out cockily, letting the door slam behind him. "And you're going to let me sleep here tonight."

Donna crossed her arms again. "I am?"

"Yes."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because," he grinned at her, "if you let me stay here, I won't tell CJ you spilled the beans about her little tryst."

"It's not a *tryst*, Josh," Donna protested. "This isn't 1847, and what CJ wants to do--"

"I'm not arguing the point with you," he said with a careless shrug. "But I'm pretty sure CJ'd be pissed if she found out you told me. Cause I can think of about fourteen jokes off the top of my head to make at staff in the morning, and--"

"Fine," Donna said, scowling at him again. "You are an evil man."

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "I'm a politician, Donna. What'd you expect?"

He slipped past her, purposefully brushing as much of his body against hers as humanly possible. He thought he heard a little noise that might have been a sigh. Maybe a chuckle.

Josh took a few steps, then turned back to Donna. She stood there in the dimly lit hallway and cocked her hip. One hand landed at her waist, the other beside her head on the wall.

The blatantly suggestive position she struck was about the most arousing thing Josh had seen in his entire life, and he had to drop onto the bed to avoid giving her visual evidence to that effect. He stared, fascinated, as she gave him a secretive smile, then inclined her head towards the bathroom.

"Make yourself comfortable, Josh," she purred. "I'm going back to my bubblebath."

Josh felt his jaw drop, stuttering, "Bu--Bubblebath?"

"Yes," she nodded, the hand on her hip sliding slowly towards the tie in her kimono. "I'll be right in here."

***

Donna used one hand to stifle her triumphant laughter and the other to close the bathroom door--leaving it slightly ajar, just to further torture the insufferable jackass. The look on his face just then--priceless!

She grinned at herself in the mirror, then frowned at the way her hair stuck out in several directions, smoothing it absently. She untied the kimono, shrugged out of it, and hung it on the back of the door.

Let him sit out there and imagine her enjoying her bath. Serves him right, she thought, still smirking as she sank into the water. Him in that gorgeous tuxedo, the crisp white shirt all--

Her eyes snapped back open. Wait a second. Those thoughts were just inappropriate. She frowned at the candle. So the man could wear a tux? Perfectly normal to appreciate the way it emphasized his slim waist, his broad shoulders--

Donna whimpered and slid further into the water, suddenly wishing the water were cool instead of warm. She was quite hot enough without outside reinforcements.

A soft knock at the bathroom door.

Donna froze. "Yeah?" she squeaked, then winced at the barely-concealed panic in her tone.

"Hey, Donna," Josh said, pushing the door open a little and peeking in. "You decent?"

"I'm naked," she said, instantly regretting the answer.

Josh choked. "I mean--You said--Are there bubbles?"

Donna glanced down reflexively. "Yeah."

"So, I can...?"

Swallowing hard, Donna considered this for a moment. In no universe would it be appropriate for her to invite her boss into the boudoir while naked and ensconced in a bubble bath. She knew this. She really did. There was only one possible thing to say that made any sense.

"Yeah," she said anyway, cursing herself for a fool. "I'm--" she stumbled over the word "decent" and settled on, "covered."

Josh laughed, but he sounded nervous. He pushed the door open further, hovering in the doorway. His gaze caught on the trail of discarded clothes on the floor. Then his eyes widened as he took in the candles and the bubbles and her knees poking out of the water. "Wow," he mumbled. "That looks--I mean..."

"Bubblebaths are wonderful, Josh," Donna managed, trying her hardest to distract him with banter. To distract herself from the fact that she was stark naked and Josh was standing mere feet away. "I'm not quite sure who invented them, but you don't even need actual bubblebath. In fact, tonight I used this body wash that I got at--"

"Donna."

She met his gaze almost fearfully. "Yeah?"

"I've never had a bubblebath," he said, his eyes locked onto her.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Not even when you were little?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I don't remember, though." He brushed back the tails of the tuxedo jacket, his hands sliding into his pockets, as he leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. That man could lean like no one she'd ever met. He made it look incredibly seductive.

"Oh," she said stupidly. Then she stared at him. Sometimes she hated him, the way the sensuality just crackled from his body like that. It was very distracting. "Why did you... I mean, did you need something?"

The corner of Josh's mouth quirked up into that adorable, sexy smirk. "Yeah." His voice was low and gravely.

Donna was suddenly convinced she was measurably hotter than the water around her. In fact, she was tempted to dunk her head under water momentarily in the hopes her frazzled thoughts would be shocked back into some semblance of order. She could barely manage to speak. "What did you need?"

Josh shrugged. "I never answered your question."

Donna frantically attempted to play back their conversation in her head, but really, he was just too delicious standing there--*leaning* there--in the rumpled tux. She wanted to stand up and press her naked body against--

God. She wondered if she was blushing. When she glanced back at him, the look on his face, a combination of insufferable smugness and vulnerability, convinced her that he could read her thoughts. She froze, her hands clutching at the edges of the tub.

"I never--" Josh stopped, cleared his throat, and started again. "The two reasons," he said finally.

He took a step into the room, edging closer to the edge of the tub. Donna stared up at him as he towered above her. "Sit," she commanded, then blushed some more. Why the hell did she invite him to stay?

Josh grinned down at her, then eased his tuxedo jacket off, tossing it carelessly atop her abandoned clothes. Donna bit her lip as he settled gingerly on the edge of the tub, just past where her hands still clenched at the hard plastic. "Thank you," he said as pleasantly and casually as if she'd merely handed him a folder.

She nodded. "Sure."

"The two reasons," Josh repeated, leaning slightly towards her.

Donna's feet pushed against the far end of the tub, forcing her up a little straighter. Josh's gaze strayed to her chest, still covered by bubbles, but just barely. He licked his lips.

She relaxed the slightest bit; he was as distracted as she. Balance was a good thing. "The two reasons?" she prompted, the tension in her shoulders dissipating.

"Yeah," Josh nodded vigorously, and her gaze skipped down to the tendons in his neck. "The two reasons for us to share a hotel room."

She quirked an eyebrow at that. "Us?"

If she didn't know better, she'd swear Josh was blushing. "Yeah," he shrugged.

Donna nodded, curious now. "Okay." She watched him expectantly, the way his hands tangled together tightly in his lap, the way he turned a bit on the lip of the tub to face her more fully, the way he gnawed on his lip nervously. She smiled. "The two reasons?"

"Right," he said. "The first one is because one of us doesn't have anywhere else to sleep and, after all, there are two perfectly good queen beds out there."

Donna's smile grew. "And the second reason?"

Josh swallowed hard, but he held her gaze. "A tryst."

Donna tried, she really did, but it was just too much. She burst out laughing.

Josh paled and jumped off the edge of the tub as if it were suddenly electrified. "Forget it," he mumbled.

"No!" Donna called, sitting up without thinking and reaching a hand out to him.

Josh glanced back and froze, his gaze on her torso. For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the lapping of the water against the plastic. Then Josh drew in a sharp, shuddering breath and tore his attention from her bubble-covered breasts. "Donna?"

She was fighting both amusement and arousal. Josh was two feet away from her naked body, and she was laughing at him. Life certainly has a tendency towards the bizarre, she thought. "Come here, Josh."

Warily, Josh obeyed. "Why are you laughing?" he muttered, trying valiantly to avert his eyes.

She grinned at him, taking his hand when she could reach it and tugging him back down onto the edge of the tub. Josh attempted to keep his gaze on her face, but her exposed breasts were too much to resist. Donna basked in the look on his face, "It's nothing, Josh. Just--'tryst'? What a silly word."

His gaze snapped up to meet hers. "It is not a silly word! It's a perfectly good word with roots in--"

He really was insufferable sometimes. Shutting him up was well nigh impossible once he started on one of his lectures. Donna decided to try a new method.

She reached out, grabbed his lapel, and yanked him into the bathtub.

***

With a resounding splash, Josh fell awkwardly into the tub. His upper body landed flush against Donna, one arm on either side of her. His hips and legs followed, glancing off of Donna's bent knee before slamming into the bottom of the tub.

Then he froze, shocked into silence by the sudden submersion, not to mention the exquisite feel of Donna's body shaking helplessly beneath him as she laughed. Josh shook his head and blinked to clear the water from his eyes.

And then he got a good look at Donna, her eyes closed, her head tilted back against the shower tile, her mouth deliciously curved into a breathtaking smile, and he found himself suddenly and stunningly unable to conjugate a verb.

"Donna!"

He intended to sound outraged, he really did, but instead he sounded positively delighted. The warm water swirled around him, urging him closer to her.

Donna's hands slid up his arms, her touch achingly close through the soaked material of his shirt. She grinned at him. "Problem, Josh?"

"No," he answered, mustering up his best smirk. "No problem." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Am I to assume that we've decided on trysting?"

Donna's hands tightened on his biceps. "Trysting?" she repeated. "Josh, really, we are not going to call this a tryst. Tryst implies a certain--" Donna inhaled sharply as Josh twisted his hips, landing fully atop her. She could feel his erection against her, and she pushed her heels into the tub, straining upwards beneath him.

Josh took a couple of steadying breaths, ignoring the fact that his feet still stuck absurdly up out of the water. "You were saying?" he prompted, settling his weight onto her so that they were pressed together intimately, her thighs squeezing his hips.

"It's not a tryst," she declared breathlessly, her fingers trailing down his back with just the right amount of pressure to make him squirm against her. She grinned in triumph.

"But," he managed, taking his weight on his elbows and sliding both hands under her to caress her skin. Her incredibly smooth, incredibly hot skin. "We're not sleeping in separate beds, are we?"

Donna's hands landed abruptly on his ass, pulling his hips down into her. "What do you think?" she teased, laughing a little at his ragged moan.

But Josh recovered quickly, leaning down to press an openmouthed kiss on her collarbone, his tongue darting out to taste the droplets of water on her skin. "I think," he exhaled into her neck, "that this is going to be a very good night."

"Do you think," Donna said, shifting slightly beneath him, "that you could get around to kissing me in the near--"

Kissing Donnatella Moss was, Josh thought, the best thing he'd ever tried in his life. They were amazingly good at it. This kiss was nothing like the awkward, hesitant first kisses he remembered from the days of yore; instead, this kiss was heat and the feel of sunshine on the first warm day of spring and the smell of freshly mown grass and the breathtaking sight of heat lightning.

In short, Josh decided he would be quite happy to live out the rest of his days right there in the tub with Donna's mouth on his.

And then Donna pulled away and grinned at him.

He had to suppress a moan at the sight of her moistened lips curving upwards in sensuous invitation. "Donna?" He belatedly realized that his fingers were digging into her back, and he loosened his grip.

"You're very good at following suggestions," she noted with mock surprise. "When did that happen?"

"Hey!" Josh protested, grinning down at her. "I can take direction."

"Yeah, right," Donna snorted.

"I can."

"You really can't."

Josh considered this, then shrugged. "I can take directions when I agree with them." She laughed, so he felt the need to bolster his claims with evidence. "In fact, if you'll be so kind as to direct me to--"

Donna leaned up to silence him with her mouth. It worked as few other methods did. When she pulled back a second time, she smiled up at him and said, "Josh, you wanna get your ass out of the tub?"

Openmouthed, Josh stared down at her. "But I thought--Did I do something--?"

Donna cupped his cheek in her hand, "Josh, it's fine. I mean, we're going to--" She stuttered to a halt.

The corner of Josh's mouth quirked upwards. "Tryst?" he suggested.

"Not if you keep calling it that," Donna parried. "Now would you please get up?"

Josh gave her an exaggerated pout. "But I was just starting to understand the allure of bubblebaths."

"Please," Donna scoffed. "You were just starting to understand the allure of *me.*"

With a rare, full smile, Josh shook his head. "Believe me when I tell you I have understood the allure of Donnatella Moss for quite some time now."

***

Donna blinked hard a couple of times, then pulled the infuriating man down for another kiss. I mean, really, she thought, what else can you do when he goes and says something like that?

Then she pointed at the door, and said, "Out."

Smirking, Josh slid one hand from beneath her, gave a mock salute, and tried ever-so-suavely to get out of the tub.

It turned out to be rather a more difficult task than it appeared, considering the fact that he was still splayed atop Donna, his feet rakishly in the air. Josh glanced over his shoulder and frowned.

"Um, Donna?"

"Yeah?" she laughed into his ear, her lips nipping at the tendons in his neck.

"I may need some--" He broke off, as her tongue rasped against the stubble on his jaw.

"Assistance?" she grinned at him. "I do believe I'm the best choice for assisting the senior political director--"

"Out of a bubblebath?" Josh smirked. "Well, then, you certainly *are* valuable. Who else would have anticipated this eventuality and brushed up on bubblebath etiquette."

"I think bubblebath etiquette is pretty much don't drown," she pointed out. "The rest is--"

"Negotiable?" Josh suggested, grabbing the lip of the tub with his free hand.

"Sure." Laughing, Donna slid one hand in between their bodies and gave his erection a squeeze. He jerked upwards in response, giving her enough leeway to scoot backwards until she was sitting up.

What she hadn't calculated, though, was the fact that their new relative positions placed Josh's face in very close proximity to her navel.

"Well," Josh remarked almost calmly. "This is certainly growing more interesting by the moment." He leaned down dangerously close to the waterline and plunged his tongue into her bellybutton.

Donna's hands clutched at his back, tangling in the soaked fabric of his shirt as she gasped, "You mean this wasn't interesting before?"

Josh laughed into her abdomen, sending puffs of warm air over her damp skin. Donna shuddered. Encouraged, he pushed one foot against the opposite wall, straining up on his elbows to capture one nipple in his mouth.

With a dull thud, Donna's head dropped back to rest against the tile. Her hands stayed twisted in his shirt and her thighs squeezed against his ribcage. "Josh," she moaned as he worked her nipple with his incredibly talented lips.

He smiled into her breast, then licked and sucked his way across her chest. Donna arched her back, pressing herself more fully into his mouth.

After a torturously long time, Josh grinned up at her. "You wanted me out?" He tilted his head towards the door.

Donna forced her eyes open and swallowed hard. "No, I want you inside of me."

Josh's eyes widened, then he lunged up onto his hands, capturing her mouth with his. When he pulled away, it was her turn to grin smugly.

"I'm guessing you approve of my plan," she said, her eyes catching on the way the soaked fabric of his shirt clung to the muscles of his arms.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely." Then he glanced back at his body, still absurdly positioned between her legs in the tub. "Logistics, though, are--"

"Josh," Donna laughed, "why do you think I've been telling you to get out of the tub? I want you on a flat surface as soon as possible."

Josh agreed readily. "Excellent. My thing is, I'm going to ruin my shoes if I--" He caught sight of her expression, shrugged, and said, "To hell with the shoes."

Awkwardly, he pulled himself to his hands and knees, thoroughly submerging the expensive leather shoes in the process. He scrabbled for purchase on the slick surface, then hoisted himself up, water pouring down his soaked clothing and dripping loudly into the tub.

Staring up at him, Donna couldn't help but laugh. "Is that a rental?"

"No," Josh answered sourly. "I own this."

Donna stifled her laughter with one hand as he stepped gingerly out of the tub. The thin bathmat provided by the hotel grew drenched almost immediately. Donna bit back an inappropriate giggling fit at the sight of Joshua Lyman stepping out of sopping wet leather shoes, then peeling off his black socks.

Then he reached for his belt, and Donna's amusement fled. She stared at his hands, those amazing hands, as he unfastened the button and, with a smirk in her direction, slowly slid down the zipper. The water-logged tuxedo pants fell into a heap with a dull thwapping noise, and Josh stepped out of them.

Donna all but leapt out of the tub, ignoring the waiting towels in favor of launching herself at Josh. She grabbed the ends of his bow tie dangling down on either side of his collar and yanked him to her. Their mouths fused, the kiss urgent and demanding. Donna barely noticed the way the water dripped from the bow tie she was grasping, distracted as she was by Josh's hot, damp hands splayed across her back, pulling her closer.

Then he leaned back, breathing hard, and grinned at her. "Shall we find a flat surface?"

"Absolutely," she breathed, abandoning the scrap of black fabric in favor of unbuttoning his clinging tuxedo shirt. Damn, but the man looked amazing. She backed up, pulling him with her through the doorway into the main room.

Josh tried to steer her to the first bed, but she shook her head, frowning at a particularly stubborn button. "No," she said, tugging him onwards. "That bed is squeaky. I dropped my suitcase on it and it sounded like I'd raised the dead. Margaret's right next door and--"

Josh's hands landed on her ass, pulling her sharply against him. "Donna?"

Her hands trapped in between their bodies, she gave up her task. "Yes, Josh?"

"I think," he said, grinding a little against her, "that the verbal portion of the evening is over."

***

Donna grinned up at him, her breath coming in short pants, and said, "You really expect me to believe you can go ten minutes without the sound of your own voice?"

Josh maneuvered her to the second bed. "Oh, I can go way more than ten minutes." Well, he usually could. But with Donna wet and naked and writhing against him... He was experiencing doubts.

Donna, who had busied herself nipping at the tendons in his neck, laughed into his skin. "Manly man."

"Damn straight," Josh answered, his hands easing up her back, smoothing the droplets of water into her chilled skin. "Are you cold?"

She shrugged and reached for his boxers. "Doesn't matter."

"Donna--" Josh broke off as she dropped onto the edge of the bed, pulling his boxers down his legs as she went. She glanced up at him, one eyebrow quirked, and then leaned forward, took him in her hands, and placed a wet, openmouthed kiss on the very tip of his erection.

Hands clenched into desperate fists at his sides, Josh fought the urge to encourage her--hell, *beg* her to continue. But he managed to grit out, "Wait. Not like that."

A bit taken aback, Donna pulled back and looked up at him. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he assured her, urging her backwards on the bed. "Believe me. But I'd have been no good to you if you'd kept that up."

Josh didn't take the time or energy to divest himself of the white tuxedo shirt before he lowered himself onto the bed. Donna scooted backwards and he followed willingly, all but tackling her when she reached the pillows.

He buried his tongue in her mouth, eased one leg between her thighs, and swallowed her gasp as the cold, wet shirt touched her flushed skin. Donna's hands slid under the shirt, and the contrast between her hot, eager fingers and the cool, damp fabric was nearly unbearable.

"Donna," he groaned into her mouth.

"Told you," she panted.

Josh forced his eyes open and stared down at him, confused. "Huh?"

"You're still talking," she grinned.

It took him a moment to recall his remark, and he opened his mouth to defend himself.

Donna's hand slid between their bodies seeking his erection, and suddenly he had no idea what he'd been about to say. She held him lovingly, her touch gentle and firm, and it was nearly enough to drive him mad. He propped himself on one elbow, his free hand snaking down her body with a short, enthusiastic stop at her breasts. Then he reached her center, and she nearly came off the bed. Donna was so responsive, so enthusiastic, her sighs and moans chipping steadily away at his control. She gasped and shivered as his wet sleeve settled on her abdomen. Then his fingers slid through her damp folds, locating her clit.

"Josh," Donna gasped, her hands tightening unconsciously on his erection. He groaned his appreciation.

"Donna." Josh eased one finger inside of her, watching the way her lips parted and her eyes fluttered shut. "Donna, look at me."

"Josh," she said, forcing her eyes open to meet his gaze. "Now."

He groaned and thrust helplessly into her hand. "Do we need anything?"

"We're covered," she said, one hand sliding around to his hips to urge him on. "Josh, now."

He grinned down at her. "Bossy, are we?"

She leaned up and bit his shoulder lightly. "You said you followed directions," she pointed out, moaning as he hit a particularly good spot.

"I do," he agreed. Reluctantly, he withdrew his fingers from her and settled himself between her thighs. She pulled her knees up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he found her center. Then he paused.

Tiny drops of water beaded and fell from the ends of the bow tie still dangling haphazardly around his neck, landing on Donna's heated skin. She shivered against him, meeting his gaze. Then, mimicking her earlier move in the bathroom, she grabbed the edges of his shirt and yanked him down to her, kissing him soundly. She pulled back, gave him an intense look and said, "Now."

Josh held Donna's gaze as he slid into her. Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip, but the only sound she made was a long, low moan. Josh used every last bit of control he had to hold still for a moment so she could adjust to the feel him. And so he could adjust to being inside of her.

She was hot and wet and welcoming, and this thing they were doing felt damn near perfect. Josh was already panting like he'd run a marathon when she reached down and squeezed his ass, urging him to move. He bit back an appreciative groan and slid out, then thrust back into her, showering her with drops of water each time.

Donna leaned up and kissed him demandingly. He nearly broke their rhythm, distracted as he was by her talented mouth. Then she released him and reached one pale, slim arm up to brace herself against the headboard. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, her breath escaping in short huffs.

"Donna," he murmured. "Donna, I'm so close."

He'd been about ten seconds from coming since she pulled him into the bathtub and was, frankly, quite proud of himself for lasting this long. But he really didn't want their first sexual encounter to leave her unsatisfied. So he gave her a pleading look. "Donna, please."

She watched him for a moment, debating, then nodded. Her free hand left his back, instead landing on her abdomen. With one last, hesitant look at him, she slid her hand down to where their bodies were joined.

Josh sped his movements, swiftly losing control and incredibly aroused by the fact that Donna trusted him enough to bring herself off for him. He pushed himself up off of her body, changing the angle, and Donna moaned, her back arching. He had no idea if it was his movements or her own fingers that were inspiring such a reaction, but he honestly didn't care. So long as she was happy.

He couldn't tear his gaze from her face, from the ecstasy he could see building in the way her features softened. She stared at him, bringing him ever closer to the edge with just the intensity of her gaze.

"Josh," Donna gasped. "Harder." Her free hand clutched at his shirt, her fingers digging into his back and pulling him sharply against her.

Josh moaned, slamming into her. His orgasm arriving without warning, and he thrust against her helplessly. And then Donna came, her back arching up off of the bed, her thighs squeezing him closer, and her sex gripping him, prolonging his pleasure.

***

Donna closed her eyes as Josh collapsed on top of her, his hand sliding up her body to rest alongside her outstretched arm. She attempted to bring her ragged breathing under control with some success, freeing her other hand from between their bodies. Her fingers eased under his soaked shirt, rubbing his hot skin.

Josh mumbled something into the pillow beside her head.

Donna shifted a bit beneath him. "What?"

With a groan, Josh rolled to the side, taking her with him. "Better than a bubblebath?" he asked, one eye opening to stare at her.

She grinned at him. "Well, I'd say I'm about ten times more relaxed than I would've been after a bubblebath."

Even sated, Josh Lyman could smirk like the devil. "So I'm ten times better than a bubblebath," he concluded, illogically.

Donna laughed outright, easing her body against his until he groaned. "That's not precisely how I would have phrased it."

"But it's true," he persisted, caressing her back with a gentle touch. "And I absolutely took directions."

She patted his back. "True. But you didn't shut up the entire time."

Josh jerked his head up from the pillow, both eyes wide as he stared at her in mock indignation. "I did too shut up!"

"Whatever," Donna answered, dismissing the debate with a careless wave of her hand. Then she smoothed her fingers over his shirt. "You must be chilly."

"Nah," he smirked. "I'm hot. And I did shut up. In fact--"

"Josh?" Donna interrupted, easing the shirt down his arm to reveal and impressive bicep. And his very expensive, swank silver watch.

"Yeah?"

Donna started giggling, turning her face into the pillow.

"What?" Josh demanded.

She lifted his arm into his line of vision. "Is your watch waterproof?"

"Shit!" Josh yelped, half-sitting up. He peered down at the watch. "How am I supposed to tell if it's ruined or not?"

"Is it ticking?"

He shot her a look. "Yes. But what if it's slow now? What if it loses a half a second a day, so in a year it'd be..."

"A very pretty bracelet?" Donna offered, still grinning.

"Funny."

"It's not waterproof?"

Josh shrugged, "It's water resistant."

"What's the difference?" Donna asked.

"I have no idea," Josh admitted. "It's probably got something to do with--"

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

She grinned at him. "Shut up."

Laughing, Josh started to protest. Of course. So Donna employed her new favorite way to keep him from talking incessantly. She kissed him. Hard.

He didn't seem to mind.

***

THE END