He had kissed her to get a reaction- that's what he did. Pushed and teased and joked until he got a reaction. A kiss was the logical next step, upping the ante. He expected her to return the favor, pulling away and slapping him, maybe even pulling her gun on him. And he had to admit, that thought was pretty hot. As long as she didn't actually shot him. She wouldn't really shoot him, would she?

He had steeled himself for the slap, and maybe the punch, that was sure to come. But he was totally unprepared for her response, for her lips to part gently under his and her body to press softly against his in- God, all the right places. He stood frozen in shock while she took over, kissing him like...well, like she loved him.

And then it was over, and she was gone. His mind reeling, he called after her, but she was gone.

Zane tried to get the kiss out of his mind over the next few days, but nothing worked. Physics problems, runs, mindless tv, all of it was overlaid with the sensation of Jo's lips on his. For a while he tried to convince himself that he had dreamed it, but the feeling was too real. He could still feel exactly where her body had touched his- it felt like lines of electricity were permantely etched on his chest. And her lips. He had never been so captivated by a pair of lips before. Those lips that so often were pressed in a tight frown or yelling at him, now he just felt them moving against his in the dead of night, when he should be sleeping.

The truth was, he hadn't slept much since the kiss. A few hours here and there, always waking up feeling like something was missing. Always dreaming of her. It didn't look like tonight was going to be any different. He decided it was time to either kiss her again, or get the slap he still believed he was due.

Jo hadn't slept much either. She had mourned the timeline change, and the loss of her Zane, but the kiss brought it all back to the surface. She knew that this Jo would have tased, or at least slapped him. And she knew that for her own sanity, she needed to play that part. But when he bent down and captured her lips with his, she couldn't resist. This was, for all intents and purposes, the man she loved. And she couldn't stop herself from kissing him- really kissing him- for a few seconds. She finally pulled away, but the damage had been done.

Her carefully built coping mechanism was destroyed. He had tasted the same, felt the same, and except for stiffening in shock when she kissed him back, he had moved the same. She couldn't keep the two timelines, and the two Zanes, separate in her head anymore. And it hurt. It hurt like first broken heart, except it wasn't. He'd already broken her heart once, and she couldn't even hate him for it- it wasn't his fault. It wasn't him. This wasn't her Zane.

She repeated that to herself a million times as she dragged herself out of bed, to work and back, through sleepless nights staring at her ceiling. It wasn't him, no matter how much it looked and felt and smelled like him. It wasn't, and that was that. She wiped a lone tear from one eye and curled onto her side, finally starting to feel the exhaustion of the past few days wash over her. Finally, maybe she would sleep tonight. And then a knock at the door. She almost screamed in frustration. Who could possibly need her right this second? What was so important that it couldn't wait for her to make it over this last hump in her personal crisis?

She begrudgingly trudged down the stairs grumbling to herself and flung open the door.

She immediately knew it was him, without even seeing his face. She took in the perfectly faded jeans that hugged his ass just right, the t-shirt that stretched slightly over his pecs, and the black leather jacket that seemed to bring out the perpetual 5 o'clock shadow. For a super genius, he sure knew how to dress. And here she was, in sweat pants and a tank top. The contrast pulled her out of her reverie and she realized that whatever he wanted, she needed to steel herself for this encounter if she was going to maintain the progress she had made. She forced a scowl on her face and said, "What could you possibly want?"

Zane was surprised she opened to the door. All her lights were off, and he hoped she was still awake. He had tried to figure out what he was going to say on the way over, but his mind was a blank. All he could do was hope she would answer the door. Beyond that, he had no idea.

He was shocked when she opened to door and took a moment to just look at here, which didn't help his thought process at all. She was wearing sweatpants that barely clung to her hips with a thing sliver of tanned stomach peaking out above the waistline, and the flimsiest of tank tops. He tried, he really did, not to stare at her breasts, but he couldn't help it. They were perfect and barely covered and he could still feel where they had pressed against him during that kiss. He felt that same electricity run through him, and he forgot to breath for a second, until she growled out, "What could you possibly want?"

He shook his head to clear the fog and stammered out, "I just, I just needed to talk to you, Jo."

"About what?" She snapped back, clearly not happy to see him. Well, that damage was done. He was in for it now.

He was making this all up as he went along, and he just hoped it came out okay. "Jo, that kiss-"

"Was a lapse in judgment." She cut in harshly.

"No, it wasn't," he shot back. "It was a shot in the dark on my part, but something happened between us." He fell silent as he ran out of words.

Jo just looked at him for a second with an inscrutable face. But she didn't punch him, or slam the door in his face. So he took a deep breath and started again. "I can't get my mind off you. I see you every time I close my eyes. I feel you every second." He cleared his throat, worried that she hadn't killed him yet. He might as well jump feet first into this. "I want you Jo. No- I need you."

He held his breath for what seemed like forever. He had nothing left to say; the ball was in her court. He could barely believe his ears when she said, almost inaudibly, "Then take me."

Zane was at her door telling her that he had been as affected by their kiss as she had. And then he was telling her that he wanted her, no needed her. He had pushed the envelope by kissing her, trying to see how far he could push her before she snapped. And it had screwed her up royally these past few days. It was her turn to fuck with him for a little while, push the envelope back and see how far he would go. After all, she didn't have anything to lose. So she dared him.

The look of shock on his face alone was worth it, and it softened her a little into a smile. More of a smirk, really. But it lessened the sharp anger she felt. And then she waited to see if he would take the bait, take it one step further. The thought that he might not, that he might leave her at the door again made her stomach drop, but she stayed braced, one hand against the open door and the other on her hip, waiting.

He took one slow, tentative step inside the door, eyes locked on hers. He knew he was pushing the envelope, but she had given him this invitation, and he was going to take it. Gently, but purposefully, he took her hand from the door and placed it on the back of his neck. She responded and wrapped her fingers through the tiny tendrils of hair at the nape of his neck. He stepped closer to her and slid his hand through her crooked elbow around her waist. She could feel his fingers burning through the thin material of her tank top, and it sent a jolt up and down her spine. They were inches apart now, still eyes locked together. Her body was on fire and she felt herself instinctively arch towards him.

"If I take you Jojo," he said breathlessly, "I'm not going to give you up." He had no idea where the words came from, but he instantly know they were true. He already couldn't imagine being any farther away from her than he was now. But he had to give her an out. He had pushed the envelope, now it was her turn.

Jo stepped forward and closed the gap between them, crushing her lips against his. She didn't want him to see the crush of relief and the tears that threatened to fall at his words. She didn't care that this wasn't her Zane- it was Zane, and she loved him, regardless of the timeline. She wound her fingers through his hair and kissed him until she couldn't breath.

They pulled apart, both panting slightly, but the loss of contact hurt Zane. He put both hands on her ass and pulled her up against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and leaned down now, kissing him from a different angle as he walked her inside the door. She was so tiny, it was nothing to him to walk through the small house to the living room, where he kneeled down and laid her on the couch. He tried to pull away and look at her, but her hands had snaked up inside his t-shirt and were roaming over his chest, then tugging anxiously at the hem. He let her go long enough the shrug off the jacket and whip the shirt off. Her nails raked over his bare chest and he let out a low moan. Her touch was electrifying.

Then she was tugging at his belt buckle and he realized that this was not going to last long if she kept that up. "Oh no, Jojo," he growled in a voice he barely recognized, "That's not fair. You're still fully dressed."

With a wicked grin, she slid out from under him and shoved him back sitting onto the couch. "You want to play that game?" she asked with a voice that made him shudder. He swallowed hard and nodded, fighting the urge to reach out and grab her like a kid reaching for a cookie. She stood back and pulled the tank top over her head, revealing those perfect breasts. He licked his lips, suddenly keenly aware of how tight his jeans were. Then she shimmied out of the sweat pants. The scientist in him noted that she wasn't wearing panties, but that thought was lost in seeing her fully naked.

He was staring. Usually men stared for a while- she had a great body, and she knew it. But this wasn't just a fling, this was Zane. And in the half light of the living room, she couldn't quite read his eyes. He hadn't said anything, hadn't moved. She started to worry. Had she pushed too far, too fast? Was this not what we he wanted? Her insecurities started bubbled up until he reached out grabbed her hips. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her stomach, just below her belly button, and then looked up at her, lips still on her skin. She wounds her fingers through the hair that always looked like he had just rolled out of bed and tilted his head back to kiss him again.

He pulled her down to him and wrapped his arms around her, feeling the burn of skin on skin contact. Her lips were burning a path down his neck and she was making a noise he had never heard before, something between a moan and a hum. Whatever it was, it was sending vibrations straight down his spine. There would be time to feel her later.

Suddenly she was under him and she could reach his belt. She deftly undid it , unbuttoned his jeans, and shoved them off his hips, taking his boxer with him. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. She wanted him inside her, and she wanted him now. She arched under him, getting into position, when he pulled away, "Jo, are you sure?" He asked, uncertainty tingeing his voice for the first time.

She looked straight in his eyes and said, "Absolutely." And he knew she meant it. He stayed poised over her, looking deep into her eyes as he slide into her. The feeling was incredible. She was warm and wet and tight and the sensation was just too much. His eyes fluttered shut and he let out a low moan. She chuckled softly and shifted her hips, sliding him even deeper.

He managed to get out an "Oh, God Jo," before he buried himself in her lips and started to thrust. She met each thrust with perfect timing and the moans started to build deep in her throat. He could feel her contracting around him, her fingers digging into his back, her lips moving more frantically against his. And when she came, she took him over the edge with her.

She relished the weight of him on top of her. It was familiar, and comforting, and still erotic at the same time. She tucked her face into the crook of his neck and breathed in his scent, letting all her old feeling flood back. She was screwed royally now, she might as well get as much out of it as possible. He stirred and kissed her shoulder, then propped himself up on his elbows and stroked a few strands of hair out of her face. He smiled that irresistible grin, and she felt herself smiling back this time.

She didn't know what he was going to say, but she thought that she should let him take the lead. If it were up to her, they'd be back to a marriage proposal right this minute. But this was a different Zane, so he probably had a different time frame. So she waited for him to speak.

He was trying desperately to figure out what to do now. He could have spent the rest of the night right there, just staring at her. But she was looking at him expectantly, and his ass was getting cold. They needed to move.

"Jojo, let's go get in bed," he smiled down at her. She smiled back and reached up to kiss him.