I walk through my door, tired but a little fidgety. I may have to jump on the exercise bike to burn off some excess energy. I hang my trench coat up on the tree rack, set my backpack on the bench, and turn around.

As I take my suit jacket off, I notice there's already a grey suit jacket over the back of a chair in the dining room.

My head automatically pivots down the hall. There's a pink blouse in the middle of the floor. A grin spreads across my face. I may not need that exercise bike after all.

I loosen my tie as I follow the trail of clothes down the hall, picking them up as I go. First, the pink blouse, then the grey skirt, then her ugly black shoes. I really should buy her a new pair. In the kitchen, I find her pantyhose draped across the kitchen table.

Two scraps of pink lace on the floor catch my eye. Her bra and panties. I feel my heart thumping in my chest. She stood in my kitchen and got naked. I pause a moment to let the image sweep over me, before my brain reminds me that she's somewhere in this apartment. And I have all her clothes in my arms.

Some days I come home and find her in my bathtub. Usually on the days I've done something particularly annoying. She's told me more than once that she deserves a soak in my oversize tub on days like that. I don't think it was one of those days. In fact, if anyone was naughty today, it was her.

She harassed me for a raise, let CJ and Mandy in my office without warning me, and gave me a memo with typos. But she let me off the hook on the salad, so that goes a long way toward overcoming the rest.

I step into the bedroom and find her sprawled across my bed. God, she's beautiful.

The only thing she's wearing is a blue tie. The contrast of the bright silk against her alabaster skin is stunning. It just became my new favorite tie.

"Good Morning, Josh!" She greets me with a Cheshire grin, throwing her arms up over her head and stretching like she just woke up. I feel my mouth go dry.

I glance at my watch, it's well after 11pm.

"A little late there, Donnatella." I scold her a little, but her smile never fades. She knows that I'm teasing.

"I know, but since, as you pointed out this morning, I didn't greet you properly in the office, I figured I'd make up for it."

"Ah, but this isn't the office. And as I recall, you did greet me very appropriately this morning before you left for work."

"Yes. I did. Didn't I?" She smirks. "Okay then, I guess I could just go back to my apartment." Now she's teasing me. I'm not going to let her get away with it.

"Oh no, young lady. I think we have a few other things to discuss." I give her a stern look at watch her eyes light up. She does love these games. "Should we start with the fact that you let both CJ and Mandy sneak up on me."

I give her a fake glare and she pretends chagrin.

"I told you, I didn't know about CJ and I didn't care about Mandy."

"Yeah, about that . . . is it going to be weird having Mandy around?" It really wasn't my choice. I think it's going to be weird, but I really don't want it to bother Donna.

She takes a minute to think it over. "Do you love Mandy?"

"No, I never loved Mandy. I barely tolerate Mandy."

"Are you going to barely tolerate her in bed?"

"God, no!"

"Well then, I don't think it will be weird. And truthfully, it might help keep people off our trail a little longer. . . . I assume you still want to keep this a secret?"

She gestures to her body and I'm distracted from our conversation.

"Josh?"

"Um, yeah. I think it's a good idea to try to keep our relationship quiet as long as possible. You know what Mary Marsh would do if word gets out. And if she attacks you, my response will make what I said to her before look tame."

Donna looks at me with complete trust. But I need to hear that she's okay with keeping us a secret.

"Are you okay with this?"

She gives me another grin, and stretches again.

"I wouldn't be here, naked, in your bed if I wasn't."

"Okay."

I continue to stand there, staring at her magnificent body. Her breasts are the perfect size for my hands. Her stomach is flat. I can't wait to kiss a trail from her neck down to her mound. And then spend some time there, showing her just how much I adore her.

She sees where my eyes have landed and she shifts her knees further apart, giving me a glimpse of the promised land.

I'm enjoying the view so much, I feel frozen.

"Josh?"

"umm, hmmm?"

"Do you know what would be really good right now?"

"What?"

"If you took off your clothes, and joined me in this bed."

"That is a very good idea."

It takes me no time to finish taking off my tie, to toe off my shoes, and get rid of the rest of my clothes. As soon as I do, she beckons me closer with her finger.

I crawl up her body, planting tiny kisss along the way. When I get to her neck, she whispers in my ear-

"See, I told you I could contribute substantively."

She always does. She always does.