I put my glass down and stand, watching Donna's hips sway hypnotically as she walks to the elevator. I take a deep breath; part of me can't help but wonder if I'm reading this situation correctly. I couldn't have misunderstood this, right? The look she was giving me, coming over to sit next to me, her voice so soft and determined…

The hell with it. If I'm wrong, then I'll deal with being shot down, but I'm not going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers again.

I grab my suit jacket and hurry over to her, reaching her just as she pushes the "up" button for the elevator. She doesn't say anything as I stand next to her; she only looks up, watching for the light to indicate that our ride has arrived.

I wish I knew where to put my hands. I want to touch her—desperately, actually—but I don't know the protocol for the moment. I don't know if we're just keeping this low-key but obvious like everyone else that's paired off for the night, or if we're just not going to publically acknowledge it at all. I don't want to look like we're heading off for a roll in the hay if she doesn't want anyone to know what we're doing.

How can she look so blasé right now? Her face gives nothing away. In fact, she looks down-right innocent. I can't help but study her profile, though; she's stunning. She's always been stunning, but this feels like the first time I've really been able to appreciate it. Those crazy long eyelashes, her aquiline nose, the full, pink lips, so shiny and kissable.

Not that I've had much experience with kissing her. Just that one time, actually, but it was amazing. It was enough to know I wanted more. I want to do it right now, in front of the hotel employees, rogue campaign staffers, and the security cameras, but…I just don't know how to read the moment.

My thoughts are interrupted by a quiet ping and the elevator doors opening, the inside mercifully empty. Donna steps inside, tucking herself into the corner, watching me. I try to calm my nerves and follow her, hoping my hand doesn't shake too much as I press the button for my floor. I keep my eyes focused on the display, watching the floor numbers slowly rise, and lean against the wall next to her, one hand mostly behind her, braced against the corner, my jacket strategically draped over my arm, covering the front of my pants. I'm aware I'm on the verge of becoming very obviously eager, but I don't exactly want the world at large to know it. She presses against my side subtly; we could probably pass for having a private conversation, but her proximity is making my head spin.

I can actually smell her shampoo. Other than being aware that she usually smells great and even though I have no idea what sort of perfume she wears, I can always tell when she's around, I don't know if I've ever noticed this particular fact before. But there it is, her hair so close to my face that it wouldn't take much at all for me to turn my head and bury my face in it.

I've never wanted to do that before in my life.

I glance over at her; she's watching the numbers tick up, too. How can she be so calm about this? We're about to have sex for the first time. This is huge. I feel like I'm going to hyperventilate and she looks like she's about to go for a leisurely stroll in the park.

The elevator pings again, the doors sliding open a moment later. I slide my hand to Donna's back, gently ushering her out into the hallway. It seems to be deserted, but I don't know that I care if anyone sees us together like this. I'm more concerned with someone seeing me and coming up with a dozen questions to ask, managing to ruin this whole thing with Donna.

She keeps her pace slow, and it occurs to me that maybe she doesn't know which room is mine or that it's literally around the corner from elevator—a better thought than her actually dragging her feet. I dig out my wallet, trying valiantly for a few seconds to fumble one-handed for the key before I reluctantly take my hand off her back. Now that we've been in contact, I hate to lose that connection. I'd rather nothing snap her back to reality and make her rethink this decision.

She stands patiently next to me as we reach my door, and I shove my wallet back in my pocket as I attempt to figure out which end is up for the stupid key card. For the life of me, I can't find the arrows it's supposed to have to let me know which way to stick it in. I hope this isn't some sort of sick metaphor for my upcoming encounter with Donna.

Her fingers slide through mine, nearly making me jump out of my skin. I look up at her, startled, and she just gives me a gentle smile, squeezing my hand just a little. It unnerves me and throws me even further off my game…and somehow manages to ground me enough to figure out how to unlock the door. I take a deep breath and push the card into the slot—forcing myself not to think of it as a disgusting simile—and hold the door open for her. She squeezes my hand again before letting it go, slipping past me into the room. My eyes immediately drop down to her ass, snapping away a moment later. It hits me slowly that ogling her is actually okay at this point and allow myself to stare.

She comes to a stop in the middle of the room and I force myself out of my stupor long enough to follow her in, the door clicking shut behind me a few seconds later. I take a few steps toward her, and she tosses her sweater onto the bed. My heart is pounding out of control, and I throw my suit jacket to the side, aiming for one of the chairs and probably missing completely. I have no idea what to do right now. I want to touch her. I'm assuming that I can, but I'm ridiculously nervous. Her back is still to me. It takes me a few tries but I finally manage to reach out and put my hand lightly on her hip. Her entire body tenses. Before I can pull away, though, she turns to face me. Her face is mostly in shadow, the only light coming from the bathroom, which I must have left on hours ago.

She stares at me for a few moments, her eyes glittering in the low light. All I can hear is the sound of us breathing, and my heart pounding in my ears. By some unspoken agreement, we step toward each other. Her arms wrap around my neck as I slide my hands around her waist. I can see her lick her lips, then feel her breath hit my face as we take another step closer. I lean in a fraction, our mouths a breath apart, and we both pause for just a moment. My heart pounds even harder.

I'm not sure if she leans in, if it's me, or if we do it together, but our lips press together and I feel a surge rocket through my body. We've only kissed that one time, and, unbelievably, it was weeks ago. Now that our lips are meeting again, I'm not sure how I've managed to put it off for this long. It's gentle right now—tentative, a little hesitant. We're like two kids sharing their first kiss. Then her head tilts, mine automatically going in the opposite direction. Her body molds against mine, her lips part, the kiss deepens, and I feel myself falling into her. I can taste the scotch we were just drinking on her tongue. I briefly wonder if she's drunk and if I'm somehow taking advantage of her, but then I remember that none of us had been in the lounge for that long, and that I'm fairly certain she didn't finish all of her wine or even the scotch.

She makes a little noise, and I nearly tear away from her before I realize it's a good noise. Her arms tighten around me, and one of her hands slides through my hair. I think my entire body erupts in goosebumps. I grab onto her hips and steer her backward, guiding her gracelessly toward the bed. I wish I had more finesse right now, but…we're adults. We both know why we're here.

I feel her start to collapse onto the bed and I follow her, reluctant to release her lips. I feel like I could kiss her forever.

I sit down beside her, my body turned awkwardly as I try to figure out how to position myself without crawling immediately on top of her. She tugs me closer, her lower leg crossing over mine, her high heel-covered foot rubbing against my calf. One of my hands releases its death grip on her waist and slides down her side. I pause at her thigh, stroking her carefully through her skirt. My hand continues its journey until I get to the back of her knee, and I haul her leg over my lap. I'm fairly certain she smiles against my mouth for a few seconds, but the sensation of her body pressing closer to mine erases all other thought from my brain. I run my hand down the rest of her leg and grab her shoe, pulling it off her foot and tossing it across the room.

Our lips finally part and we both gasp for air. She stares at me, though it's hard to read her expression in the mostly dark room. I can see her chest heaving, hear her breathing noisily, and I run my tongue over the roof of my mouth, still able to taste her there. She shifts a little, her leg disappearing for just a moment until I suddenly have both of them on my lap. I can see the corner of her mouth quirk up a little, her leg tapping against mine. I take the hint and grab her other shoe, tossing it in the direction of its mate. Her smile grows and she leans back on her hands. It's probably my imagination, but I'd swear she sticks her chest out at me. I actually lick my lips as I stare at her. I slide my hand back up her leg, just a little amazed to realize she's wearing pantyhose, and then even more amazed that I'm touching Donna like this.

My fingers reach the hem of her skirt, and I let out a long breath. I feel like I should be able to do this, but part of me is still waiting for her to come to her senses and shove me away. I glance up at her face to find her studying me. I only hesitate for another moment before my hand disappears under her skirt. I lean toward her and press my mouth against her neck. Her skin is so soft and warm, and I swear I can feel her pulse pounding beneath my lips. My hand wanders a little farther up her leg. My mouth continues its journey, sliding down to her chest, kissing the exposed skin there, before moving up her throat. I want to consume her. I want to devour her whole. I want her more than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life.

I feel one of her hands on the back of my neck, tugging at me. I lift my head and she smiles a little, tilting her head down to mine. Our lips meet again, and even though I feel so frantic for more of her that I'm tempted to tear every scrap of clothing from her body, I force myself to keep it slow. Her hands go to the tie around my neck, pulling at it for a few seconds before I feel it come loose, making a quiet swish sound as she yanks it from under my collar. It disappears somewhere behind us. Even though it's only a tie, it makes all of this feel a bit more real. It won't be long before we're actually naked…before I see miles and miles of Donna's skin.

My body reacts painfully at the thought of it, and since she's halfway sitting on my lap, I'm sure she's aware of it.

I feel her fingers working on the buttons of my shirt, moving quickly, determinedly, tugging the tails out of my pants, and I reluctantly take my hand from under her skirt. I shrug the shirt away, suddenly thankful that I'd rolled up my sleeves hours ago and don't have to worry about more buttons. I wrap my arms around her, taking a chance and guiding her down until we're both lying on the bed—her mostly on her back, me on my side—and I pull back for just a moment. The faint light coming in from between the curtains illuminates pieces of her, and my eyes have adjusted to the dark, making everything less of a mystery. Her tongue darts out between her lips, and I stifle a groan. I shift closer to her, holding onto her legs to keep them draped over mine. One of her hands comes up and strokes through my hair. This time, I can't hide the groan that escapes me. I press my lips to hers again, kissing her harder than before. Her arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me close, and I rest one of my hands on her hip. She shifts closer to me; I run my hand up and side a little, the soft material of her shirt bunching and shifting beneath my fingers. I try not to let myself hesitate before I slide my hand beneath her shirt. It takes everything I have not to collapse on her. Her skin is unbelievably soft. I've never felt anything like it. Her cashmere sweater doesn't hold a candle to how the rest of her feels.

Her hands pull at my t-shirt, and I break away from her, yanking it over my head and shoving it to the end of the bed. She bites her lip a little, her fingers delicately tracing patterns over my skin. Everything she touches feels like it's on fire. I reach down and push her shirt up a little, exposing the pale skin of her stomach. While I'm sure I've seen her stomach at some point in our relationship, it's not been anything like this. At the moment, it's the most erotic thing I've ever seen. I shift a little, dropping my face down to meet her skin, my lips nipping and sucking at every inch I can reach. I can feel her muscles tightening beneath me, her hands going to my head to hold me in place. As if I have anywhere I need to go.

Her hands disappear a few moments later, and I glance up at her. Her arms cross and she grabs at the hem of her shirt, and I can't help but push myself up, watching the garment disappear. My mouth goes dry. I think I stop breathing. She's not even naked yet and I don't think I'm going to survive the assault. "Jesus," I whisper, staring unabashedly at her chest. The bra is simple—it's white or something equally as light, with lace trim, but her breasts look like they're about to spill over the cups. This is definitely nothing of hers I've ever seen before.

Here it is—part one of one half of the side-by-side I wrote a while back and have been trying to edit and not completely rewrite. The other one is, obviously, from Donna's POV. If anyone has any thoughts as to whether they'd like to read all of Josh's first or if you'd like me to post the equivalent of Donna's before going any further, let me know.