He pulled on her hand again, leading her down a long hallway. He would laugh every time she’d protest and demand where he was dragging her to. She was cute when she got demanding, he thought, pulling on her left hand again and turning another corner.

“You’re making me dizzy,” Hannah said.

For the last several minutes, Lance had been making her dizzy, pulling her around so many corners and leading her into so many directions that she now had no clue where they were. It was definitely a part of the ship she’d never been to. The walls were a light beige and they had passed a few fire extinguishers.

But she wasn’t given the chance to ask any questions. Whenever she tried to speak, Lance would pull on her arm tighter and take her down another hallway. If he was trying to drive her crazy, he was accomplishing that very well.

“I’m not trying to.” Lance spoke for the first time since pulling her into the lift just after their first “I love you’s” were spoken to each other. “I just want to show you something,” he said. “I found this a few days ago. It’s a quiet place where we can be alone.”

“Alone?” For some strange reason, Hannah felt a shivering feeling go up and down her back. She shook it off and kept following behind him, his hand still grasped tightly in hers.

They were connected, but he was still ahead of her. He was going a little faster now, more like a jog, to get to the destination he was referring to. They passed a few more doors, then Lance grinned and pulled on a knob. But it was locked. He thought for a second, then pulled a key out of his pocket.

It opened the door almost immediately. Hannah raised her eyebrows.

“How did you get that?” she asked.

Lance tugged the key back safely in his coat pocket. “I happen to know a few of the stewards here,” he replied, pulling her inside. He shut the door quickly, then locked it in place. He didn’t want them to be disturbed.

The first thing that came to Hannah’s mind when she looked around the room was that it kind of reminded her of her old bedroom in her parent’s home. The walls were covered in a flowery wallpaper, surrounded by a light purple background. There was one tiny bed in the corner of the room, a lamp resting on the desk beside the bed. There wasn’t much else in the room. It was simple. Just a dresser across from the bed and a tiny little white rose couch that was too small to even fit two people.

She glanced over at Lance. He was lighting a few candles across the room by the bed. “Where are we, anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever been this far across the ship.”

He blew out the match then tossed it into the garbage can. “It’s close to where the crew has access to the engine rooms,” he told her. He walked over and closed the gap between them, his arms going secretly around her waist. “You don’t mind, do you? I just wanted us to have a little time together. You know, alone.”

“It’s fine.” She was just really, really nervous. Sure, they’d been alone plenty of times, but now that their feelings were no longer up in the air, things just weren’t the same. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something different in the shade of green.

She saw his love. It was as real as it was real that he was standing right in front of her.

He sensed her nervousness when she looked at him. He couldn’t deny that he too was a little nervous. It was a very strange feeling for him. Being around women was an everyday thing for him, but Hannah just wasn’t any woman. She was the woman he loved, the woman he was sure he would love until the day he died.

Never in his life did Lance think this would happen. If the folks back home found out that stubborn, hard headed Lance Bass had fallen in love, they would probably laugh. The notion was as crazy as pigs flying.

He leaned his forehead against hers. This feeling was definitely a first. A year ago, Lance had thought he was in love with Janine. But now he realized that what he had felt wasn’t love. He wasn’t sure what it had been, but it didn’t compare to what he was feeling right now with Hannah.

Hannah was still frightened for her life, but now it just didn’t seem to matter anymore. Lance would protect her, she knew that now. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her as she wouldn’t let anything happen to him. The emptiness in her heart was gone now, her heart now completely filled with love. She didn’t want what they had to ever go away.

But as she’d learned the hard way, nothing lasts forever.

But now she couldn’t imagine walking away from this, away from him. How could it be wrong when it felt so right?

Hannah laid her head comfortably on his shoulder when he picked her up into his arms. She had no idea what he was planning on doing, but right now she didn’t care. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

“Don’t go to sleep on me,” he said quietly. “I need you awake for me.”

“Don’t worry, I’m awake. I don’t plan on falling asleep anytime soon.” She would have done anything for them to stay like this forever. She didn’t want to get off this ship in five days and leave him. She would be content if the ship just stayed where it was right now.

He put her down carefully on the bed.  She opened her eyes quickly when she realized she was no longer in his arms. She felt the soft mattress underneath her. He was standing up just a few feet from her. She wanted him to sit with her, but he shook his head.

“What is it?” she asked.

He looked serious. His hands running thoroughly through his newly spiked hair, Lance took a deep breath. “We need to talk,” he said.

“Okay.” She got a tingling sensation. “About what?”

“You and me. What we plan on doing once we dock in New York.”

Hannah could never be a part of his life in the real world. She wasn’t cut out for being a rock star’s girlfriend. All she wanted was a job that paid. As long as she had that and a roof over her head, she would be happy. But still, now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. It all seemed so empty without him.

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I mean, we live totally different lives. I doubt we have a chance to even be friends out in the real world.”

Lance stared at his feet, then glanced up at her once he got the chance to think about what he was going to say. “I’m not walking off this ship without you.”

There, he’d said it. And he meant it. He wouldn’t leave this ship without her with him. But if she said no, he certainly couldn’t drag her kicking and screaming. If she didn’t want a future with him, she didn’t want a future with him.

“Do you really think we could make it?” she asked. “I don’t think I can deal with your world. It’s so different from mine.”

“We’d figure it out.” Lance scratched his chin, once again the roughness reminding him he needed to shave. “We belong together. That much I know.”

Hannah got herself up from the bed and approached him. “You’ve changed me,” she said. “You’ve completely taken over my heart. There’s nothing I could ever do to change what you’ve done to me. I love you, and no matter what our past lives were like, it’s obvious to me that us meeting was fate. I never believed in that before, but last night after you walked away I realized just how much I needed you. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than I want you.”

His breath caught at those last words. It was like she knew what he was thinking, because he felt the same way about her. If he never sang again, it wouldn’t matter. If he never ate again, it wouldn’t matter. If Hannah was with him, that was all that mattered.

He wanted her forever. And he was determined now more than ever to make her his.

Lance ran his finger up over her cheek. “If I asked you to come to New York with me and stay forever, would you?”

It wasn’t a hard question to answer, but Hannah took her time. “Yes,” she answered quietly, her eyes raising to meet his. “I would.”

“Good. Then it’s settled. You’re coming to New York with me.”

“Just like that?”

“Why not?” He didn’t see any reason why not. There was nothing keeping them apart now.

“I’m still not sure about this…”

“What aren’t you sure about?” Lance asked. “Being with me?”

“No,” she said quickly. “You know I want to be with you. I just don’t know if I can fit in your world, you know? Look at me. I’m not exactly the type you’re used to.”

“I didn’t have a type until I met you.”

Hannah grabbed his hand and held it over her heart. “And what about Janine? What if she tries to keep us apart?”

“She won’t try anything,” he promised. “Believe me. I’ll make sure she stays away from us.”

What other reasons were there to keep Hannah from following him? She had come on this ship looking forward to a new life. So things had turned out differently than she had expected. But then again, she hadn’t expected to fall madly in love, either.

“I want you with me,” he said. “It’s not one of these one night stands that I’m so used to having.”

“I know I’m not just a one night stand. I know you care about me.” Hannah bit her bottom lip. “I know you love me.”

“I do.” He didn’t want her to have one doubt about that. “I love you so much.” He pulled her back into his embrace and pressed his lips to her forehead.

She looked at the floor. Feeling brave, she glanced back up at him. “I want you to show me.”

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