---Part Thirteen---

When Justin urged Abbey gently to her back, she didn't resist; she'd learned from him to relinquish control, and she trusted him. His kisses were languid, full of smoky passion, and they sent electric shivers through her when he let them wander down her jawbone to nuzzle at her throat's soft skin.

Wanting to return the feelings in some way, she dragged her fingertips along his back, feeling, beneath the shirt's thin cotton, the hard muscles of his lean back. He held himself over her, resting on one elbow, his lower body to her side; she could feel the body heat radiating off him with the strength of a furnace. His free hand toyed with her hair, smoothed it back, then began a slow journey down her neck to her side and stomach.

He found her sensitive spots easily; his lips on her earlobe made her shudder, his breath in her ear giving her tingles. When he caressed her side, she giggled involuntarily.

"Oh, ticklish, huh?" he said, and she saw a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"N-no, just--" She didn't even have time to finish squeaking her denial before he descended on her with both hands, ruthlessly exploiting the sensitivity of her sides until she screamed with laughter.

"Y-you're awful!" she accused him when he finally relented and she had breath to talk again.

He'd rolled to his side, grinning with a certain smugness. "And you love it."

That made her eyes go serious. Justin caressed her cheek with a light hand. "Abbey?" he asked.

She bit her lip, looked at him. "Yeah," she said softly. "I think I do."

He didn't push, knowing that the admission had undoubtedly cost her. Instead, he put his hands around her waist and pulled her close, so that they both lay on their sides, facing each other. She took the cue, her hands sliding along his back to find the waistband of his slacks; as she kissed him, quick, breath-stealing kisses, her fingers dipped into his waistband to discover and pull out the hem of his shirt.

Justin was more careful about his touch now, letting his palms slide over her back; her body shuddered in tiny motions when he trailed his fingers down her spine, giving him a hint of the sensitivity of her skin there. He gently tugged her shirt out from where it was tucked into her pants, wanting to feel the hot skin of her midriff against him.

Once that was accomplished, he slid his fingers under the shirt, tracing curves on the smooth skin of her back. Abbey whimpered softly, pressed closer to him, instinctively aligning their bodies like to like. There was an innocence in her urgent, hungered response that surprised Justin. Then again, he supposed that it made sense.

"Is this all right?" he asked softly, giving her shirt a soft yank. She smiled by way of answer, getting to her knees to pull it over her head in one swift move; it landed in a puddle of purple on the floor, and Justin chuckled at her pleased smile.

"Your turn," she said, so he shrugged and unbuttoned his own shirt, fingers fumbling a little on the buttons. It was off in short measure; Abbey laid back down again, her hands moving over his chest with a bold eagerness that suggested she had been thinking about a moment like this longer than he'd thought. He sucked in a breath when her fingertips rubbed over his nipples, but he didn't miss the surprised look in her eyes at his reaction.

"I didn't know guys liked that," she told him, smiling.

His eyes narrowed. "Have you been with anyone before?" he asked, doing his best to repress any tone of concern.

"Oh, yeah, but -- well, I mean--" Abbey sighed. "It was in my freshman year in college. I thought the guy really cared about me, but I was way off. Anyway, he wasn't much for the foreplay. So there really wasn't a lot I learned."

Justin saw the babbling as nerves, but there was something pathetic about the way she tried to make the relationship sound so casual; she didn't do casual relationships. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, pressing a hand to one cheek when she didn't look him in the eye.

She shook her head. "No, he, he just wasn't very good in bed. So... I had to find out that -- look, I, I don't want to talk about this right now," she interrupted herself. "Not tonight."

Sighing, Justin relented. "All right. But tomorrow, later," he promised. Abbey nodded.

Kissing again, more intense this time; Justin laid back, pulled Abbey atop him, the easier to caress her back. She explored his neck with her lips at the same time, letting herself discover his body heat, the sensitive skin of his clavicle and neck. A thrill went through her when she bent her mouth to one of his nipples and he groaned openly, one of his hands burying itself in her hair.

His fingers found the clasp of her bra, opened it; she pushed up a bit to free her arms and divest herself of the garment, and Justin reveled in the sight of her for that moment: her cheeks were flushed, her attitude uninhibited, a gleam of desire in her eyes. Then he ran his hands up her sides, drawing her down to him again.

Abbey twined her fingers into Justin's hair, sighing softly as his hands slid over her breasts. She'd felt a twinge of fear at the unveiling, as it were, fully aware that she was possibly less than what he'd expected or what he usually liked; but he didn't seem to notice or mind. His touch was gentle at first, giving her shivers when his fingertips brushed the undersides; then it grew firmer, bolder, thumbs caressing her nipples to bring them to instant peaks. Then his mouth covered one nipple, and her world went away for a moment.

"Ahhh," she breathed out, her eyes closing against her will. "That's good."

"Good," he murmured, smiling against her skin; the tremble of his voice fluttered on her delicate flesh, and she thought she might die from the aching hardness of her nipples -- not to mention the increasing heat she was feeling in a steady throb between her legs. She could feel one of his hands on her other breast; his fingertips did things she couldn't even name, teasing out sensations that ran straight through to the core of her.

Her hands had taken on a life of their own, moving in steady, rhythmatic patterns up and down his back; Abbey liked the growl she got out of Justin when she scratched her fingernails up into his hair -- lightly, as if she were assuaging an inch. Goosebumps rose behind her fingers, so she figured she was getting a good reaction. On impulse, she ran her hands down to try to grab his butt; her hands stopped at his waist, however, since his head was down at the level of her breasts.

"You know," she said softly, hearing the unusual huskiness in her voice, "I think we both still have too many clothes on."

Justin looked up at her over the peak of her nipple, eyebrows raised. "Where did that come from?"

She raised an eyebrow of her own, smiling, amused. "What, you have a problem with it?"

"No, not at all, it's just..." He paused, getting up to prop himself over her. "Unexpected, is all, I guess."

Abbey pouted, though her eyes still gleamed. "Well, if you don't want to get naked..."

Justin smiled a little, bent down to give her a quick kiss, and then stood up. Abbey reached out her hands, inviting him to pull her up; he did, and she came up suddenly, giggling when she nearly collapsed against him. He couldn't resist pulling her against him, the feel of their bodies against each other, naked to the waist, thrilling and delicious. Abbey took the opportunity to squeeze his rear, grinning at his shocked look.

"Miss Eldridge, would you stop groping me!" he gasped, pretending to be aghast, shocked. "It's so unseemly."

"Oh, you love it, now shut up and let me molest you." Now that they were aligned again, she could feel the hard heat of his erection pressing into her abdomen. Feeling that, something hot sunk into her, as if just thinking of the fact that he was hard because of her was even more of a turn-on; she wriggled against him, giggling, drunk on the experience of this -- the heat and pounding heart and blood rushing through her veins. Impulsive, she tugged at the fly of his slacks, but her fingers were shaking and she couldn't open them. Justin pulled them off instead, while she took off her pants, kicking them aside.

Standing alone, even for a moment, Abbey began to feel the vulnerability of her position. Almost without realizing, she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Cold?" Justin asked, and she nodded; he knew she wasn't, and she knew it too, but it was a gesture that she appreciated nonetheless. "Get in bed, I'll be right there."

She raised an eyebrow, but did as he said, sliding under the covers while he went and shut off the lights. So that they wouldn't be ensconced in total darkness, he left the bathroom light on; its illumination cast a gentle glow to one side of the room. Then Justin came back to the bed, pulling back the covers and laying down next to her. Abbey cuddled to him easily, sighing at the feel of his smooth, hot skin against hers. Under the covers, it was as if they were in their own little world, a nest made for just the two of them.

Abbey closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax once again. Every time they paused in any way, it made her tense up again, as if she was being brought back to a world that reminded her of all the responsibilities she'd rather forget. Justin's hands were doing a wonderful job of helping her to escape once again, though; they slid over her breasts, her back, her shoulders, down to her thighs and trailing fingertips up to explore further.

Shuddering, she opened her legs and let him explore. Her breath was fast and shallow now, and she clutched at his back when his fingers slipped into her panties; they found the slick moistness that had been building up since their first kiss that evening -- a kiss that seemed to have happened eons ago, now -- then Justin slipped a finger up inside her, and Abbey let out an explosive breath that ended on his name. She didn't even know what he was doing now, but God, it felt wonderful, his fingers slippery inside her, moving and sliding, sharp sensation centered right there -- she writhed on his hand, aching, moaning in short soft cries, and when she opened her eyes to meet his, she saw a lust in his eyes that equaled the desire thrumming through her own body.

"I'd say are you ready, but that sounds like a stupid question," he whispered, his hand stilling for a moment inside her.

"If you don't... if..." She couldn't even come up with a suitable threat. Fortunately, she didn't have to; Justin was ahead of the game, quickly slipping her panties off and then removing his boxer briefs. Her hand went to him in an instant, feeling the rock-hardness of him, and she gave an involuntary gasp when she imagined what that would feel like inside of her. Justin's gasp at the same moment was sudden, harsh, making Abbey chuckle as she realized her own power over him.

"Come on," she breathed. He needed no more urging; pausing long enough to scrabble in the nightstand drawer for a condom, he ripped the wrapper open and pulled it on. Then he placed himself over her, bracing himself on knees and hands; she angled her hips, opening her knees wider, reaching for him so that she could guide him in. And then he was sliding into her, hot and hard as marble and burying himself to the hilt; he bore his weight on his hands, but Abbey pulled him down, wanting to feel all of him against her.

She couldn't believe how good it was, every moment, just feeling his erection sliding in and out of her slick, wet core; but more, his kisses, his tongue hot in her mouth, his hand slipping over her breast, stimulating her already-stiff nipple. And the sensation of his back under her fingers, the way she could scratch him and get an even more intense reaction out of him; it was all too much.

Justin knew he wouldn't be able to hold back for long; Abbey was incredibly responsive, urging him with her wordless cries and the surging of her hips to press even deeper within her with each thrust, until he wanted to lose himself inside her completely. Her legs came up, wrapping around his waist, and suddenly he was even deeper inside her. It was, abruptly, more than he could take.

"I can't... I'm going to..." he gasped into her ear. Wanting her to feel everything as much as he was, he slipped a hand between them and found her clitoris. That touch elicited another sharp gasp of shocked pleasure from her, and then she was moaning, crying out, as he rolled it between two fingers in time to his intense thrusts, and he felt her contract around him, her back arching under him, and she was giving the most heartfelt groan of pleasure, calling his name, and he couldn't hold it any longer, it was all too much...

The room spun, his head whirled, and pure pleasure took him over for several protracted moments. With a gasp for air, he collapsed on the bed beside Abbey, his heart pounding. Everything spiraled slowly back into place; the covers over his feet that had been pushed away in the heat of the moment; the sweat coating his body; Abbey's arms reaching for him, her body close and warm, comfortable now instead of exciting.

"Wow," Abbey murmured into his shoulder, shifting a little to get more settled into him. Justin couldn't restrain a smile as he pressed a kiss to her rumpled, tangled hair.

"Love you," he said softly. He could already feel the fatigue creeping up on him, stealthy fingers claiming him for sleep; with an effort, he pulled up the sheet to settle it over them.

"I love you too," was the last thing he heard before he fell into unconsciousness.

---

He awoke to the sound of singing in the shower. For a moment, disorientation swept him, and then he realized he wasn't in his own room. He glanced around, half-expecting Michaela to jump out from behind a corner and startle him, but she didn't appear to be in evidence. Abbey could be heard in the shower, though, her voice endearingly off-key as she sang some old Rolling Stones song -- "Ruby Tuesday", he thought, though it was a little mangled. Smiling, he pried himself out of bed and went to make it a duet.

When they both emerged from the shower, panting and pleasantly exhausted, but much cleaner, Abbey reached for a towel, handing it to him before taking one for herself. Just as he got it tucked around himself, knocking sounded on the door.

"Who's that?" Abbey said, puzzled, and went to answer the door. Justin followed her, equally curious and prepared to defend her against any pranks the guys might have decided to pull.

Abbey opened the door to reveal one of the hotel staff, holding an envelope in one hand. "I was told Justin Timberlake was here?" the man said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Justin Timberlake." Justin reached for the envelope.

"Good." From behind his back, the staffer revealed a camera, which he promptly used to snap several pictures in rapid succession. Startled, Justin and Abbey blinked against the brightness of the flash; then Justin took off after the man, already running down the hall as if his life depended on it. Justin held tight to the edges of his towel, but in the scramble, the man made it to the elevator first and the doors closed before Justin could follow.

"Call security!" Justin yelled back down the hall. Abbey did so, even as other doors along the hall began to open, faces peering out curiously; she leapt on the phone and dialed Randy's number, gasping out the details -- a photographer had gotten in somehow, he was already on his way out of the building. Randy promised to get on it and hung up; Abbey put down the receiver as Justin returned to the room, still clinging to the towel that alone protected his dignity from the world.

"Randy's on it," she reported, wincing at the stormy look on Justin's face. Justin closed the door and came up to her, pulling her close on a gentle sigh. She felt the tension slowly drain from his body as he held her, and, though she'd been unwilling to inflict on him her own anger at the incident, she relaxed into him nonetheless; he felt good, his embrace soothing and comforting.

"I'm sorry about that," Justin said softly after a little while.

Abbey pulled back a bit to look at him. "Why? It's not your fault."

Justin scrubbed a hand over his face. "No, but it's something that you got dragged into, and I didn't want things like that to happen."

"I know," she said, leaning up on her toes to kiss him. "I'm aware of the risks. It's okay."

But the uneasy look in Justin's eyes wasn't entirely gone, and Abbey felt that old fear snake inside her again.

---

"So we're doing the press conference today, right?"

Justin barely waited until they'd all arrived in the conference room of the hotel before putting forth the question -- all of them being the group, Johnny, his assistant and a couple of guys from the security team. Johnny nodded, sighing, and reached for the statement that they'd put together yesterday. "I've got the local stations lined up, the papers, and some people from the label. We still don't know how much difference this is going to make, keep in mind. The press is probably going to be even harder into your guys' pockets than ever, so as long as you're aware of that..."

Almost as one, they nodded; J.C. was looking almost naked without Karyn by his side, as she'd been glued to him since her arrival yesterday, and Justin simply looked determined if not downright angry.

"Now, the photographer was not caught. We still don't know how he got into the hotel, but we're guessing he must have been let in by a junior member of the staff who wasn't aware of all the implications. His uniform was found in a dumpster outside the building; apparently it was owned by someone who used to work here but was fired a few months back. There's not a lot we can do about that, except try to head off what's eventually going to come out. So, Justin," Johnny said, giving the blond singer the full effect of his most serious glare, "what do you want to tell everyone?"

"I have a girlfriend, she's on the tour, and she's an important part of the 'N Sync crew. If they ask, I'll tell them her name, but outside of that, we've only just started going out and we still want to give the relationship a chance to develop."

"Okay. Do you guys want to say anything at this time?" Johnny glanced at the others. "I don't want to slight you, but it's Justin they're going to be focusing on, especially since this picture will probably be out in all the afternoon papers."

J.C. shook his head. "Not unless they ask." Similar words came from Lance and Joey, and Johnny nodded, making some notes.

"All right. Go get something to eat, be back here at noon and we'll get this thing going."

As he watched the five men shuffle out of the room, Johnny sighed, reached for some of his paperwork. He really wasn't looking forward to this press conference and the mess that would undoubtedly ensue.

---

In her office, Kelly smiled broadly at the picture she was seeing. "Don, you're a genius," she said into her phone.

"I know," he replied.

"And you're so humble too. Get this on all the newsgroups, anywhere you can post it. They can have their little press conference, but we're still holding the winning hand."

"Got it, boss-lady."

"And Don? You can come back to New York. Tell them you got fired or something. Can't wait to see you again."

"You got a new project for me?" he asked, and Kelly chuckled at the petulant tone in his voice.

"Maybe. We'll see how things play out here first."

"Gotcha."

Kelly severed the connection and continued to gaze at the picture filling her computer screen. The index finger of one hand rubbed at her upper lip as she pondered all of the chaos this would cause. She couldn't wait to see it.

Back  Next