CHAPTER 8
 

Deb slept late and swam until she couldn't swim another stroke.  She sunbathed and read JC's books, listened to his music and watched TV.  It felt good to have time to think and to take time to enjoy her mini vacation.  Orlando certainly wasn't where she thought she'd be at this time last week.

As she lounged by the pool, thinking about what she should do, she also wondered what Justin was doing and thinking at that moment.  She hoped that JC had a chance to work some magic on his friend.  JC knew Justin better than she did in many ways and he seemed to be in her corner.

The phone rang beside her so she answered it to hear Justin's honey smooth voice say, "So, I hear I'm taking you out on a date."

"Yes, thank you for asking," Deb smiled.

"Why didn't you come with JC?  I would have liked to see you today," Justin said with what Deb could tell was a pout.

"Well, why don't you take a long lunch and come see me?" Deb offered.

She heard Justin snicker.  "We barely get a half hour to kill much less a real lunch.  Come on, I could send a car for you."

"If you don't have time for lunch, why do you think you have time for me hanging around there?"

Silence was her answer.

"Justin?" Deb absolutely hated the silent treatment.

"So is that your final answer?" she heard him ask.

She already had her things gathered up and was walking into the house.  "Send a car.  I'll be ready."

With what Deb knew was one of Justin's big, beautiful smiles, he said, "Awesome.  I'll see you soon."

After they hung up, Deb got ready and went outside to wait for the car. She gasped as a big stretch limo appeared and Lonnie stepped out.  "Hello Deb.  Are you ready?"

"Oh, my gosh.  Hi Lonnie!  Yes.  Wow, I didn't think he was sending THIS kind of car," she said as she started to climb in.

Lonnie just grinned at her as she felt hands grab her by the hips and pull her in.  She found herself sitting sideways on Justin's lap.  He kissed her neck and said, "Surprise..."

There was soft classical music playing and he handed her a solitary pink rose.  It filled the whole car with a rose-like aroma.  For the first time since he'd left her the previous day, she realized she had missed him...a lot.  JC had kept her entertained with a movie and Lance had joined them for a game of pool in JC's basement, but Justin had made himself very scarce.

"What?" she heard Justin say softly.

She focused her eyes and found herself gazing into his.  His eyes, always intense, and always a dark stormy blue, were scanning her face and looking longingly at her lips.  It didn't take long for her to respond to the looks he was giving her.  As she played with the curls on his neck with one hand and stroked his jaw with the other, she kissed him.  His lips were soft, as they always were, and he let her set their pace as he kissed her back.  She could feel his arm slip around her and one hand was on the inside of her thigh, beneath her skirt, pulling her closer.

He licked her lips, tenderly, and she couldn't help but allow him deeper contact.  That simple touch had much the same effect on her as his hand inching up her thigh.  Everything about him had that same feeling...and Deb melted like butter every time.  Deb thought she felt the car moving but with his lips on her neck, it may have just been her head spinning.

When she attempted to focus on his eyes again, Deb saw it there again. She whispered, "I love you," against his neck and then kissed him before he could say anything. The response from him was electrifying as he moaned softly and kissed her deeply.  Deb was so turned on, he could have taken her there in the limo, she thought, but he was being a perfect gentleman.  His hand had even left the inside of her thigh and was rubbing her knee.

Lonnie's voice came over the intercom.  "We're here J.  I'll talk to you later."

"Where's here?" Deb said against Justin's lips, which were still kissing her breathless.

"You have to get out to see," he said but didn't slacken his grip on her.

Not really sure if she wanted to let go of him, she did and opened the door.  As she stepped out of the car, she turned to see the most beautiful home perched above a crystal blue lake.  She took a deep breath of the clean air and just soaked in the sun on her back.  Justin stepped out of the limo too, tight against her because she hadn't moved.  He wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered in her ear, "Welcome to our date."

She couldn't say anything.  The whole setting took her breath away and she looked at Justin as he walked around to her side, grinning at her like he did the first time they met.  "Deb, close your mouth," he said as he thread his fingers with hers.

She laughed at his obvious pleasure at surprising her.  He handed her the pink rose again and she said, "I love this!  I don't know what to say!"

Justin just laughed and pulled her along toward the house.  It was so quiet.  She swore she could hear the waves lapping at the lake shore line as she followed Justin up the stairs.  When they walked in, there was a lady sitting at the juice bar between the kitchen and the living room.  She was obviously working and waiting for them because the minute she saw Justin, she practically leaped off the stool to greet them.  "Mr. Timberlake, nice to meet you.  I'm Danita Andrews, the rental rep.  Welcome to Crystal Lake!"

"Hello, Danita.  Nice to meet you too.  This is Deb," he said, motioning toward her, as Deb shook Danita's hand too.

"Ok, well, here's the rental agreement.  How long will you be staying?"
Danita asked.

Justin signed it and the credit card slip.  "Oh, a couple days.  Can I call you when we are ready to leave?"

Danita nodded and smiled at Deb who was just wandering around the room. "Is this a romantic spot or what?" she said, winking at Justin.  He just nodded.  "Something like that...."

The lady packed up her belongings and met a man carrying luggage at the door.  Justin tipped him when he returned from the master bedroom and watched him leave.  Justin looked around for Deb and noticed that she had wandered out of the living room and onto the deck overlooking the lake.  She had her eyes closed and was leaning on the railing, still clutching her rose.

She looked up as he came to stand beside her.  "You look far, far away," he said, stroking her shoulder gently.

"Just taking in the view.  This is very romantic, Justin.  What's going on?" she said, eyeing him distrustfully.

"I'm just trying to sweep you off your feet for our date.  Are you trying to tell me it isn't working?"

Deb laughed and stood on her tip toes to kiss him loudly on the lips.  "For a date, I was thinking a nice dinner or dancing or a movie.  Something normal.  This is wonderful.  You had me when you grabbed me and pulled me into the limo.  No, actually, I think you had me when I met you dripping wet on the beach last week.  No, actually, ...."

Deb's words were cut off by Justin's lips.  As she kissed his soft, insistent lips, she felt how right it was.  She didn't know how he didn't feel it too.  They continued to kiss for several moments and then heard someone clear their throat.  As Justin turned to the man, dressed like a chef, Deb felt one of his arms fall away, but the other, on her back, still held her close.

The man wanted to know what they wanted for dinner.  He listed a few items that made her mouth water.  Deb finally realized their drive must have taken 2 hours although much of it was spent lost in Justin and she didn't remember that much time had passed.  She was starving.

Justin's gaze was on her as she finally realized he had asked her something.  Then he started snickering at her lack of concentration.  "Deb, what do you want to eat?"

"Doesn't matter to me.  Order for us," she said and snuggled up to him again.  'GOD!  You have it bad, Girl!' she thought, burying her head in his neck, lost in his scent...a little cologne, a little soap...and something very sexy.  She silently prayed she didn't attack him right there.

"Are there any other guests here or is it just us?" she said, still nuzzling his neck.

"It's just us...and the chef, the maid, the butler, the bell boy...." he was saying, but Deb wasn't listening as she kissed him again.  She was acting like a sex kitten but couldn't seem to keep her lips off of him.  Funny, she thought, this whole romantic thing wasn't even needed but she adored him for the gesture.

"Where's our room?" she whispered between kisses.

Next thing she knew, they were walking down a hallway and he opened two big doors.  Deb could only say, "Wow," as she walked in.  The room looked and felt like it was hovering over the lake up in the sky, surrounded by stars which were becoming more visible as the sun dropped further behind the horizon.  The walls, ceiling and furnishings were the palest of blues, almost white, and the room had it's own balcony.  She was drawn to the balcony where she gazed at the sunset.  She really could hear the waves lapping at the shoreline below.  The water was glasslike and orange from the sunset.  The rays of the sinking sun still bathed her body in warmth.  She heard Justin walk up beside her and turned to him.  He was watching her and smiling.

"You're so cute," he said, leaning forward and kissing her nose.

Deb walked away and went in the room, still looking at it in awe.  She sat on the bed beside the luggage.  She slowly looked at the two suitcases and then at Justin who was standing nearby.  "What is this?  I don't remember packing a suitcase."

Justin just stood there, crossed his arms and smiled.  He winked and said, "Why don't you check the blue one?"

Deb looked at him with a frown and a smirk.  "What have you done?"

Justin sat down on the bed beside the blue suitcase and started helping her with the zipper.  As Deb opened the lid of the suitcase, Justin watched, chewing on his bottom lip.  Deb picked out dresses, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, nighties, and even underwear and bras.  "Justin!  Oh my God!  There must be a few weeks worth of clothes in this suitcase.  When did you do this?  Everything is my size."

"I had a little help.  How much of a surprise would this have been if I told you to pack a bag?" he said, smiling at her shyly.  "I didn't know what you would want to wear so I had Melinda get a little of everything."

Deb dropped everything she'd picked up and wrapped her arms around Justin's neck, kissing every inch of his face as he fell back on the bed, bringing her with him.  What had become a familiar feeling -- Justin up against her, kissing her silly, holding her tight -- made Deb hot with thoughts of making love to him again.  She knew that was what he wanted as he kissed her deeply and rolled over on top of her.  As their eyes met, Justin pressed her hard into the mattress with his body snuggled between her legs and ravished her with a few more deep kisses.

"You have entirely too many clothes on," Deb said as she attempted to  peel Justin's shirt over his head.  That meant they had to separate a little.  Just as she removed his shirt, there was a soft knock at the door.  Justin groaned and extricated himself from Deb's arms and legs.  She grumbled and handed him his shirt which he donned again and pulled the door open.  It was one of the women who worked in the kitchen.  "Excuse me.  Dinner will be served in 10 minutes," the woman said.

Justin nodded and said, "Thank you, Esther."

After the door closed, he looked back at Deb, who had pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the bed.  He sat beside her and leaned in, leaving a soft kiss on her cheek.  "Let's go eat.  Aren't you hungry, baby?" he said, leaning his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.  He led her down the hall by the hand and even pulled her chair out for her before sitting to her right.

Everything was scrumptious although Deb felt funny eating the elegant meal dressed in a plain old summer dress.  But Justin was in his jeans and t-shirt, so that feeling quickly passed.  They had a great time making fun of their manners and Justin's talent for holding his pinky finger out when he drank tea.  After a meal complete with wine and a little dessert that melted in her mouth, they walked on a dimly lit path beside the lake and sat on a bench for awhile, just counting the stars.  When Deb saw a shooting star, she covered Justin's eyes quickly, whispering for him to make a wish.  Of course, she then pressed him to tell her what his wish was but he was resolute that if he told her it wouldn't come true.  She tried to tickle it out of him to no avail.

As they walked back toward the house, Justin held her hand tightly and they talked about everything and anything that came to mind.  Deb noted that he seemed genuinely interested in her family and friends.  He even said he would like to meet her parents.  When it grew chilly, Justin wrapped both of his arms around Deb, holding her tight, rocking her side to side.  Soon, they were dancing in the moonlight, with Deb's arms pinned against him, warming her as he held her tight against his chest.  Her legs were numb from the chill but began to warm from the inside out as Justin kissed her deeply, nipping at her lips playfully in between.  Every inch of Deb's body that touched Justin was toasty warm.  She smiled at him after a particularly passionate kiss because her knees felt like jello and she leaned tighter into his arms for support.  He must have sensed her starting to swoon and gathered her in closer.  His heart was beating fast as he held her; hers was pounding in her ears.

Deb had had other lovers and even the most attractive, charming men in her past hadn't made her feel the way Justin did just by looking at her.  If only she could do that to him......if he'd only let her in to his heart.  'Correction', she thought.  'If only he'd ADMIT that I am already in his heart.'

No matter how ardently she made love to him; no matter how deeply she kissed him; no matter how many times she made him laugh hysterically, he still held onto the one thing Deb wanted more than his laughter, his kisses or his body.  If there wasn't some kind of breakthrough on this trip, she didn't know what she'd do.  Sure, it had only been a little over a week, but when it was right (and Deb could feel how right it was in her soul), it was right.

As they went to bed that night, and made love to each other most of the night, Deb resolved to heed JC's advice if nothing changed.  It wouldn't be easy but she knew it had to be.  As she fell asleep staring at the stars twinkling beyond the windows of their room, she only hoped she knew Justin as well as she thought she did.

* * * * * * *

She woke up snuggled closely to Justin, with her lips just a nuzzle away from the soft skin by his ears.  She noticed that they'd kicked the covers clear off the bed as she shivered and tried to get closer.  She thought about getting up and grabbing the covers herself, but thought again when Justin shifted and sighed against her shoulder.  She left soft kisses along his hairline on his forehead and the sideburns that shadowed the sides of his face.  Lost in thoughts of how sweet his face looked and how pouty and soft his lips were, Justin opened his eyes slowly, watching Deb's dreamy expression change as she played with one of his curls.

Justin closed his eyes again, trying to figure out what he felt for this woman who'd opened herself up to him so freely and seemed to love him so fiercely before he barely knew what was happening.  JC was right about Deb having a head start.  He did feel like he'd been playing catch up since the moment they met.  It had always been like that when they got involved with fans and that's the reason they'd agreed to the 'no fan' rule of dating.  Thinking back, Justin didn't think there was any way he could have abided their rule.  The minute he met Deb, he felt the pull.  He couldn't have back pedaled from it.  It was too intense.  All the feelings he had about Deb were too intense to deny.  There was nothing slow about this relationship.

He had totally discounted JC's suggestion to back up and take a break for awhile.  If Deb went home, he'd have to think about things because she wouldn't be there to distract him with her lips, or her eyes, or her body.  Just thinking about being without her made Justin feel lonely and cold.  JC had said that if it was meant to be, it was meant to be and any amount of separation wouldn't hinder fate.  If you love something, set it free?  Justin had heard that forever but hadn't really spent much time meditating on it's meaning.  If he let her go, sent her home, and tried to go about his hectic life, would she be there for him if he came looking for her?  Could he blame her if she decided to move on?  Would he have time to go back?  Would he make the time?

He never felt shy or stupid around Deb.  She always accepted him as he was....she didn't even seem to see the flaws he knew he had.  She was oblivious, or at least acted that way.  The conditions she had put on their relationship and the act of moving in with JC, hadn't seemed like punishment.  She accepted his stupid inability to say what he felt.  She seemed to already know that the words were there, somewhere, waiting for him to have the courage to utter them.

The skin on the back of his neck stood on end and he felt tingles go down his spine as he felt Deb's lips resting near his ear.  "Wake up and kiss me, baby," she whispered as one hand lightly stroked his stomach.

When he opened his eyes, Deb had a big grin plastered on her face.  Her hair was an unruly mess, but the pixie-ish look on her face just completed the look which made Justin laugh.  She looked sleepy and mussed up, but ready for whatever he put down.  JC was right.  Justin had met his match in this 5'3" bundle of energy.  She had an insatiable appetite for him and was again nuzzling him and kissing his neck, while teasing him with her fingers inching down from his stomach.

"Baby, you just don't seem to be able to get enough," he teased as he crawled out of bed quickly and disappeared into the bathroom.

Justin heard her saying in her most whiny voice, "Not when you are snuggling up to me completely naked!"

He poked his head out of the bathroom.  "Aren't you in need of food, baby girl?  My stomach is growling.  I'ma take a shower and then we've got a lake to swim in," was all he said and slammed the door.

They did spend the rest of the day playing in the lake and chasing each other along the paths surrounding it.  One of the things Deb discovered that day about him was that to her, he was no longer 'Justin from *NSYNC' but rather just her lover, her friend and someone she didn't think she'd ever want to be without.  They had a great time flirting and teasing and hugging and kissing.  The day melted into night and two more days went by with them totally immersed in each other and their surroundings.  It was like the outside world didn't exist.  They had met other couples renting other houses around the lake, but had always retired to spend time alone, together.

* * * * * * *

Deb awoke the next morning realizing that it was the day they were leaving.  Everything in her wanted to ask him to stay another day but she realized he had to catch a plane to New York for the Video Music Awards.  But all that would come after he spent a few hours in intense rehearsals for *NSYNC's performance.  He'd given up time practicing with the guys to be with her.  She knew he wouldn't have any trouble picking up all the new choreography, but he didn't have the peace of mind knowing that he'd practiced all he could.  She'd come across him a few times during their stay rehearsing on his own in front of the long mirror in the bathroom.  He'd even given her a sneak preview of the show, once she discovered him in the bathroom.  She could tell he was starting to focus his energy on all of that, and drawing away more and more from their private cocoon.  She so desperately didn't want to let him go because she feared it'd never be the same.

They hadn't talked about what would happen next.  He still hadn't told her that he loved her, though he had shown it in every way possible.  She figured she might just have to live with that for awhile.  While she stood on the balcony overlooking the lake, concentrating on her swirling thoughts, Justin was taking care of last minute arrangements to get them back to Orlando.

She felt him wrap his arms around her waist from behind and kiss the side of her neck.  "What are you thinking about?"

She leaned back into him, still lost in her thoughts.  "Oh, nothing, just getting ready to go back to reality.  I think I'll book a flight back to South Carolina when we get back.  I need to get back home and back to work."

He twirled her around to face him.  "You aren't coming to New York with me?"

"I'd love to go with you but you haven't asked me.  I really don't want to be a distraction.  Plus I told my boss I'd be back to work at the end of this week.  Well, unfortunately, it's the end of the week and I have to go back to my life," she said, smoothing his shirt against his chest.

The crestfallen look on Justin's face made her want to scoop him up and hug it all away.  "Oh.  Well, I guess I just assumed you were coming with me," he said, gazing deeply into her eyes.  "What does this mean?"

"I guess it means you can come visit me when you get back from New York," Deb said as she pulled him into a hug.

Justin was strangely quiet as they held each other.  When the knock at the door interrupted, Justin walked over to the door and opened it to find Lonnie grinning at him.  Lonnie reached out with a huge hand and patted him on the side of his head.  "Hey, long time, no see, bro."

Justin grinned at Lonnie's brotherly affection.  "Hey Lon.  The bags are ready to go.  If you could get the suitcases, we can get the others.  Thanks man."

"Leaving here is almost bittersweet, isn't it?" he said to Deb as he came back out on the balcony and Lonnie went about his work.  "I had an amazing time.  I haven't been able to just forget everything in so long.  Even at the beach...it was all still too new, so it was like living with ghosts.  You're so good for me, Deb."

Deb managed a little smile just for him, although she really didn't feel like smiling.  She glanced around the room for a moment and then took Justin's hand and followed him out to the car.  Once they were seated inside and the car was traveling down the road, Deb felt tears start welling in her eyes and she knew she was about to lose it.  Justin must have been watching because he gathered her in his arms.  As he held her close, he whispered, "It's going to be ok.  This isn't the end.  I'm not willing to just say goodbye to you."