AN: I'm BACK! I love everyone who sent nice email. It was wonderful to come home to feedback. Good readers. *hug* More feedback? :) inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com ************************ Curiosity Killed... Chapter Seventeen *********************** "I can't believe you beat me," I say in numb disbelief as I exit the stopped tour bus. Nick snorts through his shit-eating grin as he follows me out, whistling smugly under his breath. "Three times. I kicked your ass three times." I grumble, embarrassed. I really am really, really good at video games. Apparently Nick is just that much better. "You know, you'd think you'd have better things to do with your hands than play video games," I snap, peeved by his gloating. "Pervert," Nick whistles and pinches my shoulder. I curse and go down the stairs. Howie is waiting for us as we climb off. "He kissed you." The exclamation holds a note of accusation and I shrug as I gingerly hop down from Nick's bus, studying the empty hotel parking lot as I ignore a suddenly unhappy Howie. Or try to. "Isn't that the point?" I ask, voice as mild as I can manage. I'm still not entirely sure what to make of this whole seduction thing, or Kevin doing an admirable job of pulling it off. Besides, I'm still wallowing in self-pity over losing video games, to Nick. Nick! "He was just evening the score." "Yeah," Nick defends as he jumps down behind me, "you and Kevin have kissed her twice. I'm behind." Howie snorts and folds his arms across his chest, alternating his glare between Nick and I. Excuse me if I am unimpressed. "Stop glowering," I growl, irritated for no real reason besides basic peevishness, and maybe a touch of PMS. "You're still tied with Kevin for first. AJ though, he's really behind." "You'd kiss AJ?" Howie asks, sounding surprised. I shrug again as I shift my bags on my shoulders, trying very hard not to remember the attempted biting incident. "Sure why not, we can have a blood sucking orgy. Kisses and gropes for everyone. Well, not Brian," I add after a thoughtful moment. "I thought you liked Brian." I shrug under Howie's fierce scrutiny and ignore Nick's appraising blue stare, hating that they can hear any lies I tell. That's why I've gotten to be very creative when speaking. "I think four active suitors is quite enough for me to handle right now. We can leave Brian as a tag in option for later." "Tag in?" the dark haired singer asks, sounding faint. I grin mischievously. "You know, a tag in, like with boxing." "Oh geeze." Howie rolls his brown gaze and with a small smile makes his way towards the hotel, security hovering along the perimeter. I'm mildly impressed that there's no fans hovering around and suspect it has something to do with certain mind abilities. I start to follow Howie towards the hotel but Nick's unexpected hand on my elbow quite literally stops me. I try not to tense too much at his sudden hold on me. Nope, I'm not jumpy at all. Stupid biting incident. "Why do you really not want Brian to have a go at the whole sex thing?" I consider my words carefully before answering, knowing, instinctively, that my reply will probably be the basis for how Nick treats me during the duration of my kidnapping, err seduction, err, what the hell do you call my situation? Anyway... "Because I don't believe its right for a man to have sex with a woman when he's still very much in love with someone else." "And who would that someone else be?" Nick asks softly. I not so gently tug my arm from his grasp, still not looking at the bloodsucker at my side. "Kevin divorced his wife several months before ya'll became Vampires. Brian divorced Leighanne three months after ya'll became members of the undead." "So that means he still loves her then?" he demands, voice thick with scorn. I snort and jab a finger at the softness of his ribs. "The Council doesn't allow humans to know about Vampires. The fact that Leighanne is still alive is very telling about how much Brian cares for her. A less doting husband simply would have snapped her neck. That's what most newly turned do." And on that cheery note, I stride stiffly, if slowly, off towards the hotel, leaving a dumbfounded Nick to follow. *************************************************************************************** I consider my options for escape, or at least contact with the world outside of Backstreet Land carefully. Kevin is gone along with his partners in crime to some dumb radio interview that I am not allowed to go to. Leaving me in my room. Kevin's room. Our room, alone. Unsupervised. Big smile. Only, Kevin took his cell phone, and mine, and the hotel phone has been programmed to allow for calls within the hotel. Clever Kevin. Big frown. There's also several very large and violently inclined security men in little muscle shirts standing guard on the floor, making my chances for true escape slim to none. But, I am a Cat. Where there's a will, there's a way, even if I only cause some panic and mayhem. I'm not sitting in the hotel room watching porn all day, although I did consider it. I don't get too many vacation days in my line of work, or, well, lack there of. Hardly the point, though it'd be nice to get paid for taking regular beatings and getting threatened at fang/ claw/ knife/ gun point on a frequent basis. I stick my head outside the room door carefully after an hour or so. I still have some time before the bloodsuckers return. All the big scary guards, though attentive, are looking at parts of the hall that don't include, well, I can probably make it to the next room without raising the alarm. I take a deep breath, and make a labored dash for it. Thank god, the door is unlocked! Thank god for secure floors! I close the door quietly behind me with a pleased grin and flip the light on. Great, AJ's room. Hats, hats, everywhere and not a head in sight. I chuckle to myself and try AJ's room phone. Only, its apparently been fixed, just like Kevin's, surprise, surprise. I snarl and contemplate the messy room for a minute before becoming determined. AJ is forgetful and I am going to find his cell phone conveniently forgotten in his bags. My luck has sucked too much lately not to. Which, of course explains what happens nearly twenty minutes later. "Care to explain what you're doing in my room?" Hello luck, hello suck, nice to see ya'll have become so close in your efforts to ruin my life. I jump guiltly at the sardonic voice and turn, letting AJ catch me red handed as I root faithfully through his very last bag. Half of his belongings are strewn across the bed and floor due to my increased annoyance and, well, between his mess and mine, it looks like a small hurricane hit. There's no way to weasel out of the situation so, I weasel in. "I'm looking for a cell phone. Your room phone won't work on a long distance call." AJ lowers his sunglasses from his slouched position against the doorframe. "I see," he drawls, "and you were planning on calling..." "Stephen, or Dracula, if only to find out if he still wants to kill me or have me killed." I watch, pleased, as an exasperation and confusion war in his brown gaze. A small smile twitches at his lips. "There's a difference?" I roll my eyes. "Why of course! Dracula only kills people he really cares about. He's addicted to the thrill of hunting, owning, and taking life. You know you've moved down on the list of importance when he's willing to send a lackey to do the job, although, in my case I know he's had offers from, umm, a lot of people to kill me themselves if he ever looses the inclination." "And, who exactly would 'a lot of people' be?" I hate that I can feel myself blush. "Almost every Vampire who has met me," I whisper as I fiddle, embarrassed, with my hands. "It's not like I TRY to make so many mortal enemies. It just seems to happen, honest." AJ simply shakes his head and laughs. "I hear that I'm behind on the seduction scorecard. I was sort of surprised to hear I wasn't out of the running all together." I watch the sway of his sharp hips absently as he walks towards me and sits on the ground at my side, amidst clothes and belongings. "Well, don't tell anyone," I whisper, "but do you want to know a secret?" At his nod I lean forward, ignoring the pounding of my heart, and murmur in his ear, lips barely brushing his skin, "I sort of have a thing for your tattoos." There's a beat of silence before AJ McLean is hooting with laughter. I watch, pleased with myself, and despite the turn of our conversation, am still surprised when he leans over and kisses me. And wow, singing isn't the only thing that AJ does well. The teeny fan part of me is screaming with glee because, OH MY GOD, AJ lips, on mine, nice lips, lips of AJ, kissing, licking, oww, biting, okay the biting isn't so bad, especially without fangs. His hands reach up to cup my face and hold me still as the kiss takes on an edge of passion and possession. I can feel my skin, my face, burning with the raw intensity of his demanding touch and, and... its STILL not Kevin. Am I like totally ruined for kissing forever just because I mind melded with Kevin Richardson? Not that I can't appreciate the very nice pornographic kiss I'm receiving right now because, trust me, I am, but it's just not the same. OH MY GOD, AJ tongue, in my mouth, meeting my tongue. Wow, two tongues in one day. I really hope I don't catch something. And speaking of Kevin... There comes a bellow of rage from next door and I wince, as we break apart. I'm pleasantly surprised to find AJ breathing hard, not that I'm super steady myself, and he sighs. "Looks like Kevin came home to an empty room." Oh goody. Another confrontation. I have so much to look forward to in life.