***

I think I'm going insane.

Checking my appearance one last time in the mirror on my closet door, I try to repress the idiotic grin that threatens to take over my face. Pacey is going to be here any second, and nothing that I do can stop the giddy anticipation that's making my entire body feel like an indistinguishable mass of tingling excitement.

We haven't seen each other in a week. He'd had to leave Capeside the day after the reunion because of the big case their firm was working on, and even after he'd told me how he felt we couldn't get away before Jen and the others found us and dragged us back into the yacht club's ballroom. So we basically haven't had a moment alone since he told me he loved me.

The frustration is driving me crazy.

It hadn't helped that he'd called practically every night that we were apart, telling me exactly what he wanted to do once I got back to New York. By now even just the sound of his voice is enough to turn me on.

The doorbell rings just as I head out of my bedroom, nearly causing me to trip on my own feet in my rush to answer it. "Don't tell me. Someone was just going out to walk their dog." I grin up at him and acknowledge his uncanny ability to get into my building without having to buzz me.

His smile positively melts my insides into a gooey mess. He's wearing a dark suit, his shirt perfectly complementing his dancing blue eyes, his tall frame looking right at home leaning against my doorframe. "No, I charmed one of your female neighbors into letting me in."

I arch an eyebrow at him. "And how did you do that?"

"Simple. I helped her bring her groceries in and told her that she's probably one of the most beautiful tenants in this building," he relates, stepping into my apartment and coming closer and closer with a gleam in his eye. "Next to Josephine Potter of 5A…" He kisses me then, the swift contact of his curved lips making me reach up for more. "Mrs. Finley didn't seem to mind."

Pacey's next kiss silences my surprised laughter at the discovery that he's apparently made friends with my 65-year old neighbor. All other thoughts evaporate from my mind. My arms move around his neck so that my fingers can tangle in the soft, short hair at his nape, my mouth opening wider under his to allow the slow, seductive onslaught of his tongue.

His hands move down the sides of my breasts to wrap around my waist, pulling me tight against his hardening body, heat seeping through the barrier of our clothes.

"You're not really going out in that, are you?" He asks, leaving small, wet kisses along my jaw, down the side of my neck, to the wide expanse of skin exposed by my black dress's deep V neckline.

I can't help smiling mischievously. I'd impulsively gone shopping after I got back from Capeside this afternoon, partly to distract myself from thoughts of barging into his office and having my way with him on his desk, and partly because Jen and I had planned a dinner out with Andie, Jack, Dawson and Alyssa since they decided to stop by New York before returning home. I only wish we hadn't planned it for tonight.

"As a matter of fact, I am," I reply cheekily. "Don't you like it?" I twirl around quickly in front of him to show off the dress.

Pacey groans as he pulls me to him again. "I think I like it too much." He interrupts my retort with another kiss, this time more urgent and fevered, letting me know exactly how much he likes it. I press closer, loving the feel of my breasts against his chest, my teeth grazing lightly against his tongue as it glides wetly with mine.

My arms tighten around him. He leans me against the door to my hall closet, his hand slipping underneath the thin material of my dress. He lets it slide slowly up my thigh, cupping my butt and pulling me firmly against him. His fingers move along the thin band of garter in my panties, tracing from back to front and…

The phone rings.

"Damn." I mutter, refusing to break contact.

"Let it ring," he says against my neck.

It rings until the machine picks up. "Jooooeeeeey," Jen's calls. "I know you're there. Pick up. Come on, Jo, I know you're there because you're not here, and whatever's keeping you, I don't want to know, but you'd better get here right now."

"We should go."

He closes his eyes and lets his forehead fall to my shoulder. "Whose idea was this dinner thing, again?"

"Mine and Jen's," I admit, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before opening the closet for a light coat.

He lets out an exaggerated sigh and holds the door open after helping me into my coat. "You, Ms. Potter, are bent on making me lose my mind, aren't you?"

***

"Well, thank you for gracing us with your presence!" Jen greets as soon as we get to the table. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything." She adds impishly.

To my own mortification, I feel myself blush as I glance up at Pacey. He was holding my hand, our fingers intertwined, and had guided me steadily through the crush of people in the crowded restaurant with the reassuring contact.

"You've always been a pain in the ass, Lindley." He grins at her, squeezing my hand gently. "Shut up."

We end up sitting with Jack to my right and Alyssa to his left around the big table. They were talking about the reunion, and how Pacey had surprised everyone with his dramatic entrance.

"Where's John?" I ask Jen in a low voice.

"Busy taking care of grades."

"Jen, it's June. He's still taking care of grades?" I glance pointedly in Jack's direction, who's engrossed in the conversation going around the table despite the fact that Jen and I were whispering to each other and he was seated between us. "Or you wanted him out of the way?" I tease.

Jen rolls her eyes. "Stop. I happen to like John a lot, thank you very much." And then she tilts her head toward Jack and mouths the words, "He's got a boyfriend." She wiggles her eyebrows and straightens, joining in the others' conversation.

"So, Pacey, where have you been all those years?" Jack was asking.

"Yeah," Jen interjects, looking extremely interested. "We know that you're a big time corporate lawyer swimming with the rest of the sharks in this city, but you never really elaborated on what exactly you've been busy with since you left the hallowed halls of Capeside High. So, what was it? Women? Big bucks? Women?" She grins wickedly.

Pacey chuckles, his hand finding my knee under the table and staying there. The warmth of his fingers feels good on my skin and I don't know which I like more - his touch, or the fact that no one else around us could see it and the small contact felt like a secret between the two of us.

"Come to think of it, it's funny that none of us ever heard about you when you were doing so well here, Pacey." Dawson adds with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What can I say?" Pacey smiles. "I keep a low profile." I put my hand over his and grip it reassuringly. He turns his hand over on my knee, holding it palm up so that he can clasp my fingers in his. His thumb begins to rub a lazy, circular pattern on the soft skin between my thumb and forefinger, and that's when I'm lost for good.

I don't care if I look silly with my lips permanently turned up in a smile, or if I'm completely unable to concentrate on anything but what his touch is doing to me. All my senses have become totally attuned to what's going on under the table. My arm feels weak, his unconscious seduction of my hand sending sharp little bolts of lightning straight up to my heart and all over my body.

I turn my eyes surreptitiously to him, hoping to let him see exactly how much I wish we were alone right now. He looks back at me and my breath hitches. I can see everything that I'm feeling reflected in his eyes. He gives me a soft smile, one just for me, and I freeze it in my memory so that I can keep it with me forever.

Dinner goes by with me in a daze. I don't remember who I talked to or what I said, all I know is that I hated when our food arrived, because that meant Pacey had to let go of my hand.

He holds it again as we stand near the front doors of the restaurant, waiting for our coats.

"I thought dinner would never end," I whisper to him and smile.

He kisses my cheek before letting his breath warm my ear. "I thought this was your idea, Josephine." He grins at me.

I stick my tongue out at him childishly. The door opens and the expression on my face freezes when I see who enters.

"Nicky!" Vanessa exclaims in surprise. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hello, Vanessa," Pacey replies calmly, his grip tightening over my hand. "We were just on our way out." He gestures to our group and makes introductions. "Vanessa Reed, these are my friends, Andie McPhee, Jack McPhee, Dawson Leery, his fiancée Alyssa Burns, and you've met Jen Lindley. And my girlfriend, Joey, of course." He smiles politely at her.

"Of course. Although I never thought I'd hear the word 'girlfriend' come out of Nick Shafer's mouth." She answers. "Charming to meet all of you. If you'll excuse me, I'm late for dinner." She smiles serenely at everyone before disappearing into the throng of people in the restaurant.

"Nicky?" Jack asks teasingly when we go out into the cool night air.

"Long story," Pacey says ruefully. "Maybe I'll tell you about it next time, Jackers."

"If there'll be a next time," Andie laments. "I don't think any of us will be up for another Capeside High reunion in fifteen years."

"Hey, there's always my wedding." Dawson smiles, his arm around Alyssa. "And we're expecting every one of you to be there."

"And brave the bright sunlight of sunny California? Heaven help me," Jen jokes.

"When's it going to be?" I ask them.

"We haven't decided for sure, but maybe in December." Alyssa answers, smiling.

I nod, and silence descends on our little group, each wondering how that one event in Capeside brought us all together in spite of lives which had gone on in different directions, and reminded us of how much we all missed having each other.

"We need to break this up. It's sickening." Jen says laughingly through misty eyes, moving to hug Andie.

A flurry of tearful hugs and reminders to keep in touch follows. My throat feels tight by the time I get to Dawson, my eyes undeniably wet. "Hey. I'm really happy for you." I tell him, my gaze meeting Pacey's over Dawson's shoulder.

"I'm really happy for you, too, Joey." Dawson replies sincerely. "You and Pacey." He pulls away and turns to Pacey, holding out his hand. "Don't be a stranger, Pace."

"Take care, Dawson." Pacey shakes his hand before they end up hugging, as well, my heart swelling at the sight.

"Joey, I'm sorry for not telling you," Andie whispers as she puts her arms around me. "I'm glad you finally worked things out."

"Me too." I manage to say through the lump in my throat. "Thanks, Andie."

Jen and Jack hug each other tightly before we all say goodbye. After Dawson leaves in a cab with Alyssa and Jack leaves with Andie, the three of us are left standing there, overcome with a mixture of happiness and nostalgia.

"So, Lindley, need a ride?" Pacey asks.

"No, thanks." Jen replies. He hails a taxi for her while she hugs me briefly, smiling. "'Night, Jo. Sorry for the interruption earlier tonight."

I roll my eyes good-naturedly. "No problem, Jen. Just don't do it again." I wink at her before she gets into the cab. "Call you tomorrow."

She waves at us from the car's window. "Bye, Joey! Bye, Nicky!"

Pacey chuckles as he takes my hand in his. "Alone at last."

***

"So, I'm your girlfriend, huh?" I ask him slyly as I unlock the door to my apartment.

Pacey gives me a quick kiss on the side of my neck. "That's what I thought. But really, now that we've made it official I'd like to use my boyfriend privileges for the first time by asking that you never wear this dress in public again."

"I thought you liked this dress." He slips off my overcoat.

"I do. That's why I don't think anyone should see you in it but me." He grins. I smile up at him, arms resting around his neck.

"And if I say no?" I raise my eyebrows defiantly.

"I'll just have to lock you in a room and chain you to the bed…" he murmurs before I cut off his sentence with my mouth. I nip lightly at his lower lip, the tentative contact turning into a hungry, searching kiss in a matter of seconds.

He cradles the back of my head securely in his hand as his lips open over mine, my tongue dueling eagerly with his. I press closer, wanting every dent and curve in my body to be connected to him, impatient to be rid of the clothes separating us.

I push off his coat, letting it fall carelessly to the floor, and pull the hem of his shirt up out of his pants, my hands reveling in the feel of taut muscle and smooth, warm skin. He cups my breast gently in one hand, the other reaching around my back to unzip my dress and undo my bra.

My teeth scrape against his. I want to kiss him so much deeper that I don't care. I take his tongue into my mouth and suck while I slide my own against it, unable to get enough of his taste, of his touch.

I unbuckle his belt and pull it completely off him, throwing it on the floor. His thumb teases my breast through the material of my dress. I slip my fingers into his boxers and hold his thick, hard arousal in my hand as he groans into my mouth.

He puts his hands on my butt, pulling me up, and my legs instinctively wrap around his torso as a shocked giggle escapes from my throat. "Pace…" I mumble against his lips in between kisses.

"Jo…" he mumbles back, his hand sliding along my thigh to slip underneath my panties, causing me to gasp as his fingers find the wetness there.

"I - I do…" I manage breathlessly. "Have a… oh, god," he invades the ache between my thighs with his fingers, causing bolts of pleasure to shoot through my body. "Bed."

"Okay." He replies, pulling me closer as he starts to walk towards my bedroom, his mouth never breaking contact with mine.

More giggles bubble out of me while he navigates both of us through my apartment, one time colliding lightly against a chair. I can feel him smiling against my lips. Finally he lays me gently on my bed and pulls my dress off while I tug his pants and boxers down.

I sigh contentedly when he moves over me, his hot hardness filling me inch by delicious inch. He kisses my breasts, trailing his tongue over the heated skin and sucking until I'm moaning with sheer bliss. My hips move to meet his every thrust, my back arching to get closer still.

I pull him up so that I can ravage his mouth with mine as sparks of pleasure begin to shoot through me. His thrusts grow quicker and deeper, pushing me to the brink and making me let go of all control, until my orgasm shakes strongly throughout my whole body, little tremors washing over me as he thrusts one last time and holds me close during his own release.

I open my eyes in the aftermath, happiness flooding through every part of me. I touch his cheek and run my thumb lightly over his lowered lashes. I can hardly believe that he's right here, and that he loves me.

He opens his eyes, the deep, steady blue looking back at me as he smiles. "What are you thinking?"

I smile back while my heart swells in my chest. "I'm thinking I've fallen hopelessly in love with you, Pacey Witter, Nicholas Shafer, and any other aliases or pseudonyms you might have."

He grins, pulling me into his arms. "About time, Potter."