Tour was a grind.

 

Anyone who had lived their life on the road could attest to that statement. From the talent on down to the roadies, it didn’t matter where you fell in the tour hierarchy: the road minced you just the same. Shelby hadn’t fully understood this until she experienced it. Day after day, city after city the disorientation, the sheer exhaustion; it was enough to drive anyone insane.

 

It was a problem and luckily for the performers and crew of the FutureSexLoveShow, Shelby was a problem solver. If she’d learned nothing else from her fruitless six-year stint at state school it was that creating chaos out of order was the best way to break up the monotony of everyday life. And it seemed that the crew was having a much more enjoyable work experience for her efforts…

 

“SHELBY!”

 

…even if some of the performers weren’t… 

 

“Goddammit Shelby where are you?

 

…okay maybe just one performer.

 

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Timberlake, I’m right here,” Shelby said, looking up from the pile of laundry in front of her just in time to see Justin stomp his way into the bedroom.

 

“Oh that’s hilarious,” Justin replied sarcastically, his face puckered in a look of deep displeasure. “You know damn well I’m not wearing any underwear.”

 

Shelby’s eyebrows rose as she tried to force her mouth to remain neutral, though a smile was curling up the ends. “How on earth would I know that? I mean I do your laundry but-”

 

“Because you took them all!” he yelled, his hands flailing and at that she couldn’t control her laughter, bringing a hand up to her mouth to smother it quickly.

 

“I assure you I did not,” she said calmly, enjoying watching him fume and he rewarded her with a scoff.

 

“No but you know who did,” he snapped petulantly and his face morphed from angry to defeated in an instant. “Come on Shelby this has got to fucking stop. I hired you to make my life easier, not make it harder.”

 

“Oh don’t be such a killjoy,” Shelby admonished and his scowl returned full force. “It’s just a little scavenger hunt. And I am making your life easier. Look!” she exclaims making a big show out of folding one of his shirts. “I’m doing your laundry! If I wasn’t here you’d be doing this yourself!”

 

Justin was unamused. “Yeah because for once you’re doing your job, not orchestrating a tour wide missive to based on torturing or humiliating me in some way!” Justin deadpanned and Shelby grinned widely, unable to hold it back any longer.

 

“But that’s my favorite part,” she replied in mock earnest and Justin growled.

 

“Stealing my underwear, setting my phone alarm to go off every five minutes during interviews, hiding dog treats in my pockets so Buckley damn near killed me coming off the bus… You were always like this. Ever since we were fucking kids you’d come in like a goddamn hurricane and…and…”

 

“And bring destruction and chaos to your life. So you’ve said,” Shelby intoned with a sigh and a slight shake of her head. “Numerous times. But even you can’t deny that morale is up! The shows are going great!” Shelby took a deep breath, a look of satisfaction crossing her face as she folded one of his shirts. “There’s a certain sense of camaraderie in the group that wasn’t there before.”

 

She shrugged happily and Justin merely scowled. “Come on admit it,” Shelby nudged, grinning at him in a winning way. He let out a snort.

 

“Hurricane Shelby that’s what I’m going to start calling you,” Justin said jabbing a finger at her and she laughed. His scowl slowly faded into that look of embarrassment he always had right after one of his tirades. He shifted awkwardly. “Seriously though where’s my underwear?”

 

She laughed loudly at this, shaking her head and looking down, grabbing another shirt. “You’re gonna have to ask one of the teams.”

 

He let out a low groan, his head falling back in frustration. “Why was that even on the list?” he asked irritably and Shelby snickered.

 

“Isn’t it obvious,” she replied and when he looked at her she gave him the biggest grin she could manage and he glared at her.

 

“You know this shit right here is why we never dated,” Justin snapped and Shelby blinked at him before nearly doubling over with laughter, the confused look on Justin’s face doing nothing but fueling her giggles.

 

“Uh, no the reason we’ve never dated is because I would never date you.”

 

Justin frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her shake her head and continue on with the pile of laundry. “Excuse me. I’m a fucking catch.”

 

Shelby snorted. “Sure.”

 

“What! I’m talented, good looking, smart,” he paused and added somewhat reluctantly, “wealthy, famous…” he waved a hand as if his tone of voice weren’t enough to suggest that these last two were frivolous.

 

“Exactly,” Shelby replied and he held up his hands, shaking his head in a “what-the-fuck” gesture. “There’s gotta be something wrong with you…” She let her eyes flick casually to the front of his jeans and his exclamation of “OH COME ON” was drowned out by her raucous laughter.

 

“Really… you’re gonna say I have a small cock… really?” Justin said wryly, unable to keep the laughter from his own voice and she just gave him a smarmy look, causing him to set his jaw in annoyance. “Take it back,” he demanded and she snorted out another laugh.

 

“Take it back?” she repeated, quirking an eyebrow at him. “What are we nine?”

 

“You better take it back,” he warned taking a step closer to her and she dropped the shirt in her hands, fisting them on her hips.

 

“Or you’re gonna do what?” she challenged but the words had barely left her lips before he was across the room his hands wrapping around her biceps.

 

She struggled against him, crying out in outrage, trying to wiggle free but strength was on his side. He managed to wrestle her down onto the bed, disregarding her insistence that he was making a wreck of his laundry as he pinned her to the mattress. She was laughing as she kicked at him, her bare feet meeting his shins but she only succeeded in stubbing her toes and making him curse.

 

“Take it back,” he demanded, his face an inch from hers, her wrists gathered in one of his large hands while the other supported his weight over her.

 

“Get off me you idiot!” she hollered, wheezing from laughter and her struggle.

 

He was a lot stronger than she’d guessed, having weight and the upper hand on his side. She didn’t like being bested and though she was unlikely to get free she still struggled beneath him with all her might. Her body knocked against him, elbows colliding with his ribs, hips wiggling against his, trying to buck him off. She had to force herself not to think about how easily he moved beneath his jeans.

 

“Take it back! No wait…” he hollered before his eyes grew wide with a new idea. “You have to say it’s massive.”

 

“Oh my god,” Shelby groaned rolling her eyes and redoubling her efforts to get away.

 

“It’s only the truth after all,” he replied airily, his casual tone infuriating her even more. “You shouldn’t lie you know,” he smirked, pleased that he was finally bringing her some grief instead of the other way around.

 

“Never!” she yelled dramatically and she nearly succeeded in getting him to release her by making him laugh so hard.

 

“Fine you just keep moving around like that and you’ll see for yourself,” he said his laughter dying down and all movement stopped.

 

She was looking at him with eyebrows raised, blue eyes wide with shock and it took him a minute to realize what he’d said. They joked like this all the time. Except usually they were across the room from each other and he was generally always wearing underwear. He shifted awkwardly.

 

“Wow, I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice jumping an octave in that embarrassing way it did when he was nervous. He coughed out a laugh, ears burning as he looked away from her, feeling her soft snort of giggles tickle his face. “I’m sorry that was… This is…um…”

 

His voice trailed awkwardly searching for words and chancing a glance back at her face. He found it shifted into an expression he was most familiar with: amusement.

 

“Way to show me what a man you are, Justin” she teased and it was her turn to blush at her tone; low with only a hint of jest, the tone she only used when flirting.

 

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize I was proving my manhood,” he replied, his tone playful but low as well, aware that his mouth was mere centimeters from hers, her breath tickling his lips.

 

She didn’t respond, a feat he would have marveled at had the soft pressure of her lips on his not taken him by surprise. He barely had the chance to get his eyes closed before it was over and she was looking up at him skeptically, her eyes searching his.

 

“That was weird,” she stated and he laughed, his breath a puff of warm air against her face.

 

“Thank-”

 

The pressure of her lips cut him off once more and this time he was somewhat ready for it, his hand releasing her wrists to let his fingers brush her jaw lightly. His mouth slanted over hers, shifting his body so that he was resting more fully over her as his tongue traced the seam of her lips. She allowed them to part, her stomach bottoming out when his tongue slid against hers, her fingers twisting in the cotton of his shirt. She was breathless when he pulled back, her eyes still closed and dizzy from his kiss.

 

“Better?” he questioned, his voice deep, a mere vibration in his chest and when she opened her eyes her stomach did that silly flipping thing it always did when a man looked at her like that. Justin’s eyes were heavy, cerulean irises darkened to navy rings around lust-blown pupils. Her stomach flipped again.

 

“Eh,” she managed to reply even though the slow swipe of his tongue along his lower lip had her mesmerized.

 

He pressed his mouth to hers again, sending a wash of goose bumps over her skin, his lips insistent as his hands cupped her neck. Her arms wound their way around his ribs, palms pressing flat to the wide expanse of his back and feeling the strength in his muscles. He had her pinned in every sense, her body immobile beneath his, her mind fluttering around as he kissed her incoherent. She was spun, a feeling she wasn’t used to, always in control, always the one with the upper hand.

 

Her fingers curled around his wrists, gripping and pulling them away. His lips left hers to question but he only had the opportunity to let out a soft “oomph” as she flipped them deftly, growling in the back of his throat as her weight settled on his lap. He let out a strangled sound of surprise as she pinned his wrists to the mattress, grinning down at him from beneath the halo of her hair.

 

His eyes narrowed, twisting his arms in her grip and gathering her hands in one of his quickly, holding her immobile over him chuckling as she struggled determinedly, using his free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. She stilled at his tenderness, looking down at him and taking in the easy smile on his face, watching as he shook his head.

 

“Always gotta be on top huh?” he asked and she rolled her eyes, her hair coming loose from behind her ear and he tucked it back again.

 

She grinned, her eyes dancing. “Not if he’s doing it right.”

 

Justin let out a soft growl that sent her into a burst of giggles as he pulled her down and their lips met fiercely. He hissed as she nipped at his bottom lip, the scrape of her teeth quickly soothed by the swipe of her tongue as her hands worked their way under his shirt.

 

Both were aware that they were crossing some sort of unspoken line. People who had been friends as long as they had without pulling the trigger on anything more had a lot to lose; a fact that Justin thought he was more concerned with than Shelby was. They were polar opposites in a lot of ways; when he hesitated she jumped and where he balked she usually ran head first into the fire. It was something he’d always admired about her and when she pulled back to rip her shirt over her head he decided to take her approach for once and wiggled out of his own shirt.

 

He was reaching for the button on her jeans when she flicked open her bra, letting it slide down her arms before tossing it somewhere into the room. Distracted from his task, he let his hands cup her breasts while she forced his fly open, reaching inside and gasping as her hand met his searing flesh. He hissed in response, fingers twisting at her nipples as her nails left red welts on his hipbones in her attempt to work his jeans down his legs.

 

He flipped them, her back meeting the soft cotton of shirts, the buttons of jeans cold against her skin as he kicked his pants from his legs and she struggled to do the same. Her hands settled on his shoulders once the confining clothes were out of the way and he was laying naked over her, the only barrier between them being the thin scrap of her underwear. His chest was smooth and warm against hers, the heat of him pressed against her belly and she parted her legs allowing him to lay between them.

 

“You okay with this?” he asked finally, one large hand working it’s way down her body, thumb hooking in the waistband of her panties at her hip.

 

“Yeah,” she responded, breathless and his eyes met hers, grinning so that they crinkled at the corners.

 

“What no smart ass retort?” he teased, working her underwear down her legs until she was able to kick them off her ankle.

 

“I figured I’d go easy on you since it was your first time and all,” she responded, never one to back down from a challenge and he snorted out a laugh, hand gripping her jaw with just enough possession to send a thrill of heat down to her center.

 

“I’m not even gonna respond to that,” he said, the lowness of voice making his chest vibrate against hers and she gasped as she felt his free hand move between them, rubbing himself through her wetness, “because you’re about to-”

 

His words were cut off by her gasp as he slides slowly in with one even thrust and he let his eyes flutter closed at the sensation, his chuckle rumbling in his chest. Shelby gave a hard shiver underneath him, her toes curling in against the mattress as he pressed against that spot inside her it usually took men twenty minutes to find. His mouth coaxed her into a kiss, her breath panting harshly against his lips as his hand slid down her thigh, urging her legs around his waist.

 

She crossed her ankles at his lower back, her head falling back as he withdrew and slid back in again, drawing another one of those embarrassing sounds from her throat. She could feel him smiling against her neck, his teeth finding her pulse point, grazing her skin before biting down and she hissed, letting her nails scrape deliciously across his shoulder blades.

 

She let her head fall to the side as he found a rhythm, his face pressed to her neck, breath panting evenly against her collarbone. She let her hands wander, pleasure rolling hypnotically through her limbs and the sensation of his skin on hers was overwhelming, her palms moving from his back to hold him at his ribs. She arched her back, testing the change and cried out, neck jerking back as he nudged that spot inside her that sent sharp pinpricks of pleasure down her legs, color bursting behind her closed lids.

 

Justin groaned low in his chest, one hand sliding beneath her lower back and the mattress to hold her against him. He could feel her thighs beginning to shake as her nails scraped their way down his torso before she clutched at his shoulder blades, her mouth pressing to his ear.

 

She whimpered his name, her voice wrecked and he could feel the sharp tug of his release in his gut, gritting his teeth against it and forcing it down. He couldn’t let himself focus on her rasping breaths or the low gravel of her voice telling him how close she was, how wet she was, and other dirty things he had never fathomed coming from her mouth but really he should have known. She’d always played dirty in everything else she did. Why would sex be any different?

 

“Fuck Shelby,” he grunted finally, cutting her off and she hissed, her body winding up tight, ready to explode.

 

“Don’t… stop,” she groaned around a hitching breath, her nails digging into shoulder blades and he growled deep, the arm under her back moving to curl under her thigh, hitching her leg higher.

 

He’d expected her to scream, watching her throw her head back, feeling her hands claw down his back but no sound came out, her entire body trembling as the chords in her neck pulled tight. She took a gasping breath, his hand moving to her jaw to steady her as she shivered and trembled beneath him. Her eyes opened then, vulnerable and powerful in the same instant, her hand curling around the back of his neck.

 

She pulled his head down, grinding their foreheads together, her legs tightening around his waist and pressed her mouth hard to his. He lost it when he felt her teeth sink into his bottom lip, the sting quick before she sucked on it slow. He gasped into her mouth, back going rigid beneath her hands as the pleasure wrung him dry.

 

He groaned low, lowering himself onto her slowly and she curled her arms around his shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze, pressing her lips to his hairline. They just laid there, listening to each other breathe, her fingers twisting in the curls at the nape of his neck.She made a disgruntled noise, wiggling beneath him and wrestling a pair of his jeans from underneath her, scoffing as she tossed them aside.

 

“We really did make a mess of the laundry,” Justin murmured into her neck and she snorted softly.

 

“That’s probably not the only thing we’ve made a mess of,” Shelby replied, giving his shoulders a nudge and he blinked slowly, slinking off of her and onto his hip. She was shaking her head, a smile tugging at her lips when her eyes caught his. She sobered reaching out to touch his face. “That was a joke.”

 

He gave her a dubious look, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “You don’t think this is gonna change everything?” he questioned, the caution in his voice causing her hand to slide from his face.

 

“You are such a girl sometimes you know that?” she teased and he flopped back onto the bed, rubbing his hands over his face.

 

“You are infuriating.”

 

“One of my many charms,” she deadpanned and he chuckled, looking over at her again and finding her grinning at him affectionately.

 

“I don’t suppose that if we did happen to decide to have everything change between us that you would call off this ridiculous scavenger hunt?” Justin asked, trying to mask the hopefulness in his voice but by the look on Shelby’s face he was unsuccessful.

 

She smiled at him, wiggling so that she laid against his chest, her mouth pecking his quickly. “Not a chance.” He sighed, his face barely having time to contort into a pout before she was wiggling across him, hand reaching for the drawer in the bedside table.

 

His brow furrowed as she pulls out a pair of gray cotton boxer briefs, dangling them in front of his face before tossing them down on his stomach. “But I will be more inclined to root for your side.”