It’s 7:30 PM.

 

My stomach feels weak as I look over at my clock and realize what time it is. I can’t help the giddy smile from crossing my lips as I walk over to my laundry basket and heave it up into my arms, balancing it on my hip as I grab my keys, a bag of quarters, and shuffle out of my apartment. It’s laundry night, a night I have reserved purely for my laundry and nothing else. For the past five months now, ever since I moved into this apartment building, I have dragged my clothes down to the laundry room in the basement every Monday night as if it were a religion. Not because I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder, or that I am overly-organized and need to have a set ritual every week. Or because I go through all of my clothes in a week and actually need to wash my clothes that often. None of those reasons explain why I spend two hours in the boiling hot laundry room every week.

 

It’s because of him. He’s the reason why I look forward to Monday nights. He’s the reason why I am actually happy that my niece spilled spaghetti on my favorite pair of jeans last night. And he is the reason why I pay to do my laundry every week, when I could just as easily do so at my sister’s place for free. As sad as this all may sound, one look at Justin and you too would dirty up your clothes just so that you could talk to him about stain removers. One look at his curly brown hair that you just want to grab on to when he’s making you scream in pleasure, or the blue eyes that darken when he’s angry or turned on, and you would understand my unhealthy infatuation with the man.

 

I wait patiently in the elevator, tapping my foot against the floor to the soft jazz music as I readjust my tank-top and check over my appearance through the reflection in the metal walls. The bell dings and the doors slide open, revealing a warm, stuffy room lined with laundry machines and dryers along the walls, and two large tables in the middle set up for folding clean clothes. My breath hitches when I see him standing directly across the room from me, in front of one of the machines as he separates his whites from his colors. His back is faced towards me, and I try not to stare too hard at his lean backside as I walk over to one of the machines along the adjacent wall. The black t-shirt and dark jeans are not helping my raging hormones at the moment, and I take a deep breath as I try to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I turn into this bumbling, ridiculous idiot whenever I’m around him, but as soon as I see that charming smile and bright blue eyes, I couldn’t care less about how ridiculous my crush is. I just know that he makes me feel so happy and comfortable, and that the hour we spend together down here is probably the most enjoyable time I will have with a man for the rest of the week.

 

“Hey Ellie,” he calls out without even turning his head, knowing I’m the only other resident who does laundry during dinner time on a weekday. I turn my head towards him as I lift open the lid of the laundry machine, and smile when I see that he’s now sitting on the middle table, feet dangling as he smiles at me.

 

“Hey Justin,” I answer and turn back to the task at hand, knowing that if I look at him any longer, I won’t be able to control the urge I have to attack him. I quickly divide my clothes into the appropriate machines and pour in the laundry detergent, all the while doing a pretty good job of acting as nonchalant as possible. I finally close the lids of the two machines and join him on the table, smiling when I see that he’s brought down a cooler with him tonight. He pulls out two Coronas and hands one to me as he nods his head.

 

“Thanks,” I say as he flips the top off with his bottle opener.

 

“It’s fuckin’ hot down here,” he sighs as he takes a swig of the cold drink. I watch, mesmerized as his Adam’s apple bobs and I quickly dart my gaze away, tipping the drink into my mouth. I hate the taste of beer. But for Justin, I would gladly shotgun as many beers as possible if it meant he would just take me hard and fast on this damn table. I take a shuddering breath and look at the table longingly. Oh the many fantasies I have had of him on this table…

 

“So…how was work?” I ask, kicking my feet back and forth in the air as I fold my hands in my lap.

 

“It was alright. My kids have a concert on Thursday, so they’re nervous. But it’s all good,” he chuckles, the corners of his eyes crinkling. I smile and nod, picturing him in a room full of ten year-olds. As if he wasn’t already the perfect man, with his kind personality, humor, and good looks, Justin is a music teacher at an elementary school. His eyes twinkle whenever he even mentions his students, and I feel my ovaries contracting in pain every time I see his face soften when he beams with pride.

 

“What about you? How was your weekend?” He’s referring to my own job at a local bar. I’m the event coordinator for Blue Notes Café, a tiny bar where all of the local jazz and blues artists in the area hang out and perform on weekends. It’s not the most glamorous job, but at least I get free alcohol and get to listen to great music. That’s another thing Justin and I have in common. We are both absolutely obsessed with music. That’s actually what brought us together in the first place.

 

We met on my first day in the apartment, and I can remember it as vividly as if it was a movie. I was setting up my stereo system, completely disregarding all of the boxes that were piled in the middle of my living room and the fact that I had yet to assemble my bed, and was completely focused on trying to get some music blasting through my small apartment. Justin had stuck his head in to greet the new neighbor, and had been quite amused to see me crouched down in the corner of the room, trying to make sense of all of the wires and plugs that were tangled around my legs. Being the chivalrous gentleman that he is, he had easily swooped in, introduced himself, and set up the record player and speakers in a matter of minutes. Then we spent the next hour going through my extensive CD and Vinyl collection, arguing over which Michael album was the best or which Beatles song would be the soundtrack for life. It was on that afternoon that I realized I was in love with Justin Timberlake. Ever since that day, we have spent many hours talking about or listening to music, and every single conversation only magnifies my desire for him. If only he knew how happy I would be just to go out on a date with him. Just to experience what it would be like to date him for just a few hours.

 

But I’m pretty sure he doesn’t think of me in any sexual way at all. I’m just another music nerd who can keep him company while his clothes are in the wash. Why else would he always bring up music when he’s around me?

 

His voice clears and I’m suddenly brought out of my daze, and he gives me a shy smile. “So not so good?” he asks.

 

“What? Oh…yeah. Work was good. I booked this new young artist who is going to be huge, so I have big hopes for next week. He has a huge fan base here apparently,” I answer him, taking another swig of the cold beer. Justin nods thoughtfully as he leans back on his hands and smiles at me.

 

“Maybe I’ll stop by then. When is it?”

 

“Friday at 9. You should come…I’ll sneak you some free drinks,” I wink as I smile at him.

 

He nods again and nudges me with his shoulder as he licks his lips. Oh god. I just want to suck on his bottom lip…I really can’t be in such close proximity to him. “You’ll be there, right? Keep me company?”

 

“I’ll be there,” I nod and tuck a stray piece of my auburn hair behind my ear. “But…won’t your girl be with you?” Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fact that Justin has been off and on with his girlfriend for a year now. Another reason why I can’t just offer him my body so that he can do whatever he wants to it.

 

He scoffs and gives a soft chuckle as his head shakes. “What girl? Tara’s done for good. And I know I’ve said that to you before…but I’m telling the truth this time. I’m finished with that drama.”

 

My interest is suddenly piqued and I turn my body, folding my legs into a pretzel as I put on my concerned face. “Oh no. What happened?”

 

“Oh…you know, caught her in bed with one of her clients,” he shrugs and takes another swig of his beer, draining the cool liquid with ease. “I wasn’t as hurt as I thought I would be, so that was a sign right there that I was over her. Good riddance, she stressed me out. Now I can just focus on the kids and have my way with you.”

 

I choke on the beer I was just in the process of swallowing, and cough loudly as he laughs and pats my back firmly. “What?” I cough, afraid that my brain has started to actually manipulate what I hear into what I want to hear. His warm hand slides down my back comfortingly, and it takes all the effort I have to try to focus on the words coming out of his mouth, and not on the tingles running down my spine at the moment.

 

“Well I plan on drinking a lot on Friday. It’s going to be the first Saturday morning where I don’t have to teach a private lesson, so I can actually stay out late and act like a normal 27 year-old,” he explains as he reaches back for another beer. “You too scared to hang with the best?”

 

I roll my eyes and shake my head. As if. “Never. You should be the one that’s scared, Justin. You’ve never partied with me before…you don’t know how crazy I can get.”

 

He laughs and nods his head as he pops open the bottle of beer. “Good. I can’t wait.” We sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes when he suddenly sits up and grins. “I forgot! I have something for you!” Your penis, possibly? I smile as he jumps off the table and holds his pointer finger up at me, telling me to wait for him. He runs over to the elevator and pushes the button as he points at me. “You are going to love this, Ellie.” I watch as he disappears into the elevators, and wait for the longest five minutes in my life for him to return. The elevators open and I look up from the magazine I had found, and my eyes widen when I see the boom box in his hands.

 

“I can’t believe I forgot to show you this earlier,” he shakes his head as he plugs the machine into the outlet and rests it on the table. He slides a CD into the CD port and presses play before standing up and waiting for the music to start. The sound of a guitar fills the room, and I begin to bop my head to the thumping beat as I listen to the song. I’ve never heard it before, and yet it sounds so familiar. I look at him for some sort of hint, but he only smiles back at me, closing his eyes and swaying to the music.

 

“What is this?” I finally ask as a smooth male voice starts to sing on top of the beat. It takes me a second before I realize where I’ve heard the voice before. “It’s you!”

 

He looks at me through half-lidded eyes, throwing me a pleased smirk as he nods. “Bingo.”

 

“Wow…it’s amazing,” I say, truly impressed with the vocals and composition. He grins and stops the music; the room falls eerily silent with only the gentle hum of the machines being heard. “When did you make that?”

 

“A buddy of mine has a recording studio so I finally took him up on the offer to record some songs last week. It’s not much…but it’s fun,” he shrugs as he pulls himself back onto the table and settles next to me. “I’m actually going to record a new song I wrote on Saturday. You should come with.”

 

“Really?” I can’t help how excited I sound. He grins and nods his head.

 

“Hell yeah, I want you to come. You have a great ear, you could really help.”

 

“That would be so much fun.”

 

“Perfect. It looks like we have a full weekend together,” he chuckles, waggling his eyebrows at me as his machines start to beep. “I promise I’ll be gentle…it is our first time after all.” Oh please God, yes! He jumps off of the table and I’m helpless, left with such an intense longing for him that it physically hurts me. He flirts all the time with me, joking about dating and making out with me. The fact that he just laughs about it just tells me how I’ll only ever be a friend to him. Never someone he could actually imagine being with. Why would he want little old me anyways, when he could have any possible beautiful blonde bombshell living in this apartment complex? I sigh and jump off of the table when my own machines go off. I quickly transfer the damp clothes into two dryers and mumble an excuse about needing to make a call upstairs. He doesn’t even turn to say goodbye, so I enter the elevator silently, hating myself for how pathetic I act whenever I’m around him. I couldn’t possibly sit with him for another hour, knowing that my attraction and feelings will never be reciprocated.

 

Oh well, at least I have my fantasies to keep me occupied until next Monday.

 

 

===================================

 

Damn, the things that girl does to me.

 

I don’t think she really knows how long I’ve been crushin’ on her, although I make it pretty damn obvious. I fucking sit in that laundry room every week just to get the chance to see and talk to her. And yet she still shows no sign of any interest whatsoever. What kind of heterosexual adult male washes his clothes every week during Monday Night Football? Every week, I tell myself I’m going to just stay in, order a pizza and watch the game. But by the time 7:15 rolls around, I’m walking down the hall with my laundry bag over my shoulder, trekking my way down to that damn room. I can’t help it.

 

It’s almost like I need to see her so that my week starts off right. Once, I couldn’t go meet her because I had to take my best friend Trace to the airport, and I was in a funk for the rest of the week. She’s constantly on my mind, and I have no idea how to stop it. All I see when I’m in class, is her. Her long, dark brown hair that looks so damn silky, I have to literally keep my hands occupied when I’m around her, or I’ll reach out to touch her. Or her light brown eyes that remind me of honey whenever she looks at me.

 

Just the thought of her gazing up at me with those brown eyes, with my cock in her mouth gets me hard, and I’m left with a hard-on for the rest of the day until I can properly fix the problem after I get home. It’s so humiliating, and I’m really scared a teacher is going to notice one day and get the wrong impression. Ever since she’s moved in, I’ve tried to find a way to get her to go out with me, but every time I try, I choke and just babble on about music to her. She must think I’m the biggest nerd.

 

But tonight was different. Tonight, I was in my zone and I finally got her to come out with me. Okay, so I never said it was going to be a date, but it’s pretty obvious. I mean, I made plans with her for two nights in a row. No guy would want to hang out with a girl two nights in a row unless he was trying to get into her pants. Which isn’t my only goal, but come on…I’m a single red-blooded male who hasn’t gotten laid in months. I’m allowed to want to get her in bed.

 

And boy do I want to. I feel like such a sick pervert when I’m around her. All I do is stare at her perfectly rounded ass, long lean legs, and pert tits. I’m surprised she hasn’t filed some sort of warrant on me for sexual harassment. Especially after tonight, because she was looking mighty fine. She was wearing this really thin white tank-top that showed off her tan, and I swear I could see her nipples through the shirt when some of the condensation on her beer dropped onto her chest and slid down her cleavage. Not that I noticed that or anything…

 

But back to the main point…she was wearing her little pajama shorts that she usually wears on laundry day, and all I could think about was her legs wrapped around me as I fucking pounded into her like there was no tomorrow, making her scream and moan my name. I bet she’s a screamer. I bet she likes it dirty too. At first glance, she looks like an innocent, girl-next-door type…but I know Ellie. And I know that under that façade, she’s a tough girl. She used to talk to me about her childhood growing up with an alcoholic father and a mother who was too depressed to take care of her own children. Ellie had to pretty much raise her and her sister by herself, and she went through a lot to get to where she is today. And I really admire that.

 

That’s one of the things that I love about her. Not only is she a fucking beauty, she has the brains too. She worked through high school and got a scholarship to go to UNC, and worked her pretty little butt off so that she could graduate early. Then she went straight to New York and found a job working at a PR firm, where she was then given the opportunity to manage a really popular nightclub and then another one by the same owner. I have no idea why she came back to Memphis, but I have a feeling it has to do with an ex-boyfriend.

 

I seem to have blabbered on about her again. Anyways, back to tonight. It was the first time I had seen her so relaxed around me because she’s been pretty stressed out about work, so she was being all flirty with me. And for the first time in the five months I’ve known her, I actually thought there was a chance she liked me back. I’m not sure what it was, but there was just a different energy about her tonight, and that’s what gave me the confidence to finally ask her out. And then I showed her my little demo song I recorded with Bryce, just because of all the people I’ve played it for, her opinion means the most to me.

 

The way her face lit up and she got all excited for me, god, I just wanted to kiss her so badly. And then, of course, the thought of making out with her got me a little excited and I got kind of aroused…and I had to hide that from her so I pretended to go occupy myself by getting the laundry out. But before I could turn around again after calming myself down, she was gone.

 

And so I went back up to my apartment while my clothes dried, and prayed that when I went down to get them; she would be getting her clothes too. But now I’m just left here in the dimly lit laundry room, getting my dry clothes an hour later because my mom called and I missed my chance to see Ellie again. I sigh as I finish folding my clothes and shove them into my bag. As I’m walking to the elevator, I see something pink in the corner of my eyes and I can literally feel my hopes rising when I realize that Ellie must have dropped her bra on her way out, because there’s a lacy pink bra hanging off of the chair next to the table. I consider maybe just leaving it, because it would be kind of embarrassing to show up at her place with her underwear…but then the thought of seeing her kind of trumps embarrassment, so I grab it and literally bolt up the stairwell instead of waiting for the elevator. I’m panting when I get onto the third floor landing, so I stop and take a deep breath before entering the hallway. I live on the fifth floor, but all of the hallways look exactly the same, so I know my way around as I walk down to Ellie’s door.

 

I smile when I can hear The Eagles blasting through the door and knock loudly, hoping she can hear over the music. The door swings open, and there she is in all of her beautiful glory. She gives me this surprised smile when her eyes land on me and she pulls the door open wider.

 

“Justin!” she greets me, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she gives me a curious look. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Um…I came to return this,” I stutter, holding up her bra as it dangles off of my pointer finger. I try to contain my smile when I see her cheeks redden and she blushes, snatching the piece of clothing out of my hands as she smacks her palm onto her forehead. “I think you left it downstairs.”

 

“Oh my god, that’s embarrassing,” she laughs.

 

“I just…thought I should return it to you before that creepy guy on the second floor finds it,” I shrug as she hides her face from me, continuing to laugh at herself. Her hands drop and she continues to smile as she nods her head at me.

 

“Well thank you for returning it. I couldn’t be more of a ditz,” she rolls her eyes, truly embarrassed as she nibbles on her bottom lip shyly.

 

“It was my pleasure. Well…I’m sorry for disturbing your night. I didn’t realize how late it was,” I cover up, trying to find any excuse to stand with her for a few extra seconds. She just smiles as she shakes her head, her eyes lighting up when I hear beeping coming from behind her.

 

She turns her head and kind of stares down at the floor for a few seconds, obviously trying to figure out a way to get rid of me. Before I can mutter another apology and scurry away, she turns around and points over her shoulder. “I was actually just making dinner…are you hungry?”

 

I nod my head, not trusting my voice to speak because my heart is literally bursting with happiness when she steps inside and lets me in. I spot a wine glass on the table and see that a quarter of it has already been emptied. She tells me to make myself comfortable, so I wander into the little living room area and investigate the wall of pictures that she’s posted it. I haven’t been in her apartment in a few weeks, and I notice that she’s done a lot of decorating since she’s moved in. There are a lot of pictures with her and another woman who looks like a younger version of her, and I smile when I see how happy she looks in all of them.

 

“Is this your sister?” I ask and turn towards the kitchen. I see her plating rice and chicken, and my stomach starts grumbling as I walk over to her. She looks up and smiles, nodding her head as she hands me a plate.

 

“Yeah. That’s Audrey. I’ve told you about her before, right?” I nod and follow her to the dining table, taking my place across from her. I don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable around another woman before. She just has a way of making me feel so calm and relaxed. I can actually imagine what it would be like to marry this girl, and she’s not even mine. How fucked up is that?

 

We talk about almost everything possible over dinner; work, music, family and even gossip about our neighbors. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun over a meal before, and before I know it, the dishes are washed and it’s already 11:30 at night. She sees me to the door and leans against it as I hover in the threshold, not wanting to end the night.

 

“So…thanks for dinner, Ellie. It was delicious. I don’t think I’ve had a proper home cooked meal since my mom was visiting over Thanksgiving,” I chuckle, searching for some sort of sign from her that I’m allowed to just give her a kiss goodnight. That’s all I want.

 

“Seriously?” she shakes her head, obviously disappointed in my poor nutrition. “My door’s always open Justin…just come anytime. I’m always willing…” her eyes widen when she realizes what she’s said, and her eyes dart down to her feet. “Well…you know…willing to cook for you. When you’re hungry…well…yeah.”

 

God, even when she stutters she’s cute. “Yeah, I get it.” I laugh as she shakes her head again and looks up at me.

 

“I obviously had more to drink than I thought,” she jokes. I nod and smile when I see her yawn behind her hand.

 

“Well…it’s late now. I should go,” I rock back on my heels, stuffing my hands into my pockets. “Thanks again. For dinner.”

 

“No problem. Thanks for returning my laundry. That’s my favorite bra,” she admits with a shy smile. I’m about to make a dirty comment but then the phone rings and she turns her head before I could make any move to kiss her. Damn it.

 

“I’ll see you later,” I say before walking through the door and pulling it shut. Could I be more of a pussy? I had the chance to finally make my move, and I let it slip through my fingers. Trace is going to rip a new one into me when I tell him about this, which I will because I need someone to talk to. I’m always running to him and venting about her, and he always just laughs at how hung up I am on this girl.

 

Sometimes I just hate feeling the way I do about her.

It’s Friday night and I check myself in the mirror one last time before heading off to work. I haven’t seen or heard from Justin since Monday night, so most likely, I won’t be seeing him tonight at work. Which is good, because I don’t need him distracting me from my job. Monday night was probably the greatest time I’ve had in a long time. I’ve never been able to connect with someone so easily, and it just makes everything even more difficult because my attraction to him has only grown. I thought that if I got to know him more, I would maybe find flaws that would turn me off of him. But no. Justin Timberlake has no flaws that are great enough to make me stop liking him. I had been so embarrassed when I saw my bra hanging from his finger, but he had only smiled at me and didn’t tease me at all, handling himself with such grace. Then out of nowhere, probably due to the small amount of alcohol running through my blood, I had blurted out an invitation for him to come in for dinner. It had gone on smoothly for most of the night, until the end when I turned into this blubbering idiot. I pretty much gave him the impression I was a slut and would entertain men at all hours of the day.

 

I just can’t control myself when I’m around him. And that is the reason why his not coming tonight would be a good thing, although I secretly do hope that he comes.

 

Hopefully, if tonight goes well, I’ll be promoted to manager and can finally start getting paid what I deserve. I pretty much manage the bar anyways, but the owner, Gary is a stickler for rules and doesn’t think I have enough experience here yet, which is bull because I was a manager for a club in New York for three years. I think I can handle a little bar off Beale Street just fine. I walk into the dimly lit bar and greet the bartenders and waitresses before making my way back to my office, making sure everything is set before the artist arrives. I hear a soft knock on the door and look up, smiling when I see Randy, our head security guy, standing in the doorway.

 

“Hey Randy,” I greet him, walking over and giving him a hug. He wraps me up in a huge bear hug, picking me up off the floor with ease. Randy may look intimidating, but he’s really just a giant teddy bear, and I love him more because of that. I’ve known him since college, and he’s probably one of my closest friends here.

 

“Hey,” he replies, his deep voice reverberating throughout the small room. “Dylan Miller is here. His manager wanted to come speak to you before they start sound check.”

 

“Okay, just send him in,” I nod and walk around to my desk, plopping down into the leather seat. I shuffle some papers on my desk around and look up to the door when I hear a voice clear. Dylan’s manager, who I can’t seem to remember the name of, smiles as he steps inside, his dimples appearing on his tanned skin. He’s a very handsome man, and I know that if I wasn’t already infatuated with Justin, I would probably be flirting up a storm with him.

 

“Hi, I’m Steve. We talked on the phone a few days ago,” he introduces himself, holding out his hand. I shake it firmly and gesture towards the chair against the wall as I sit down in my own chair.

 

“Nice to meet you Steve, I’m Ellie. So are there any problems that you wanted to discuss?”

 

He shakes his head and scratches his head, giving off an air of boyish charm. “Oh no. No problems whatsoever, your place is great. I just like to introduce myself to the administration at the venues we play at, just so that if there are any concerns, I’ll know who to go to. But Dylan told me he’s played here before a few years ago, so I don’t foresee any problems.”

 

I smile, feeling relieved as I run a hand through my hair and lean back in my seat. “Yeah Dylan has a great fan base here. A lot of people requested tickets, which we usually don’t do, but because of the high demand, we’ve had to start handing out wristbands to control some of the chaos. It’s going to be a good night.”

 

“Well I’m glad someone knows what they’re doing,” he chuckles, impressed with my organizational skills. “The last venue we were at, they had packed the place so full that we violated the fire code and everyone had to evacuate the building. It was an absolute disaster.”

 

I wince, shaking my head at the thought of having to ever evacuate a bar full of loud drunks. Chuckling softly, I stand up and look at my wrist watch, realizing how late it already is. “Well I promise you that I will do my best to prevent any disasters tonight. So we should probably go start sound check soon because doors open in forty minutes.”

 

He nods and follows me out into the short hallway as I walk out to the main room, where a young man, about the age of 22, is sitting on the stage tuning his guitar. He has shaggy, blonde hair and bright blue eyes that make him look exactly like the bright, aspiring artist that he is. He spots me and grins from across the room, nodding his head as he adjusts the mic stand. At first, I had been wary of booking such a young artist, but he had been adamant and showed up at the bar almost every night begging for the chance to play on the stage that had inspired his love of music. I admired his passion and work ethic, so I finally caved, and I have a feeling I will be more than happy with the result. I settle into my usual table in the back of the room, allowing me to keep a watchful eye over the whole area as I enjoy his performance. Sound check is over in twenty minutes, and within the next hour, the whole room is full of young and old customers. The older men are regulars here, and are thoroughly surprised by the influx of young, lively adults as they all crowd around the stage.

 

Steve comes and joins me at my table as the lights begin to dim, handing me a beer as he settles into the seat next to me.

 

“So where are you from?” he asks, making conversation as we wait for Dylan to begin his set.

 

“I’m from around here. I grew up in Germantown,” I answer as I slide the cold bottle of beer around on top of the scratched table surface. “You?”

 

His eyes widen as he grins at me, shaking his head as he chuckles. “No way! You’re little Liz Biz!”

 

My jaw drops when I recognize my childhood nickname. No one has called me by that name in years. I had almost forgotten I was ever referred to as Liz Biz. “How-”

 

“I’m Stephen Dorsey. I moved in next door to Gabe Williams in ninth grade! You used to come over to his house all of the time, hollering about your sister’s whereabouts. I knew it was you!” he laughs, shaking his head in amazement. My head is spinning as all of the memories come flooding back to me, and I remember exactly who Steve is. Steve and Gabe were the bestest of friends, although they had only known each other for about a year. Gabe and I had practically grown up with each other, and he always had a crush on my younger sister, which she reciprocated once she was old enough to know that boys didn’t have cooties. She was always sneaking out of the house to be with him, and it was always my job to go get her back home before Daddy realized we were both missing. Stephen was always quiet around me, so I never really got to know him that well. And now that I look at him, I can see a resemblance to the scrawny fourteen year-old I remember, but he has definitely grown up. I’m usually good with faces, but I guess I had tried so hard to erase that part of my past, that his face was something I had forgotten.

 

“I remember,” I smile with a nod of my head. “Wow…it’s been so long. I forgot about Gabe Williams. What is he up to now?”

 

“He’s married and lives in Nashville with his family. We still talk, actually. His daughter’s baptism was this past weekend,” Stephen answers as he brings his beer bottle to his lips. “After all of these years, Liz, and you’re still the beautiful southern lady you were back then.”

 

I blush, shaking my head as I try not to let the compliment get to my head. I don’t think I’ve been called a southern lady since I was in Sunday school. “Oh come on…”

 

“I’m serious. I would never forget your smile,” he boldly flirts. “But of course, you forgot all about us when you left for school. You caused quite a stir in town when you packed up that old station wagon and drove off without even a glance in the rearview mirror.”

 

“Yeah…” I trail off, remembering the day I had left for college. “I couldn’t get out fast enough.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear about your father. I ran into your sister a few months ago and she told me you were coming back home. I didn’t realize you would be staying.”

 

I sigh and shrug my shoulders as I bring the beer bottle to my lips, forgetting my distaste for it. “Yes…well I hadn’t either. But so much was happening, I couldn’t leave Audrey. She’s never quite gotten over his passing.”

 

He nods sadly, offering a warm smile. “How long has it been now?”

 

“About one year. At first…it looked like everything was getting back to normal, but then Momma got sick…and well. I just didn’t have the heart to leave,” I frown as feelings I’ve been trying so hard to bury started to resurface. I don’t know why I’m even telling this relative stranger about my family situation. I mean, I know we kind of grew up with each other, but I never knew him that well. I was always too busy trying to keep my grades up, going to work, and taking care of my family to really make any friends. Steve shifts in his seat, obviously put off by the sudden change in our conversation, and he pats my hand.

 

“Well Memphis ‘aint so bad. I mean, it’s not the Big Apple…but it’s somethin’,” he shrugs and I smile as he tries to cheer me up. I appreciate the gesture and nod my head as the lights fully turn off and the crowd cheers. Suddenly all I can smell is a familiar woodsy cologne and all of my senses start to tingle as I turn around in my chair curiously.

 

I can’t believe it. He’s here!

 

Justin grins at me as he approaches, holding a beer in one hand and a glass of rum and coke, my favorite drink, in his other hand. From the corner of my eye, I see Steve shift, but think nothing of it as I smile back at Justin and slide off of my seat to greet him. His eyes are bright, and they twinkle at me as he wraps his strong arms around me and scoops me up into a hug. He smells so good and his body feels so warm and strong. I really wish I could just see him naked. Just a glimpse would do.

 

“You came,” I grin, completely surprised and thoroughly pleased. His chuckles lowly and I reluctantly pull out of his arms to look up at him.

 

“I promised you I would. Why would you think otherwise?” he asks, tilting his head and pretending to be offended.

 

“Well…we haven’t exactly talked since Monday. But I’m glad you’re here! Come sit,” I say when I see his eyes slide over to the table I was just sitting at. He smiles and follows me over to the bar table where I had left Steve. “Justin, this is Steve, Dylan’s manager. Steve, this is…Justin.”

 

“Hey man,” Justin shakes Steve’s hand firmly as he puts his hand on my chair, stabilizing it as I pull myself up. I smile at him thankfully and he just nods his head, handing me the glass of rum and coke. “Still your favorite, right?”

 

I nod, shocked that he actually remembers and sip quietly at the drink, enjoying this moment. Justin’s actually here…at Blue Notes Café with me. He slides into the seat next to me, and turns his chair so that he’s sitting closer to me and can face the stage. Steve is busy typing away at his phone, so I turn to Justin as he’s taking a swig of his beer.

 

“How was the concert?” I ask, remembering that his students had their band concert the day before.

 

“It didn’t happen,” he sighs with a slight frown. “There were problems with the lights in the auditorium so we had to postpone until next week. It’s such a bitch because I have to change my class plans around. And Kelly, my flute soloist, is going out of town next week for Winter Break. So I have to either change the program or find another student who is willing to play it. But of course…they’re all too scared, even when I know there are a few who have the ability to play wonderfully. And if I can’t find someone to play the solo, I’ll have to rearrange the song and then the kids will have to learn the new version….I just have so much work to do this week.”

 

I frown, saddened by how stressed and worried he sounds. It’s so cute how much he cares about his students. “Oh…I’m sorry. Does that mean you can’t record your song tomorrow?”

 

He scoffs, shaking his head as he gives me an incredulous look. “Never! I wouldn’t miss that for the world. You’re still coming, right?”

 

“If you still want me to,” I say shyly, praying to god he still does.

 

“You better come, girl,” he drawls, grinning and nodding his head. He ruffles his hair and leans back in his seat as Dylan comes on stage and introduces himself. I had almost forgotten I was at work for a second, completely caught up in my conversation with Justin. I scan across the room real quick to make sure everything in the bar is in order, before settling my eyes back on the stage. It takes all of my will power to watch Dylan as he croons into the microphone, instead of staring at Justin as he sits right next to me. I can feel his leg right next to mine, and I feel like all of my senses are on overload as he taps his foot to the beat of the song. I feel a warm hand on my back and turn back to Steve, who I had kind of forgotten was sitting with us. He’s leaning forward so that he can talk to me without shouting over the music, and I can feel his warm breath against my ear.

 

“He wrote this song when he was just sixteen,” he beams with pride. “That’s when I first noticed him and decided that he needed a manager pronto.”

 

I pull away and give him an impressed look, “Wow. That’s great, Steve. I’m glad you did…he’s so talented, I would hate to see that go to waste.”

 

“I still can’t believe that after all of these years, we meet again like this. What were the chances that the one bar Dylan wanted to perform at before moving to Los Angeles would be your bar? It’s like fate,” his hand lands on my bare knee and I smile politely as I fidget in my seat. What is this guy talking about? Fate? I’ve never even spoken to him for more than ten minutes before today. He’s still leaning in close to me, and I try my hardest not to shudder when I feel his lips land on my ear as he kisses me.

 

“Uh…” I stutter, pulling away and jumping down onto the floor. He gives me a surprised look and I can see Justin watching us curiously as I try to mumble out some sort of excuse to get away from Steve. Or at least get away from his wandering hands and lips. “Why don’t we go dance…” I say to Steve, in hopes that he will come and I can make up an excuse about going back to work, leave him on the dance floor, and then find somewhere else to sit with Justin. He grins at me and I quickly gulp down the last half of my drink. I turn to Justin, who has turned back towards the stage, and I put my hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He turns to me, and I’m taken aback by the cold expression on his face. He’s no longer smiling, and I hope and pray that it’s not because of something I had said or done. “Hey…I’ll be right back. Will you be here?”

 

“I have nowhere else to be,” he shrugs, his eyes studying me quietly. I nod slowly, hurt by his indifference, and feel Steve behind me, waiting to go to the dance floor. I allow him to lead me to the dance floor and I place my hands on his shoulders, trying to stand as far back as possible without looking awkward. His hands rest on my lower back and we sway to the music for a few minutes as I glue my eyes on Dylan. The song ends and I turn to look at Steve, deciding that this is the time for me to make my exit.

 

“Steve, I-” before I can even process what’s going on, his lips crash onto mine and I freeze in shock, my mind screaming a million different things at me. It takes about one second before my body finally kicks in and I push him away forcefully, mustering up my dirtiest and angriest look possible.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hiss, wiping at my mouth with the back of my hand. His smile disappears from his face as his eyebrows furrow and he looks down at his feet awkwardly. I roll my eyes and walk away without waiting for an answer, weaving through the crowd as I head towards the bar to get another drink.

 

I’m used to drunken men trying to throw their hands over me, but at least with them, they have an excuse for acting like dirty pigs. Steve was a gentleman, or at least I had thought so, and I had been perfectly polite and friendly to him. Never did I give him any sort of sign that I was interested in him that way. And usually, I would ask Randy to throw out any men who I feel are being belligerent, but I can’t throw out Steve because he’s Dylan’s manager. I’m stuck with him until the show ends.

 

Now all I can think about is getting some very strong liquor into my body before going back to Justin. Justin, who is a decent, amazing, gentleman who would never try to feel me up on a dance floor, and is the one thing keeping me from storming out of this place right now. I glance back over towards our table, and smile when I see him bopping his head to the music. God he looks so good tonight. He’s wearing dark jeans, a button down shirt, and a sweater over that, and I swear that even through all of the layers, I can still see his defined chest. His hair is gelled into a fauxhawk, and all I want to do is run my hands through his hair and kiss him.

 

I turn back to the bar where Trisha, one of the bartenders, slides me a double shot of tequila with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

 

“You look like you could use this,” she explains with a wink.

 

“Thank you,” I sigh as I take it into my hands and tilt my head back. After downing the liquid, I hiss painfully and shove the slice of lime into my mouth as I grimace at the burning sensation. Trisha laughs at me as she leans against the bar, showing off her cleavage that I’ve seen so many customers salivate at. “So was it that obvious that I needed a drink?”

 

“Nah…I just know you well enough now. Especially after I saw that creep maul you with his lips. Want me to tell Randy about it?”

 

I shake my head dejectedly and look back at the dance floor. Steve has apparently found another woman to put his hands all over. “No. That creep is Dylan’s manager. We can’t kick him out.”

 

“Oh,” her face falls as she realizes the dilemma I’m in. “Oh well…at least you have that hottie over there to keep you company. Who is he?”

 

My eyes gaze back at where my table is, and my heart drops when I see him talking to a buxom blonde who has now seated herself in my seat. Who does that bish think she is? “Um…he’s a friend and my neighbor,” I reply, continuing to stare at their interaction. I can’t possibly describe how disappointed I feel at this moment. I was so sure that his showing up tonight meant he was interested in me.

 

“Who’s that blonde slut talking to him?” Trisha voices my own questions with disgust laced in her voice. I really do love the girl. She may be blunt and rude sometimes, but she’s loyal and a good ally to work with.

 

“I have no idea. But I’m going to find out,” I answer as I push myself off of the bar and march over to them. The amount of liquor I have in my bloodstream is definitely aiding in this ‘strong female’ kick I seem to be having, which is good, because I need all the confidence I can get at this moment. I have never felt so low in my life. All thanks to Justin fucking Timberlake, keeper of my heart and all things sane.

 

 

====================================

 

“Hey Justin,” I hear a smooth female voice behind me, bringing me out of the haze of anger and jealousy I was just in. I turn my head, and the image of Ellie making out with that jerk flies out of my head, to be replaced by the image of my ex-girlfriend standing in front of me. My eyes trail down her tight, short black dress, and I stifle back a snort as I look back up at her. How did I ever date such a thing?

 

“Tara,” I nod at her, acknowledging her presence. She smiles and slides onto the stool next to mine. I might not have seen her in months, but I will always remember her perfume. And the fact that she douses herself with it every night. “What are you doing here?”

 

“My friends are fans,” she explains, nodding towards the stage. “What are you doing here? I thought the bar scene wasn’t your thing…you’d rather be at home writing love songs.”

 

My eyes narrow at the jibe, and I ignore the slight smirk on her face. “The bar scene with you wasn’t my thing. Actually…anything with you wasn’t my thing.”

 

“Oh, ha ha, Justin,” she rolls her eyes. “See, I came because I thought we could be mature adults here. But obviously, you still have lingering feelings for me.”

 

“Yes. Disgust, shame, and pity come to mind,” I answer dryly. Okay…so that was a little mean. But seriously, the woman cheated on me with her 40 year-old client, not to mention all of the other times where she has lied to me. I have a right to be a little angry at her. Her face drops and I feel kind of guilty for what I just said. “Look, Tara. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Honestly, I just want to get over all of that.”

 

“Well…I’ll only forgive you if you dance with me for one song,” her eyes shift over to me with a soft smile. “Please? Remember when we used to have so much fun dancing?” I sigh, but before I can deny her request, Ellie walks up and although she’s smiling, it doesn’t reach her eyes like usual.

 

“Hey,” she says, glancing over at Tara as she stands on the other side of me. “Sorry about that… I had to deal with some work issues.”

 

I nod and avert my gaze as disappointment and hurt seeps back into my every pore. The least she could do was just admit that she is with that guy, instead of lying to my face about it. And here I thought I actually had a chance to start something with her.

 

“It’s alright,” I shrug as I look at Tara, who is still studying Ellie quietly. “This is Tara, my ex. And this is Ellie. She lives in my building.” Ellie’s smile disappears from her face as she turns to Tara and nods her head.

 

“Hey,” she says as she sips on her new glass of rum and coke. “So…what are you two up to?”

 

“We were actually about to go dance,” I answer quickly as I stand up and hold my hand out to Tara. She gives me a shocked look, but covers it with a smile as she nods and slides off her stool. Dancing with Tara is probably the farthest thing from what I want to do, but the image of Ellie on the dance floor with that guy is burned in my mind, and my jealousy is the only thing controlling me at this point.

 

“Oh,” she mutters, her honey-brown eyes searching my face for an explanation. She knows my history with Tara, and is silently asking me why I would go back to her. And the truth is that Tara is the one thing that will take my mind off of Ellie right now. I’ll be so focused on how obnoxious and fake Tara is, that I won’t have time to think about Ellie’s smile or her eyes. Or how happy I feel when she’s around me. “Have fun,” she finally says. I nod and take Tara’s hand before pulling her onto the dance floor. My hands fall on her hips as hers rest on my shoulders, and we start swaying slowly to the music.

 

“So that’s her then? The girl you’re in love with?” Tara asks after a few minutes have passed. My breath hitches and I stare at her in shock and confusion.

 

“Wh-what?” I gulp.

 

She rolls her eyes and tucks her hair behind her ear as she nods back towards where we just came from. “Ellie. That’s the girl you’re in love with.”

 

“How do you-”

 

“Justin,” she gives me a pointed look. “I may be blonde, but I’m not stupid or blind. I’ve known for a long time now that you were in love with another girl. Why do you think we ended the way we did? The feelings just weren’t there anymore.”

 

I sigh and nod my head, finally admitting what I know has been the truth. I am in love with Ellie. “It was that obvious?”

 

“Not really…but I just know you,” she shrugs with a smile. “Your eyes were glued to her the whole night. Even I could see that, and I was across the fucking room. It’s kind of obvious. ”

 

“Yeah…but not obvious enough, apparently. She has no idea. And she certainly doesn’t feel the same way.”

 

“She told you all that?”

 

I shake my head and sigh at the look of petulance on Tara’s face. “No, but it’s pretty damn obvious that she doesn’t. She invited me here, and then goes and makes out with another dude.”

 

“Are you talking about when that guy kissed her on the dance floor? And then she proceeded to yell at him? I was standing right next to her when it happened,” she rolls her eyes at my ignorance. I just stare at her, trying to process the information I was just given. “You’re such a dumb ass,” she snorts, shaking her head disappointedly at me.

 

“Hey!”

 

“You’re fucking blind, J. Now she’s all pissed and hurt because you were a dumb ass and wanted to make her jealous by inviting me out to dance,” Tara stops swaying to the music and pats my chest as she smiles supportively. “Go fix it.”

 

“What?” I’m so confused right now. One minute, my heart was being ripped from my chest and stomped on by tall stiletto heels, and the next, it’s racing a mile a minute and I can hardly think.

 

“She’s leaving,” she crosses her arms over her chest and looks at me expectantly. She then pushes me a little until I’m now standing on the edge of the dance floor and searching for Ellie, who is no longer sitting at the table anymore. My eyes dart around the dark room and I spot her auburn hair as it weaves towards a hallway on the side of the stage. I quickly maneuver through the tables and waitresses, trying to catch up to her before she disappears behind the tall black man, who I’m sure can break me in half with his pinky toe.

 

“Ellie!” I call over the loud drums. She pauses for a second, but continues on and I see her whisper something into the bouncer’s ear because he then nods and moves to block the whole hallway.

 

“Excuse me sir,” he grumbles, glaring at me. “Employees only.”

 

“I know…but my friend just went back there, and I need to talk to her,” I plead.

 

“I’m sorry but I can’t let you back there.”

 

Why did I just fuck everything up? Now she’ll never talk to me, and there will be a negative change for anything between us. And I really thought we had a chance. A chance to experience something really good and worthwhile. “Please, man. Just let me back there. I’ll only be five minutes, at most. If not, I give you permission to beat me into a pulp and kick me out.”

 

His mouth twitches and I see his resolve start to falter as he shifts back and forth on his feet. “Fine. Five minutes and I’m coming in there.”

 

“I owe you big,” I nod as he moves aside and I slip in past him. I realize I have no idea where she’s gone, but I’m not about to use up my five minutes by asking around. So I pace down the hallway and turn to the first door that’s cracked open with a light coming through. I knock quietly and push it in at the same time, relieved when I see her standing behind the desk. She looks up from the papers in her hand and gives me a once over before turning back down to her work.

 

“Hey,” I say as I step inside and close the door. “I was looking for you.”

 

“You shouldn’t be back here,” she responds in a flat tone.

 

“Look, Ellie. I know you’re mad. Just give me the chance to apologize, please,” I frown as I watch her sit down in her seat. She finally looks up at me, and my heart shatters when I see the hurt and confusion in her eyes. God, how could I have ever been so blind?

 

“You have nothing to apologize about.” Her sad tone is all I need to tell me how stupid I was. She had feelings for me, just like I do for her. And this whole time, we’ve been beating around the bush and flirting with one another, when I should have just asked her out the day I met her. We could have avoided all of this tension and drama, and just skipped to the part where we make out and fuck like bunnies.

 

“I do,” I urge as I move forward and rest my hands on her organized desk. “I shouldn’t have asked Tara to dance.”

 

“Who you ask to dance is none of my business, Justin. You have the right to dance with any girl you want.”

 

“But I didn’t want to dance with her,” I shake my head, pleading with her to understand how I feel. Why can’t she see how much I care about her? “I wanted to dance with you. You, Ellie, are all I ever wanted.” Her eyes cast downwards and she stares down at her desk, and I see her nibbling on her plump bottom lip. I just want to scoop her up in my arms and suck on that bottom lip for hours.

 

She finally looks up and her eyes narrow at me as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Then why did you dance with her?”

 

“Because,” I let out an exasperated sigh, throwing my hands in the air. “I was jealous. I saw you with that other guy…and then you kissed him, and I went nuts. I waited so long for you, and right when I thought we could have something, some other guy swoops in and picks you up.”

 

“HE kissed me, Justin. I was only dancing with him so that I could get away from him.”

 

“I know that now,” I nod and the look of anger disappears from her face as she watches me. I can’t really read her expression anymore, but I think she’s starting to come around. “Let me make it up to you. Come with me tomorrow to my buddy Matt’s.”

 

She hesitates and I see that she’s trying to sort out her thoughts. “I don’t know…”

 

“Please?” I pout, knowing that my pout can pretty much get me anything. She sighs and I try not to let out a yell of victory when I see a small smile form on her lips.

 

“Fine. What time?” she says, and I take a step forward and pull her out of her chair, which goes whizzing backwards. Her eyes widen in shock as my hand cups her face and I brush the hair out of her eyes, smiling tenderly at her. I’ve imagined what it would be like to hug her in my arms, and everything I imagined is nothing compared to what I’m feeling right now. She just fits perfectly.

 

“Noon,” I mumble before tilting her chin up and crashing my lips on to hers. All of the sexual tension melts away in that kiss, and I feel her fingers fist into my shirt as she pulls me in closer. Her tongue slides wetly against my lips and I swear that I black out for a second. She tastes like strawberries and rum, and everything heavenly. My hands slide down her back and slip into the back pocket of her jeans, squeezing her round ass. She smiles against my lips as she steps forward and the backs of my legs hit her desk.

 

I lied when I said dinner with her was the greatest moment in my life. This right here is the greatest moment in my life, and nothing besides actually getting to make love to her will top tonight. Because at this point, it’s past wanting to just fuck her…I want to make slow, sensuous love to the girl so that no man will ever make her feel the same way.

 

But don’t worry. That moment will come very shortly, if I have my way.

I think I’m going to throw up.

 

In fact, I know I’m going to throw up any minute now, if it takes Justin any longer to get down here. The waiting is killing me, and it’s taking all of my power not to get up and change my outfit for the sixth time. It’s pathetic, I know, but I just wanted to look good, you know? I want to look my best, without looking like I put too much effort into it. Because after last night, I really think this is going to work. We were kissing in my office for what felt like hours, until Randy came barging in with Stephen standing behind him and ruined that perfectly amazing make-out session. The look on Stephen’s face made the embarrassment all worth it, though, and I’m sure Justin felt the same way, based on the little smirk on his face when he politely said goodbye to me and walked out of the room, past Steve and Randy. Needless to say, Steve avoided me for the rest of the night and I was left alone to finish all of my paperwork in peace.

 

Then Gary, the owner of Blue Notes, appeared in my office right when I was about to leave, and we talked for about another hour about my promotion. I am now the official manager of Blue Notes Café, which includes a considerable pay raise and more flexible hours, so that I’m not stuck at the bar until 3 AM, like I was last night, trying to usher out all of the drunk men trying to finish off their fifteenth beer. I am beyond exhausted this morning, but the excitement for my day with Justin today is keeping me up and there is no way I am going to miss it just for a few extra hours of sleep.

 

I hear two loud knocks on my door right as the clock turns to 12:00, and I quickly glance over my appearance in the hall mirror as I stride over to the door. I pull it open, and try to contain the elation I feel when my eyes land on his smiling face. God, he’s gorgeous. He’s wearing a vintage shirt and dark jeans that fit him perfectly. And his hair is the perfect length where I could just run my fingers through it, and tug a little when he’s hitting the right spots, making my voice hurt with all of the screaming I’ve done.

 

“Hey,” he grins, the corner of his eyes crinkling a little bit as he pulls me out of my daze.

 

“Hey,” I repeat, blushing a little as I look away from his intense gaze. “Come on in. I just have to find my shoes.” I open the door wider and let him in before turning around to find my black flats. I take a deep breath and calm my nerves as I slip my feet into my shoes and grab my purse.

 

“So how was your night?” he asks with an impish smile. I can see the twinkle in his eyes, and know exactly what he’s referring to, but I decide to play innocent and shrug my shoulders.

 

“It was pretty good,” I answer. “I got promoted to manager.”

 

His eyes widen as he nods. “Congratulations. That’s awesome, Ellie.”

 

“Thank you. But I’m not so sure that the promotion is what made me feel so good,” I say coyly. He cocks his head to the side as he steps forward and smirks at me. My breath hitches in my throat when all of my senses are overwhelmed with his masculine smell, and my eyes flutter shut when his warm hand raises to cup my cheek.

 

“I think I have an idea,” he mumbles back and I open my eyes just a fraction to see his face hovering above mine, smiling at me. He leans forward and my eyes shut again, and his soft lips press against mine gently. And before I can deepen the kiss, he pulls away and my eyes fly open to look at him. He smiles and his thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “I don’t want to rush anything,” he mutters as he stares at my lips. He raises his eyes to look into mine and I feel my anxiety wash away when I see the tenderhearted look he’s giving me. “I have to make last night up to you.”

 

“Okay,” I say, because that’s the only thing I could possibly say to that kind of confession. I’m flattered by the fact that he feels he needs to apologize for what happened last night, and doesn’t assume that I’ve already forgiven him. Which I have, but that doesn’t matter. He nods and takes a step back as he shoves his hands into his pockets.

 

“You ready to go?”

 

“Yup,” I answer and follow him out of the door and down the hallway, towards the elevator. We settle into his dark blue car and drive off as he turns the radio on. “So do you have the song written already?”

 

“I do,” he nods as glances at me. “But I don’t really write down my lyrics.”

 

“What?” I give him a shocked look and he laughs and my stomach does a flip. “How is that possible?”

 

He shrugs modestly and smiles. “I don’t know. I just don’t like having it on paper because I feel like I have to stick to the words. Sometimes the words just come to me when I’m singing and the lyrics flow better that way. It’s weird, I know…”

 

“It’s not weird at all,” I shake my head. “It’s really impressive actually.”

 

“Thank you. So…you got a promotion last night, huh?”

 

“Mmhmm.”

 

“I guess that means I have to take you out for a celebratory dinner tonight,” he winks and I swear I feel myself fall even harder for him. “And don’t try to talk yourself out of this one. I won’t take no for an answer.”

 

“I guess I have no choice then,” I smile. He nods and focuses back on the road as we turn into a residential neighborhood. It’s just the kind of place where I would want to raise my family, I realize, as I see all of the kids playing in the front yards. We pull in front of a modestly sized brick home, where there are two small bicycles lying on the driveway next to a minivan. Justin smiles at me before climbing out of the car and walking around to my side, offering me a hand as I open the door. Two blurs of blonde, pink and blue come whizzing out of the front door and attach themselves to Justin’s legs when we step onto the sidewalk.

 

“Uncle Justin!” I hear a little girl squeal in delight, and I feel my heart swell as Justin kneels down low and scoops up the boy and girl into his arms.

 

“Hey guys. How are you?” he asks, ruffling the boy’s hair.

 

“Good,” the boy nods before he glances at me and then looks back at Justin. “Who’s that?”

 

“Why don’t you introduce yourself?” Justin urges, smiling at me as he stands back up. The little boy shuffles over to me with a shy smile as he holds his pudgy hand out to me.

 

“I’m Braeden. What’s your name?” he asks. I hold my own hand out and shake his hand gently as the little girl, who I assume is his sister, giggles as she holds on to Justin’s hand tightly.

 

“Nice to meet you Braeden. I’m Ellie.” Braeden smiles before turning back to Justin, who nods towards the front door. We start walking across the front yard and I look at Justin, who is still cradling the little girl in his arms as she rests her head on his shoulder and her arms are wrapped loosely around his neck.

 

“That was my godson,” he explains with a chuckle. “And this little princess here is Brianne, my goddaughter. Can you say hi to Ellie?”

 

She giggles when he tickles her side and sits up in his arms as her blue eyes survey me carefully. “Hi,” she says with a dimpled smile before burying her face back into Justin’s neck. He chuckles and brushes her hair out of her face before pressing a kiss to her forehead tenderly. Is it bad that I’m actually jealous of a five year old right now? The front door opens and a petite blonde woman smiles at us as Braeden runs past her, into the house.

 

“Hey Justin,” she greets us as she takes Brianne from his arms. Her eyes land on me and she smiles as she looks back at Justin.

 

“Kate, this is Ellie, a fellow music enthusiast. Kate is Matt’s wife,” Justin explains as he looks at me. I smile and nod as Kate invites us in, telling us that Matt is already in the basement. Justin nods and places his hand on my back as he leads me down the hallway and down a staircase. I hear a muffled beat as we move downstairs, and my eyes widen when I see all of the plaques and awards on the walls of the basement.

 

“What does Matt do?” I ask, turning to Justin as he stands behind me.

 

“He’s a producer. But he’s been trying to get his own record deal,” he answers as he gently knocks on a door and gestures for me to follow him. A certain poster on the wall catches my attention and I stop to stare at it for a second.

 

“Justin…were you in the Mickey Mouse Club with Matt?” I ask, completely dumbfounded. He hangs his head low and I see him blushing as he reluctantly nods.

 

“Yeah. That’s where I met him,” he shrugs before grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the wall as I chuckle at his embarrassment. He opens the door and we enter into a dimly lit room with a switchboard lining the opposite wall and facing a large glass window that looks into the recording room. A dark-haired man turns around and grins when he sees me and Justin standing at the door.

 

“Hey man!” he says as he turns the music off and stands up, striding towards us and enveloping Justin in a hug.

 

“Hey. Matt, this is Ellie,” Justin introduces me as they pull away, and he wraps his arms around my shoulders.

 

“Hi Ellie. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Matt smiles as he looks back at Justin and the two men share a knowing look. I look up at Justin curiously, but he just smiles back at me before pulling a chair out for me to sit in. “Sit, girl. I want you to hear what we’ve come up with already.”

 

They both sit down in chairs in front of the switchboard and press a few buttons as they mumble quietly to each other. A slow, sensual drum beat fills the room and I begin nodding my head as a guitar riff starts to play. I can see Matt and Justin looking at me from the corner of my eyes, but I continue to stare down at my hands as I let the music flow over me. It’s a really great beat and base track, and I’m truly impressed with what they’ve created. The music comes to an abrupt end and I look up to see Justin staring at me with an unreadable expression.

 

“Wow…” I breathe. “It’s really good. Great even. I’m impressed.”

 

“Just wait ‘til you hear him sing,” Matt pipes up and I pull my eyes away from Justin, remembering that we aren’t alone in the room. He hits Justin’s arm and nods towards the recording booth as he presses a few more buttons on his switchboard.

 

“I need to warm up,” Justin says softly as he stands up and walks towards another door. “I’ll just be a minute,” he says to me before walking into another room, where I catch a glimpse of a piano. I nod quietly and sit back in my seat awkwardly as Matt continues to fidget with whatever he’s doing. The look Justin just gave me only confuses me even more, and the self-doubt starts to resurface as I try to analyze what just happened. It was like he suddenly didn’t want me here anymore, listening to his music. Maybe it’s too personal. He certainly didn’t look excited after the song finished playing.

 

“So,” Matt says suddenly, causing me to startle. I look up at him and see him smiling at me as he sits back in his chair with a writing pad in his lap. “Justin tells me you work at a bar downtown?”

 

“Yeah. I’m the manager at Blue Notes Café,” I nod as I hear the familiar sounds of a piano playing in the next room. “Have you heard of it?”

 

Matt nods as he adjusts the beanie on top of his head. “Yeah. I go there all the time, actually. I’ve never seen you though, I don’t think.”

 

“Well I mostly work behind the scenes, so I’m not on the floor a lot,” I shrug. We both look up when we hear Justin call out for Matt, and Matt excuses himself before entering into the piano room, leaving me all alone. A few seconds later, the door opens and Matt is standing there with an awkward smile on his face. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Um…I just have to work a little bit with Justin on warming up and stuff,” he says, looking down at his shoes. That’s when I learn that Matt is a horrible liar. “It’s going to take awhile. You could go upstairs and see what Kate and the kids are doing, if you wanted.”

 

“Sure,” I answer as I stand up and walk out of the room without another word. So that’s it, I guess. Justin realizes he doesn’t have the same feelings for me as I do for him. He regrets asking me here with him, and now he’s making me hang out with his friend’s wife as he comes up with a way to get rid of me. I walk up to the first floor landing and smile when I see Kate standing in the kitchen, trying to hold up both of her kids while simultaneously washing their hands.

 

“Hold still Braeden,” she huffs as her son squirms in her arms.

 

“Need some help?” I ask, rushing forward to catch Braeden before he falls out of her arms.

 

“Thank you,” she grins as she readjusts Brianne in her arms and finishes wiping off the colored marker off the little girl’s hands. “They got a little excited with their coloring today.”

 

“I can see that,” I laugh, seeing the marker on Braeden’s face as I help him scrub his hands.

 

“So what are you doing up here?” Kate asks as she rests Brianne on the counter and dries her hands.

 

“Um…well they needed to warm up or something, so I was kicked out.”

 

Kate laughs and shakes her head as she carries Brianne back to the floor. “Don’t be offended or anything. Matt and Justin have always been private with their music. They don’t like sharing it with anyone unless it’s truly perfect, which it never is in their ears. You wouldn’t believe how many times Matt has kicked me out because the key was off, even though I wouldn’t have been able to tell you if it was slapping me in the face. I’m sure they’ll have it fixed soon.”

 

“Mommy, can I go outside and play?” Brianne asks, tugging on her mother’s shirt.

 

“Not right now, sweetie. I have to finish the laundry, so I can’t watch you,” Kate shakes her head and I smile when I see Brianne pout.

 

“I can watch her,” I suggest. “The boys will probably be working for awhile.”

 

“You don’t have to…”

 

“No, don’t worry. It’s no problem at all,” I shake my head as I let Brianne take my hand and pull me out towards the backyard. Braeden comes running behind us and the two siblings run off towards the swing set as I trudge along after them. I sit down in the swinging bench under a huge oak tree and wrap my jacket around my body tighter as the cool December weather hits me. I’m intently watching the two kids play and don’t notice Justin until he comes around and sits down next to me. I turn to him and smile softly before looking back at the kids. I guess this is where he tells me he’s going to take me back home.

 

“Hey…” he says, nudging me with his elbow. “I was wondering where you’d run off to. What are you doing out here?”

 

“Just watching your beautiful godchildren,” I answer with a smile. “Are we leaving now?”

 

“Um…if you want to. I was kind of hoping you’d come down and listen to the song.”

 

“Oh…you still want me to?” I can’t hide the shock in my voice as I turn back to look at him. He gives me an odd look as he nods, before offering me a warm smile.

 

“Of course. I wouldn’t have asked you here if I hadn’t,” he chuckles. “Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

 

I shrug my shoulders and look down at my feet as we begin to swing back and forth. “I don’t know. You were acting kind of weird downstairs.” He stands up suddenly and holds his hand out to me, giving me a pointed look.

 

“Come on girl. Let’s go record a song,” he grins. I take his hand and he smiles before turning back to the two kids, whom I now notice have stopped running around and are peering at us over the little tower at the top of their swing set. “Come on you nosy kids.” They slide down the slide and come over to us with impish smiles as we head inside.

 

“I’m tired,” Brianne yawns as she shuffles her feet, slowly walking next to me.

 

“Time for a nap?” Justin asks, leaning forward to grin at his goddaughter. She shakes her head stubbornly and he chuckles, shaking his head at her as she walks into the house and immediately curls up on the couch. We go back downstairs and Justin tells me to sit down as he walks into the recording booth. I watch him stand behind the music stand and put on his headphones as he talks to Matt about where to start the track. The beat they played for me before begins, and I watch, mesmerized as Justin closes his eyes and starts to sing.

 

A vision of you girl, across the room

A club full of people, all I see is you

You're making eyes, you realise that I'm watching you

It's so hard to believe you could peek at me from across the room

I've been tryin' to push up next to you all night

But I gotta wait for a moment, for me that's right

And I don't wanna sound like those other guys

But what if I never have another chance to, to tell you

Just how you make me feel

And I just gotta let you know

My eyes are glued to him as his eyes open and he gazes at me with a smirk, teasing me with his words and the sway of his body as he sings. I suddenly feel a lot warmer, and I know it has nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

You're softly killing me, with just your mere words 'hello'

This may sound a bit crazy, but lately I just wanted you to know

You strangely seduce me, with just the way you say hello

This may sound quite forward, but honey

Is there somewhere we can go?

Normally I just can't believe, I don't act this wild

But there's something about, the way you smile at me

I feel like a child

And when you said 'hi', I almost lost my mind from the sound of you

I can tell you're kind, you wanna go out of sight

But you don't wanna be rude

Girl I've been tryin to push up next to you all night

But I gotta wait for a moment, for me that's right

And I don't wanna sound like those other guys

But what if I never have another chance to, to tell you

Just how you make me feel

And I just gotta let you know

You're softly killing me, with just you're mere words 'hello'

This may sound a bit crazy, but lately I just wanted you to know

You strangely seduce me, with just the way you say 'hello'

This may sound quite forward, but honey

Is there somewhere we can go?

 

The song ends and I feel like time stops with how slow everything seems to move afterwards. I really have no words right now. I’m feeling way too many emotions at the same time, ranging from shock to utter want for him. He takes his headphones off and finally looks away from me as he heads out of the recording booth. The door opens and he steps through, smiling apprehensively as he sits down in the chair next to me and Matt makes some lame excuse, quickly shuffling out of the room.

 

“So…” Justin chuckles, scratching the back of his head as he swivels his chair around to face me.

 

“I love it,” I beam proudly, nodding my head as I smile at him. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard before.”

 

He blushes and looks away from my gaze. “Thank you. I’m glad you liked it…’cause I kind of wrote it about you.”

 

“Really?” I ask, although I’m not really that shocked. The way he was looking at me as he sang was a pretty good clue, even if he hadn’t intended it to be about me.

 

“Yeah. I wrote it awhile ago, actually. A few months ago when you were seeing that guy.”

 

“What guy?” I haven’t even remotely looked at any other man in any sexual or more than friendly way since I’ve met Justin. Okay…so maybe there was that one guy who I tried to go on a few dates with, but only because I was convinced I could get over Justin if my mind was occupied by another man. Obviously, that plan did not end so well. “Oh…Nick?”

 

Justin shrugs as he leans back in the chair and peers at me. “Sure.”

 

“I wasn’t seeing him. We went to dinner, twice I think. So lame,” I shake my head disappointedly as a small smile spreads across his handsome face. God I just want to grab him and demand that he take me right now against the wall. “Honestly…I was only seeing him because I thought he would get my mind off of you.” I feel my cheeks flush as he slides his chair closer to me and our knees hit.

 

“Yeah? How’d that work out?” He’s staring right at me, and his tongue peeks out to lick his lips real slow. He’s such a fucking tease. And I love it.

 

“Not so good,” I shake my head as I stare back at him. His hand reaches up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, and as he does so, he leans in and our lips meet in a fiery kiss. I’m practically clawing and crawling myself into his lap, and his hands are like fire against my body as he pulls me out of my chair. I finally pull my lips away to breathe, and pant softly as our foreheads rest against one another.

 

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispers, his deep blue eyes dancing mischievously as he licks his lips again. Oh god, yes please. I’ll go anywhere, as long as you’re there and we need as little amount of clothing as possible. I nod wordlessly and he places his hands on my hips before pushing me up to stand up off his lap. My knees are wobbly and I can hardly stand the anticipation of what’s coming next.

 

Or rather who’s coming next.

 

============================

 

I’m lost.

 

Not in the literal, don’t know my location, kind of lost, or the kind where I’m stuck on a scary island because a plane crashed. But I really have no fucking idea what I’m going to do. At least at Matt’s, I was able to hide behind the microphone and not have to deal with how fucking nervous Ellie makes me. But now…we’re sitting in my car and I’m horny as shit, and all I want to do is take her back to my place and lock ourselves in…but I can’t. I can’t rush something like this. I don’t want her to think I only want to fuck her.

 

But God, do I ever want to. My jaw almost hit the floor when she opened her door this morning, looking all sexy in her tight sweater and jeans. And I was this close to just pushing her back into her apartment and dragging her into her bedroom. But I held myself back, and then we went to Matt’s and I got all nervous again. Scared that my song about her would scare her away, and then I had a minor freak out and hid in Matt’s piano room. Luckily, he beat some sense into me, and I convinced her to come back down. The look on her face when she heard the song was enough for me to quit my teaching career and chase after my dream to be a musician, just as long as she looks at me like that every day.

 

“Where are we going?” I hear her ask through my panic-induced haze, and I blink slowly before turning to look at her smiling at me.

 

“Um…” Shit, where are we going? I was just driving, to be honest. “Are you hungry?”

 

“Yeah,” she nods and I sigh, relieved that I can now wine and dine her a little. Treat her to a good dinner before the dessert part comes up, if you catch my drift.

 

“Do you like Italian? I know this really good place nearby.”

 

“I love Italian,” she answers and I smile when she leans back in her chair and closes her eyes peacefully.

 

“Are you tired?”

 

Her honey-colored eyes open and she shakes her head, but I catch the yawn that she quickly hides behind her hand. “No.”

 

“Liar,” I chuckle as she blushes.

 

“Okay…just a little. I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she confesses as I pull into a little strip mall and park the car. “My boss kept me back until three to finish cleaning up. But I’m not that tired. I promise.” I give her an unconvinced look, and she just smiles back at me before turning towards the car door and climbing out, giving me a perfect view of her butt. I follow her lead and meet her on the sidewalk, where I proceed to lead her towards the restaurant with my hand on her lower back. We walk through the doors and look around curiously when we see that the whole dining area has been cleared away for a dance floor and I turn to a waitress who is busy folding napkins into some sort of animal.

 

“Excuse me, miss. Is the restaurant not open?”

 

“Only for another thirty minutes. We have a wedding party tonight,” she explains as she shakes her head. “But you can still order take-out.” I look at Ellie and she just shrugs her shoulders as she reaches for a menu.

 

“We can do that,” she nods as she skims over the menu in her hands. We order our food and wait for a few minutes while it’s getting ready, and I invite Ellie back to my apartment for dinner.

 

“I have an unopened bottle of wine at home,” I grin, waggling my eyebrows at her as she laughs, shaking her head at my playful banter. I love her laugh. Her whole face lights up when she thinks something’s funny, and I like to think that she thinks I’m pretty funny. I mean, I think I’m pretty hilarious.

 

“Sounds perfect,” she smiles as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. The waitress approaches us with our food, and after a minor scuffle about who’s paying for what, we finally leave after I’ve pretty much shoved my credit card into the waitress’s face and blocked Ellie from doing the same. It was a pretty victorious moment. She pretends to act all huffy as we walk to the car, but I know she secretly loves it. What girl wouldn’t want to be treated to dinner? The car ride home is pretty quiet as we both just listen and sing along to the radio as I drive down the busy highway. We get into my apartment and the first thing I do is warm up the food as Ellie sits down on the floor to play with my new Boxer puppy. She looks so fucking adorable, laughing and giggling as the dog jumps on top of her and licks her face. There’s nothing I love more than a girl who isn’t afraid to get some dog slobber on her.

 

“Todd,” I say in a stern voice and frown when he turns to look at me, and then focuses back on the attention Ellie is giving him. She laughs and sticks her tongue out at me as she struggles to stand back up on her feet.

 

“Looks like someone likes me more than his owner,” she teases as she walks to the sink and washes her hands.

 

“Only because you’re the first female he’s seen in his house. He’s kind of hormonal like that,” I shrug as I scowl down at Todd, who is now sitting at my feet and looking up at me with his big brown eyes. Tough luck bud, you lost your chance for a treat when you chose the lady over me. The oven starts beeping and I move to get the food out as I ask Ellie to grab the bottle of wine out of the fridge.

 

“Oooh!” she exclaims and I look up from her chicken marsala to see her holding a bottle of whipped cream in her hands. “I love this stuff! I used to just spray it in my mouth for dessert when I was little.”

 

I’m frozen in place, bent over the counter with my face staring at her as she tilts her head back and shakes the can. I can hardly believe what I’m seeing when she aims the bottle into her mouth and sprays the sweet cream into her open mouth. Oh god…thank god I’m wearing jeans. I think I just came a little in my pants….

 

“Uh…” I stutter, completely shocked and turned on at the same time. I don’t think we’ll last through dinner. She brings her head back down and licks her lips real slow, catching the traces of whipped cream that sprayed a little on to her face. I pretty much black out when she takes her finger, wipes away the extra amount that accumulated on the tip of the can, and sticks her finger into her mouth. All I can do is stare as she moans a little and sucks on her finger.

 

“Yum,” she winks and I shake my head at her, trying to clear my head. “I haven’t done that since I was a kid. I forget how much fun it is.”

 

“I…I think I have ice cream, if you want some later,” I mutter as I finish plating out dinner and focus my eyes on anything but her honey-colored eyes and soft smirk.

 

“And chocolate syrup?” I turn to look at her, and see the twinkle in her eyes, and immediately know she was deliberately teasing me this whole time.

 

“Girl, you better watch yourself,” I warn as I carry our two plates towards my little dining table. She sits down and pours the wine into two glasses as I sit down across from her

 

“This is the first time I’ve been in your apartment,” she remarks as she finishes pouring our drinks. She looks around the room and nods her head in approval as her eyes turn back to look at me. “I like it.”

 

“Thanks. My mother helped decorate. There’s no way I’d be able to do all that myself.” She nods and smiles at me as I hold up my wine glass. “Here’s to a very enjoyable day and delicious dinner. Thank you for coming with me, Ellie.”

 

“Thank you for inviting me. I haven’t had such a relaxing time in months,” she nods as she brings the glass down to her lips after softly hitting it against mine. After dinner, we move to my couch with our wine glasses and a re-run of Friends on the TV. She’s all snuggled up next to my side and my arm is loosely draped around her shoulders as we watch TV and I could honestly be happy just relaxing with her every night for the rest of my life. A few minutes into it, I realize how tired she’s getting and notice her eyelids getting heavier.

 

“You should lie down,” I say, stroking her arm and she raises her head off my shoulder to look at me.

 

“I’m comfy here,” she smiles and I just smile back, nodding my head. How could I say no to that smile? After a few more minutes, I notice her breathing is much slower and I realize she’s completely asleep, so I gently maneuver our bodies so that she’s lying on the couch as I cover her with a blanket and turn the TV off. I contemplate waking her up, but she looks so beautiful and peaceful, I figure she can wake-up and leave whenever she wants to later on. I unwillingly walk into my bedroom and cast her one last look before shutting the door quietly.

 

It looks like tonight is going to be another lonely one again, except for the fact that I feel so content and happy, compared to my usual depressed mood. Now I know the feelings I have for Ellie are mutual, and that makes me feel so much more confident. Especially with that little whipped cream stunt she pulled earlier, I know she can take it just as much as she can dish it, which certainly helps in the foreplay department. I swear to god, we could just have verbal foreplay and be ready for each other. The conversation over dinner was enough to let me know that we won’t be lacking anything in that department. I don’t have to try so hard to win her affection, and I can be myself around her. I haven’t felt this good about a girl in a long time, and I plan on making this relationship last. No matter how hard I have to work for it, because I just have a feeling that it’s worth it.

 

She’s worth it.

A soft moan escapes my lips as Justin’s large hands rake down my naked torso, his thumbs brushing the sides of my breasts as his lips devour mine. Every inch of my skin is on fire, and, yet, I still can’t get enough of him. I grip at his back desperately as I rub my heated center against his thigh that he’s inserted in between my legs, searching for any kind of friction possible. He just smirks at me before placing kisses down my body, tasting my skin as he slowly slides down the bed.

“I’ve waited so long for this,” I hear him breathe against my leg, kissing the inside of my thigh delicately. He sits back on his knees and my eyes are glued to his hardened erection, which bounces against his stomach as he raises my leg and rests it over his shoulder. A shiver of anticipation runs through my body and I lick my lips as I think about how hard and deep he’s about to fuck me. But instead of sliding closer to me, he turns his head, sticks his tongue out…and licks my foot. One long lick up the bottom of my foot, and all of the fire in me dies. What the hell? His eyes are closed as if he’s in complete ecstasy as he moans, and I can’t believe my eyes. Justin has a foot fetish! He coats my whole foot in his saliva, and it’s taking all of my control not to kick him away. This is probably the least sexy and romantic thing I’ve ever seen. Yet there he is, continuing to lick my foot and suck my toes into his mouth as if that’s all he ever wanted....

My eyes pop open and I sit up in bed, dazed and confused as I look around the foreign room. I’m in Justin’s apartment, that much I can decipher, but I don’t know where Justin is and his dog is at my feet, staring at me with his tongue dangling out of his mouth. It was all a dream. Thank God.

The smell of pancakes hits my nostrils and I stand up, softly padding across the room and towards the kitchen. Justin’s standing in front of the stove, humming quietly to himself as he makes breakfast in a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight, and all I want to do is wrap my arms around him and spend all day in bed with him.

“Good morning sleepy head,” he drawls softly, after looking up to see me standing in the doorway. I move forward and stand in front of him, self-consciously combing my fingers through my hair.

“Hi,” I smile back as he leans down and presses a soft kiss on my lips.

“I’m really sorry, Ellie, but I forgot I have a private lesson this morning in about an hour,” he says, an apologetic smile crossing his face as he rests his hands on my upper arms.

“Oh,” I say, feeling disappointment settle in the pit of my stomach, squashing the hope I had of spending the day with him. “That’s okay.”

“Well, we can still have a quick brunch,” he says hopefully, his blue eyes widening as he tilts his head to the side. “And the lesson is only for an hour. I was kind of hoping we could spend some time together, afterwards. Maybe go out for a movie?”

I nod, trying to contain my giddy smile as he smiles back and nods his head. “That sounds good. Just let me freshen up a bit? I feel gross.”

“You’re beautiful,” he shakes his head and I roll my eyes as he chuckles softly. “But of course…the bathroom is just down the hall and I think there’s a spare toothbrush in there.” I nod and quickly scurry away to clean up. I glance quickly at the clock on the wall and can’t believe that I slept in until eleven o’clock. I haven’t slept past nine in the morning in months. After quickly brushing my teeth and brushing my hair with a brush I found in the cabinet, I walk out of the bathroom to see Justin setting the table as he carefully holds his phone in between his shoulder and ear.

“Yes momma, I know,” he sighs and I feel kind of bad for intruding on what sounds like an intimate conversation. “I promise. Okay, well I have to go. I’ll see you next week. Love you.” I step around the corner and he smiles at me as he turns off the phone and gestures toward the beautiful spread he’s made. “Hungry?”

“Like you won’t believe. This looks amazing,” I nod as he pulls a chair out and waits for me to sit down in it before walking around the table to sit across from me. The beginning of breakfast is pretty quiet as we both devour the food, and I can tell he’s nervous about something because he keeps glancing around the room and looking at his watch.

“What time is your lesson again? I should leave,” I say as I finish chewing the last bit of strawberry that was on my plate.

“We still have half an hour,” he smiles as his blue eyes settle on me. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll take me ten minutes to clean up and change.”

“Are you sure? You seem kind of…nervous about something.”

He shakes his head and shrugs as he looks down at his plate. “It’s just that the mother of the student I’m tutoring today is the president of the PTA at school. And well…I have to impress her to ensure I get funding for the after school music program. She’s always really critical with me, for some reason, and I’m kind of nervous. Today’s the first time she’s coming to my apartment. Usually I go to the student’s home, but she’s having her home renovated this month or something.”

“I’m sure she’ll love you,” I shrug, finding it impossible for anyone to dislike Justin. Especially a woman. “But just to make sure, I’ll help you clean up.” He shakes his head in refusal, but I ignore him and stand up, grabbing the plates and moving into the kitchen. His apartment is sparkling and clean in about ten minutes, and I grin smugly as I stand in front of his apartment door.

“See? It’s perfect. There’s no way you won’t impress her,” I say with a nod of my head as Justin come to stand in front of me. He chuckles and nods, leaning in for one last parting kiss.

“I’ll see you in an hour?” He whispers as his thumb brushes idly against my cheek.

“One hour. I’ll be here,” I smile as I pull the door open. He holds the door open for me and I cast him one last look over my shoulder as I step out and turn down towards the elevator. The second I step into my own apartment, I take a quick shower, making sure I shave my legs and armpits. My mom always told me to be prepared. As I’m getting ready, I listen to my voicemail messages after realizing my phone had died overnight.

“El,” I hear my sister’s teary voice and immediately know something’s wrong. “Where are you? I’ve called you like 10 times. Mom fell down the stairs and she didn’t wake up, and the paramedics think she had a heart attack. We’re taking her to the hospital now. Call me when you get this.”

My hands stop rubbing lotion on my legs as I stare at my phone in shock. The next message is pretty much the same tone, with my sister questioning my whereabouts and giving me more information where she’ll be. I look at my clock and realize I could still meet them at the hospital if I hurry. Shit. But what about my date with Justin?

Damn it! Just when things start to get good for me, life throws me another curve ball.

I contemplate my options quickly, knowing that I have a responsibility to my sister and mother right now. I sigh and finish changing, deciding to go cancel on Justin personally before speeding to the hospital. I go back up to Justin’s apartment right when he told me his lesson would end and knock firmly. The door swings open and a gorgeous, slim blonde woman stands in front of me wearing a low-cut top and tight jeans. Is this the PTA mom Justin was stressing out about earlier? The smile on my face disappears as her eyes narrow at me and she crosses her arms over her buxom chest.

“Hi,” I say, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear casually. “Is Justin here?”

“Yes, he is. But he’s teaching my son at the moment. Who are you?”

“Uh…I’m Ellie…a friend.”

She tilts her head barely an inch, as her eyes scan up and down my body, a scowl still firmly pressed upon her face. “Well…I’ll tell him you came to see him, Ellie.” I cannot believe this woman! Who the hell does she think she is with her bleach-blonde hair and fake-me-out tan?

“Excuse me-” I start to say but then the sound of Justin’s laugh mixing with a young boy’s interrupts my train of thought.

“I’m done mom,” I hear a boy say. The blonde turns around and I see the cutest little boy run up to her carrying a guitar case. He looks like he’s about eight years old, and if his mom wasn’t such a bitch, I would probably be gushing over his blue eyes and chubby cheeks.

“Good! How did everything go, Mr. Timberlake?” her voice turns sickeningly sweet as she turns her back to me, trying to close the door shut. Thankfully, Justin sees me in time to place his hand on the door and pull it wider.

“Oh, hey!” he grins, nodding at me before turning back to his student. “Parker was great, as usual. Just remember to practice every day, buddy,” Justin smiles as he playfully musses up his Parker’s hair as he winks at me.

“Good,” the mother smiles. “So, Justin, will you be coming to the PTA meeting tomorrow night? We could get coffee afterwards to discuss more about your program. Parker’s going to be at his father’s.”

His smile falters for a second and his eyes dart over to me as he politely shakes his head. “I’ll definitely be at the meeting, Ms. Thomas. But I’m sorry I can’t do anything afterwards. Could you just come in to school for a meeting one day this week?”

“Oh. Okay,” she nods as her shoulders slump, and I have to fight back the smug grin that’s threatening to appear on my face. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow night,” Justin nods as Ms. Thomas and her son step out of the doorway.

“It was nice to meet you,” I smile and she glances at me quickly, sending me a cold look before ushering her son down the hall. I turn back to Justin, who smiles and gestures for me to enter. I follow him down the hall way and into a small study, which I assume is his music room, based on all of the instruments scattered around the area. “I’m sorry about interrupting, Justin.”

“You didn’t interrupt anything. We were done,” he shrugs as he starts to put his guitar away.

“Oh. Well…she didn’t look too happy to see me,” I sigh as I lean back against the frame of the door. Justin chuckles as he stands up and offers me a tender smile.

“Don’t worry about her. I was more than happy to see you. So what movie do you want to see?” I shift on my feet awkwardly, wringing my hands together as I frown. He notices my hesitation and comes to stand in front of me. “We don’t have to see a movie if you don’t want to.”

I laugh lightly and his eyes study my face as I shake my head. “That’s not the problem. I want to see a movie with you so badly. It’s just that something came up and my mom’s in the hospital now…I’m so sorry.”

His expression softens and he smiles, bringing a hand up to cup my cheek. “Don’t be sorry. You go handle your business, Ellie. I’m not going anywhere.” I don’t know if he’s talking about the apartment, or something deeper, but I nod and smile back at him.

“Okay. I’ll call you when I get back tonight,” I promise as he nods and leans forward, pecking my cheek as he squeezes my hand.

“Everything will be fine.” I smile at the sincerity in his voice as he leads me to the door and pulls it open for me. He offers me one last kiss, and I sigh, falling into the kiss immediately as his strong arms wrap around me. After a few seconds, he breaks away first, smiling at my dazed expression as his arms fall from my waist. “See you later?”

“Mmhmm…” I mumble back, and he chuckles as he playfully pushes me out of the door.

“Go…before I pull you back in here,” he says, waggling a finger at me in a threatening manner. God, he does not know how completely adorable and hot he is. Or how badly I want to say ‘screw you, mom’ and just jump into his arms, as horrible as that sounds. He just makes me forget about all of that crap that’s constantly pushing down on me, and I know that it’s way too early to even be thinking about love…but with him, it’s actually a possibility. I’m not scared to be vulnerable around him, and I like that he takes care of me. I’ve done enough of my own fighting. It’s time I let someone else do the fighting for once.

======================================

So I might just punch a hole in someone’s face in about a second.

My stress level is at an all-time high, and I have fucking Parker Thomas’s mom to thank for that. That woman has had it in for me since the first week I met her and politely declined her invitation to go to dinner with her. One, I have a strict no-dating policy with any co-workers and parents. And two, I have an even more strict rule against fake blondes with fake, spray tan skin. Especially when they have children they should be spending that time on instead. But I guess she got a little jealous when she saw Ellie show up at my place over the weekend, and the next day, she stomped into my classroom and told me I was to present a proposal for my program to the council at their next meeting. Giving me a grand total of two days to put together all of my finances, itineraries, and plans together…on top of the rescheduled band concert I have tomorrow night.

And to add to all of that, I haven’t been able to see or talk to Ellie in three days. She never called me on Sunday night, and she has yet to return the message I left her on Monday night, hoping her mother was okay. I know she’s probably stressing out and taking care of her mom, but one little phone call is all it takes. I caught a glimpse of her running to her car when I was returning from my jog last night, but she was driving away before I could even call out her name. I really hope I didn’t scare her off with all of the…touching and kissing on Sunday. I just can’t control myself around her sometimes, and my body just reacts before I can even process what’s going on. And I don’t want to be all desperate and call her again, so now I just have to wait for her to call me. If she ever does, that is.

“Mr. Timberlake?” my thoughts are broken and I look up from the piano to smile at Carrie Evans, who’s standing in the doorway of my classroom.

“Hey Carrie,” I say, standing up and nodding for her to come in. “What’s up?”

“Well…my mom’s having an after party for everyone after the concert at Alberto’s, and she wanted me to give you an invitation. A bunch of people are going, and Principal Phillips said he might come too,” she smiles sheepishly as she hands me a white envelope. “But you should come ‘cuz you’re the reason why we have the concert anyways. So you’re like…the BIP.”

“I think you mean VIP,” I laugh and she blushes, twirling her bright red hair around her finger as she nods. “But thank you very much. I’ll definitely try to come.”

“Cool. I’ll see you later Mr. Timberlake,” her small hand waves at me before she turns around and hops away, and I can’t help but chuckle to myself at the sight. Carrie is the most perky and extroverted eight year-old I’ve come across. She’s also one of my most talented singers, so I have a special place in my heart for her. I look up at the clock and realize it’s time for me to rush home, shower, finish putting my proposal together, and then drive to Ms. Thomas’s house for the meeting. Leave it to her to practically force me into her house for an occasion other than just to teach her son guitar. As I pull my car into my designated spot, I catch a familiar head of rich, chestnut hair, and see Ellie getting out of her own car a few parking spots away. I immediately jump out of my car, grab my bag, and attempt to casually walk by her as she finishes getting her things.

“Hey,” she calls out and I stop, turning to her with a smile. God she looks beautiful today. Her hair is down, flowing around her tanned shoulders in gorgeous waves and she’s looking at me with her adorable dimpled smile, and all of my worries and insecurities disappear just like that.

“Hey,” I say as I step off the curb to help her with her groceries. “Where have you been, girl? I was scared you disappeared on me.”

“I know,” she sighs as she shuts the door with her hip and locks it with a click of her finger. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to call you Sunday. I’ve just…things have been kind of crazy with my mom…”

“Is everything alright?” I ask, following her into the lobby of our building.

She shrugs and nibbles on her bottom lip as we wait for the elevator. “She had a heart attack and fell down the stairs and broke her hip. So I’ve been at the hospital with her for the past three days. She’s better now, though. My sister took over so that I could come home and sleep in my own bed finally.”

I nod, and smile softly using my free hand to rub her arm comfortingly. “I’m glad she’s okay, Ellie.” She smiles and nods as the elevator doors open and we both step inside.

“Yeah, me too. And I’m sorry, again, for not calling you.”

“Ellie,” I shake my head at her as she frowns. “Don’t worry about that. You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“Well let me make it up to you. I’m free tomorrow night. We could go out for dinner, if you wanted to.”
I sigh when I see her hopeful smile as I readjust the bags in my arms. “I would love to. But tomorrow is my band concert at school, so I can’t…actually, why don’t you come? We could catch a bite to eat afterwards.”

“Are you sure?” She casts me a wary look and I nod surely.

“Yes,” I answer as the elevator stops on her floor and I follow her out. “Dinner with you would be the perfect way to end my stressful week. I wish I could tell you more now, but I have somewhere I have to be in an hour. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, though.” We stop at her door and she unlocks it, kicking it open with her foot.

“Okay,” she smiles and I can’t help but smile back as she takes the bag from my arms. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. At the elementary school near the park, right?”

“That’s the one. It starts at five. I’ll be the one wearing the ridiculous tux, conducting all the little kids,” I wink and she laughs, her brown eyes twinkling joyously.

“I think I’ll be able to find you. I’ll see you then, Justin,” she says and I nod, turning back toward the elevator as she shuts the door. Finally, things are starting to turn around. My mood lifts immensely and the next 24 hours pass quickly. I aced my presentation to the council, much to the dismay of Ms. Thomas, and was granted funding for another school year. And now I’m standing in my classroom as all of my students finish warming up their instruments. Ten minutes before the concert, I instruct them all to line up and lead them onto the stage in the cafeteria as all of their families applaud and cheer proudly. I glance around the room and immediately spot Ellie sitting front row, looking gorgeous in a black dress, as she claps her hands and winks at me. I grin at her, giving her a small wave before I step forward to address the audience and then turn back to all of the anxious eight to ten year olds in front of me. I clear my throat, smile at all of them, and hold my hands up, grinning proudly when they all hold their instruments up in anticipation. I can already tell that tonight is going to be great.

One hour and forty minutes later, I’m back in the classroom as parents come filing in, congratulating me on a great night as their children finish putting away their instruments. I feel a hand on my back as I’m congratulating Tommy Valencia, and turn my head, grinning when I see Ellie standing in front of me.

“Hey!” I greet her, giving her a quick hug.

“It was great, Justin. They sounded amazing,” she compliments me as she looks around the room, slightly overwhelmed by all of the sound and people jammed in one room. I chuckle and pull her into my office, shutting the door to give us some privacy.

“I’m glad you could make it, Ellie,” I say as I take off my jacket and unbutton the collar of my shirt. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you,” she blushes. “Has anyone ever told you how hot you look in a suit?” I turn back to her, and see her smiling as she steps up close to me.

“I may have heard that once or twice,” I grin cockily, and she smirks, licking her lips as she places her hands on my shoulders. “So you like it?”

“Mmhmm,” she nods, looking up at me through a curtain of dark eyelashes.

“How much?” I ask, tilting my head down close to hers. Instead of answering, she stands up on her tiptoes and meets me halfway, pressing her soft lips to mine as her hand wraps around the nape of my neck. My own hands slide down her back and rest right above her ass, pulling her close to me as I allow myself to get lost in the kiss. After what feels like hours, a loud knock on the door breaks our kiss and we pull away just as my door swings open. Ellie’s hands fall away from my body and I sigh, cringing when I see Ms. Thomas standing in the doorway giving us both an accusatory glare, as if we were two teenagers who were just caught fondling on the couch.

“Ms. Thomas,” I say as I see her critically eyeing Ellie’s appearance. “Is there something you wanted?”

“Yes, actually. All of the children were wondering if you were joining us tonight at Alberto’s. But I can see…you have your hands full at the moment,” she huffs, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Well…” I stall, glancing at Ellie, who beams back at me. “I guess we could go there for dinner.”

“Actually, Mrs. Evans made just enough reservations for everyone. She hadn’t accounted on you bringing…a friend. I’m sorry,” she sighs as she crosses her arms in front of her chest impatiently. “And the kids would really love it if you could come.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ellie pipes up, placing a hand on my arm. I turn to her and sigh, trying to convey to her how much I would rather just go home with her. “You should go, Justin.”

“Great! I’ll go tell everyone,” Ms. Thomas says excitedly as she shuts the door and leaves us in peace.

“Ellie…”

She smiles, shaking her head at me as she pecks my cheek. “Just call me when you get home. I’ll be up. You should go and have fun with your students, Justin.”

“I’d rather be having fun with you,” I pout and she laughs, shaking her head once again.

“There’s plenty of time for that,” she winks. “I’m gonna go now. I’ll talk to you later.” I nod and follow her out of my office before saying bye to her as she walks out of my classroom. Ms. Thomas is immediately at my side, practically suffocating me with her strong perfume as she smiles and places a hand on my arm. I notice that most of the kids have left, including her son, and I look at her in confusion.

“Where’s Parker?”

“Oh, his father took him. It’s his night tonight, so he’s not coming to Alberto’s. So I guess it’s just you and me tonight,” she grins. “You wouldn’t mind giving me a ride there, would you? Mrs. Evans can take me back afterwards, but I drove with her here and she’s left already.”

“Sure,” I sigh, trying not to sound too disappointed as I grab my things and lead her out. As much as I love my students, I spend enough of my time entertaining them during the school day, that eating dinner with all of them isn’t exactly my idea of a great time. I’m completely exhausted by the time I make it back into my apartment, and as I’m changing out of my suit, I realize I spilt spaghetti sauce on my pants sometime during the evening. Grabbing the rest of my laundry, I go down to the laundry room, and realize that this is going to be the first time I’ve done laundry without Ellie in months. I contemplate giving her a call, but it’s kind of late anyways, and I would rather call her after I’m done with the laundry so that I have the rest of the night just for her.

Imagine my surprise when the elevator doors open on the basement floor, and there she is, sitting atop the table with her back to me. She has a book in her hands so I quietly pad into the room, gently placing my laundry basket on the floor before I creep up behind her. Her back immediately stiffens when I wrap my hands around her side and she whips around, her eyes wide with fear. She relaxes when she realizes it’s me and laughs, hitting me lightly on the head with her book.

“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me,” she sighs with a smile. “What are you doing down here?”

“I could ask you the same thing! It’s not laundry day,” I say, waggling a finger at her. “You’re cheating on me.”

“Nuh uh!” she shakes her head as I laugh and start to throw my clothes into machines. “So why are you down here then?”

“I got some sauce on my pants during dinner,” I explain, holding up the stain for her to see. She nods, throwing a stain stick at me as she slides off of the table when her machines beep.

“You should use that,” she advises. “I spilt some wine on me tonight, too.” I smile and begin to rub out the stain as Ellie starts to move her clothes from the laundry machine to the dryer. After I turn on the machines, I close the lid and watch her as she separates her clothes. She’s so meticulous and careful with her laundry, it’s kind of cute. I also can’t help but admire her ass in her workout pants as she bends over to throw her clothes into the machine. I’m starting to regret my decision to come down here, because I don’t think I can hold myself back anymore. When she’s done, she stands back upright and turns towards me, leaning back against the machine as her lips curve into a small smile.

“I’m sorry about tonight. I made you sit through that concert for nothing,” I sigh, stepping forward to stand in front of her.

“It’s okay. I had fun anyway,” she shrugs, reaching her hand out grab mine and pull me closer to her. “Plus, I don’t think going to dinner with all of your students would have been very appropriate.”

“How come?”

“I would have been thinking of doing…things to you all night,” she smirks, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth.

I return the smirk as I raise my eyebrows at her. “What kinds of things?”

“This…” she whispers before pulling my head down to hers. Our lips meet and my hands instantly wrap around her waist as her tongue slides against mine. She tilts her head, giving me access to suck on her neck as her hands dig into my hair. She’s making the most beautiful gasps and moans right now, and it’s making me so fucking hard, I can hardly stand it. Her hands slide down my chest as my own hands slide up underneath her tank-top and massage her breasts. She wasn’t even wearing a fucking bra! I tweak her nipples in between my thumbs and forefingers, and her hips buck against mine as she gasps. Her fingers slide my sweatpants off my hips and her hand wraps around my cock, and I gasp against her forehead as she begins to stroke me.

“Fuck,” I breathe as I feel her other hand massage my balls. “God damn it’s been too long, girl.”

“You’re telling me,” she smirks.

“Well the wait’s fucking over,” I growl as I pull her tank top off her body and finally settle my eyes on her chest. I feel my cock twitch in anticipation of what’s to come, and both our eyes meet as we smile at each other.

This is going to be fucking fantastic.

I can’t believe this is happening.

 

I cannot believe that I’m here right now, with Justin, about to fuck in the laundry room. But god, if I don’t have him now I’m going to explode. His hands are warm as they massage my breasts and he moans into my mouth as I give his dick one long stroke. God he’s big. I swear I flooded with need for him as soon as I felt him. He’s fucking perfect. Big, but not too big where I know it would hurt.

 

His head dips down, licking and kissing my breasts as he palms them in his large hands. I’m practically grinding myself against his thigh, panting softly as his lips trail up my neck, sucking the skin there as his thumbs brush against my nipples.

 

“You taste so damn good,” he moans as my hands slide up his chest, pulling his shirt up as my fingers feel each groove and dip of his abdomen. He momentarily pulls away from my neck, allowing me to pull his shirt off, over his head. We both kind of stare at each other for a few seconds, still in awe that this is happening. A low growl escapes his throat and his lips crash onto mine as his hands come up to frame my face. I’ve never needed a man so much, and my head is spinning with all of the feelings and emotions that are flooding my body at the moment. He rubs his erection against my hip and I moan softly, feeling how hard he is already.

 

A buzz from one of the machines breaks through my haze and I suddenly remember that we’re in the laundry room. Justin is completely naked, and I’m topless, rubbing myself all over him. Holy shit.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asks, head pulling away when he notices my hesitation. His dark blue eyes are full of confusion and lust, and I take a deep breath, brushing my hair out of my face with a shaky hand.

 

“We’re in the laundry room!” I whisper, eyes wide. “What if someone catches us?”

 

“It’s almost midnight,” he chuckles, hands smoothing up my shoulders. “No one’s going to come down here, Ellie.” He kisses the tip of my nose, calming my nerves and I sigh.

 

“Okay,” I say, giving in to him and his charming smile. I could melt in that smile.

 

“Are you sure?” he asks, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “…If you’re uncomfortable, we can stop.”

 

“Like hell, we’re going to stop!” I exclaim, somewhat loudly, shaking my head as I pull him closer and kiss him firmly. I feel him smile against my lips, laughing at my outburst. His grip on my waist tightens and he tilts his head as I open my mouth to him, letting our tongues taste each other desperately. I push on his chest gently and smirk at him as he catches his breath and stares at me.

 

I drop to my knees and look up at him, making sure it’s alright. His eyes widen, but then he smirks and I know it’s okay. I kiss the tip of his cock, delighted in the gasp he emits as I lick down his length, following the pulsing vein down to his base. I lick back up and finally take him into my mouth, and I feel his fingers dig into my hair, pushing it out of the way so he can watch me. I’m not a huge fan of giving head, but I definitely love the feeling of empowerment when I do it. I love making a guy squirm and gasp, and with Justin, it’s even stronger. His mouth hangs open as I take him as deep as I can, wrapping my hand around him where I can’t take him any deeper.

 

“God…” he moans, and I feel his abdomen quiver as I slide one hand up to his chest, plucking a nipple with my thumb and forefinger. I run the tip of my tongue underneath the head, gently scraping my teeth against his silken skin on the down stroke and sucking hard as I move back up his length. I gently roll his balls in between my fingers, tickling the sensitive skin there with my nails before replacing my fingers with my mouth and sucking one into my mouth. I start stroking him firmly as his fingers curl against my scalp and his eyes flutter shut.

 

“Oh…” he breathes, bracing himself against the dryer with one hand. He’s leaking pre-cum by now and I taste him, flicking the tip of my tongue against the head. A shiver runs through him and he looks down at me through heavy eyelids, panting as I take him into my mouth again. He’s salty and sweet all at the same time, and I just want to devour him whole. It’s insane how badly I want him right now. His hips twitch as I bob down his length, trying not to thrust against me as he moans and sighs.

 

“Stop Ellie,” he gasps when I start sucking and moving against him with more powerful strokes. I look up at him, scared that I did something wrong, and pause my motions as his hands grip my upper arms and he pulls me up to my feet, his dick slipping from my mouth. “Enough teasing,” he smirks before crashing his lips against mine. Our mouths meld together, tongues tasting and probing as my hands delve into the hair at the back of his neck. I let out a squeal when I feel my feet lift off the ground and my butt rests on top of the shaking dryer.

 

“Justin,” I whine, the vibrating machine underneath me intensifying my arousal and desire for him.

 

“I wanna taste you,” he whispers against my ear, lips smudging down my jaw line as his fingers hook into my yoga pants. I raise my ass off of the cold surface, allowing him to slip off my panties and pants and throw them onto the ground. His lips curve into a grin as his hands slide down my sides and underneath my thighs. I watch, completely mesmerized by the way his finger tips send sparks through my body and he kisses the inside of my thighs. His large hands spread my legs wider, and I gasp, hips lifting when his finger slides against my wet slit teasingly.

 

I gasp as he smirks at me, eyes studying me as his tongue presses against my clit. “Oh god, Justin,” I mutter, my fingers running through his short brown hair as he expertly laps against my slick folds.

 

“You’re so fucking wet, El,” he mumbles as he slides one finger into my entrance, twisting and probing, making my toes curl. His tongue continues to flicker against my sensitive nub and my hips start moving against his face on their own accord. My eyes wince shut as a wave of pleasure sweeps through me and I fall back onto my elbows. I feel him slide another finger into me, stretching out my walls as his hand starts to move in and out of me at a furious pace.

 

“Oh, shit,” I moan, feeling another, more intense orgasm coiling in the pit of my stomach.

 

“Just let it go, baby.” His fingers curl and twist, hitting that spot inside me, and I lose it completely, thighs contracting as my body shakes with the force of my orgasm. His fingers slow and I feel him kiss my clit softly before he trails kisses up my body, his tongue randomly dotting out to taste my sweaty skin. I sit up as he settles between my knees, his erection proudly waving in the air between us.

 

I lean forward, pulling him closer to me as I nuzzle my nose against his.

 

“I want you.”

 

He smiles, pressing his mouth to mine as his hands slide down my back, scooting me closer to the edge of the machine.

 

“Condom,” he mumbles, pulling away to stare at me, eyes wide. “Shit, I need a condom,” he looks around the room wildly, searching around as if a spare condom will magically appear in front of him. My hand rests on his cheek and I turn his head back to look at me, giggling softly.

 

“I’m on the pill,” I smile and he grins, kissing me deeply. I moan when I feel him step closer to me, positioning the head of his dick at my entrance.

 

“Thank God. I don’t think I could’ve waited any longer,” he says as his hand rests on my hips. His raises his head and his eyes fall down to watch himself enter me slowly. I spread my legs wider, watching as our bodies finally come together.

 

“God,” I whimper, practically choking, feeling his thick length stretch and pull at my walls. His eyes raise to look into mine, holding my gaze as he slides himself completely inside of me.

 

“Holy. Fucking. Shit,” he moans, eyes fluttering shut, as he stills his movements and pants softly against my ear. I sigh, feeling his heart beat against my palm. The both of us savoring this moment. I still can’t believe this is happening. Finally, after so many months of waiting and flirting, we’re finally doing this. I let out a staggered breath as he pulls out slowly, almost completely, before pushing back in swiftly.

 

“Oh god, Justin,” I gasp, my forehead falling to his shoulder as he begins to thrust against me. Every time he hits me, his hipbone brushes against my already sensitive clit, sending a zing of pleasure up my spine. Add the vibrations of the dryer, and I can tell I’m already close to my next orgasm. “God this feels so good.”

 

He pants against my ear, as his hips move against mine with deep and powerful thrusts. “You feel so damn good, baby. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this with you…” I leave wet kisses against his neck and collar bone, moaning and sighing as he hits spots I didn’t even know existed. My whole body tingles with each movement as Justin props my heels onto the drying machine, spreading me wider so that he can thrust deeper into me. I sit back on my hands, eyes winced shut as I feel every inch of his dick leave and enter me fluidly.

 

“Shit,” I hiss as the machine starts shaking violently underneath me, sending vibrations through my body. Justin continues to pound into me, his waist slapping against my thighs as his hands slide up my stomach to cover my breasts. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me as I sit up and wrap my arms around his neck. My hips move in synch against his, pushing back with every thrust, over and over again.

 

“Yes, Justin, yes,” I moan as the machine vibrates against my ass. He hums in agreement, eyes glued to where we’re joined as we slide against each other. His lips latch onto my neck, kissing and sucking as he trails up to my ear and sucks on my ear lobe. I feel his tongue against the shell of my ear and hiss as my center floods with even more heat.

 

“Ellie…” I hear him moan.

 

“I’m so close,” I gasp back, eyes shut as I try to catch the sensations. His hand slides down my stomach and I feel his fingertips brush against my curls.

 

“Baby, open your eyes,” he says and my eyes pop open to see him staring at me intently, eyes black with arousal. His thumb rubs against my clit just as the drying machine gives a jolt and my whole body contracts as the orgasm plows into me.

 

“Ah fucking shit, Justin!” I scream, legs tightening around his waist. Suddenly I’m lifted off of the machine and my back rests against a cold, hard surface. I open my eyes, still reeling from the after-effects of the most intense orgasm I’ve ever felt in my life. I look up and see Justin’s face above mine, and realize we’re both laying on top of the table now. He brushes my hair out of my sweaty face and smiles tenderly at me, kissing me deeply as I recover from my high. He’s still inside me, rocking gently as my muscles continue to spasm around him.

 

“There’s still more to come,” he whispers, his lips leaving kisses along my jaw line and neck. “God you’re beautiful,” he mutters under his breath, his eyes studying my face hungrily, as if trying to memorize each freckle. His gaze is too intense and my self-consciousness causes me to close my eyes as I focus on him moving inside of me instead.

 

“Yes, Justin,” I gasp breathlessly, my voice hoarse from screaming. His hand slides down my stomach, curving around my ass to hook one leg around his waist.

 

“Ellie,” I hear him grunt. “Look at me. Look at us.” I slowly open my eyes and smile when I see him smiling back at me. I raise my hands, clutching his face as I raise my own to kiss him.

 

“I can’t believe…” I sigh, unable to express just how deep my feelings for him go. It’s hard to believe that this beautiful, wonderful specimen has eyes for me. I really don’t want to get ahead of myself, but this is special. I can see myself falling for him, and it scares the crap out of me, because I think I already have fallen. But I can’t let him know. I don’t want to scare him away. I don’t want to lose him before I even had him. And I don’t want to lose this.

 

It’s just too fucking good. And for once in my life, I feel like I deserve something good.

 

Justin nuzzles my neck, nipping gently on my skin. “Believe it, Ellie. It’s happening. Just…watch,” he says, reading my mind, and pushes himself up. I look down my body as he starts to thrust deeper into me, watching his dick enter me at a furious pace. I tighten my muscles around him and he gasps, eyes flying up to look at me. “Don’t…I’ll fucking lose it.”

 

“Good,” I smirk as I sit up on my elbows and kiss him hard. Our tongues tangle together as we lose ourselves in the moment, and I pull away only because my need for oxygen trumps my need for him. “I want to see you come, Justin.” I punctuate my statement by tightly wrapping my legs around his waist, angling my hips so that he can slide even deeper into me. We both gasp and groan at the change, and I meet every one of his thrusts with my own. All I can hear is our heavy breaths and the slapping of our skin over the gentle hum of the machines. His hips grind down against mine hypnotically, and I gasp as he leans down to suck on one of my incredibly hardened nipples.

 

“Shit girl,” he chuckles lightly, raising his head to grin at me. “I’ve had so many fantasies about having you in this room.”

 

“Like what?” I ask, laughing along because he has no idea how many dirty thoughts I’ve had of him in this room. It’s very fitting that this is where we have sex for the first time.

 

“Hmm,” he hums, momentarily distracted as I contract my muscles around him again. “You riding me…”

 

=================================

 

Shit.

 

I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud. Why did I just blurt out that I think about her riding me, almost, all the time? All of a sudden Ellie pushes on my chest and I roll onto my back, my breath hitching in my throat as she settles her body above mine.

 

Holy fuck. Her bottom lip is tucked in between her teeth and she gives me this sexy smirk as she positions herself above my rock solid hard-on. I don’t think I’ve ever been this hard before. Just when I think I’ll be enveloped in her silky, warmth once again, she stops and my eyes scan up her body to stare at in her bewilderment.

 

“Ellie…” I pant, almost as a whine as my fingers tighten on her waist. I could easily just thrust up and be inside her again, but this isn’t my turn. This is all her, and I have to let her have her fun. She smiles and then slowly sinks down on me.

 

Oh god. She’s so fucking hot. I swear I almost blacked out when I slid into her the first time, when we were doing it over there on top of the dryer. It took me a couple of seconds to regain enough consciousness to actually start doing the deed. And now, god…now I can’t stop. She’s so tight and hot and slick, I just know I’m going to be addicted to her.

 

My eyes roll back as she pushes herself up and then sucks me back in, rolling her hips against mine. “Yes, Justin,” she gasps and I open my eyes to watch her. Her head is thrown back, eyes shut as her fingers curl and uncurl against my chest. My hands graze up her body and cup her breasts, massaging them gently as she works herself above me with abandonment.

 

I just stare at her. Stare at this beautiful woman who has come to hijack all of my thoughts and feelings. All I can think about is how fucking amazing this is. How amazing she is. And I am royally pissed that we’re fucking in this grimy basement. She deserves so much more, and I intend on showing her so.

 

“Fuck, Ellie,” I gasp, feeling my balls tighten as her muscles contract around me again. She leans forward, pressing her chest to mine as our lips meet, giving me the perfect opportunity to take back control. I bend my knees so that my feet lay flat on the table and thrust my hips up into her rapidly.

 

“Holy…” her eyes wince shut and her mouth falls open in a silent scream as I feel her clamp down around me. One more thrust is all it takes for me to find my release, and I push up into her as my hands pin her hips down against me.

 

“Oh shiiiiit.” A guttural groan tears from my throat as I feel myself releasing into her with violent spurts. It just keeps going and going and my vision blurs as she milks me of all I’m worth. My shaky legs finally give way and they collapse as I force myself to breathe.

 

No words could possibly describe how incredible that was.

 

I feel her fingers graze up my arms as her head rests against my chest and she also tries to catch her breath. We both lay there, on top of the table, limbs tangled for a few silent minutes, recovering from our highs. We both realize how utterly fucking amazing the sex was, and nothing needs to be said to convey each other’s feelings.

 

My hands slide up and down her warm, slick back as I feel myself softening inside of her and finally she moves her hips, letting me slip out as she curls up against my side. She’s just so warm and soft, and all I want to do is lay here with her in my arms forever. I turn my head to look at her and she has this soft, content smile on her lips and I’m relieved.

 

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one whose world was just turned upside down with that mind-blowing fuck.

 

I kiss her forehead and nose, brushing her hair out of her face as she takes in a deep breath. Another machine beeps loudly and she raises her head to look at it.

 

“Looks like your pants are done,” she laughs.

 

“Is your stuff done?”

 

“I think so,” she nods as she tilts her head and brushes her lips against mine. It’s real slow, but perfect, and we kiss for a few more minutes until finally I realize I can’t just fall asleep down here. We finally sit up and start to put on our clothes lazily, smiling giddily at each other. I can’t help but kiss her some more, and it takes us a little bit longer than normal to get our things, until we’re finally standing back in the elevator. I carry her laundry to her apartment, and drop it off there after realizing how hungry we are and that I have left over pasta in my fridge. She grabs some of her things and then we go up to my place, fondling and kissing some more in the elevator.

 

I just can’t keep my fucking hands and lips off her. It’s getting to be a problem.

 

“Do you have work tomorrow?” she asks as we stand at the counter, eating the re-warmed chicken alfredo together.

 

“Mmhmm,” I frown as I look to the clock and realize it’s almost 2 AM. I have to wake up in about five hours and be expected to function normally after an amazing night with an even greater woman.

 

“Well then let’s go to bed,” she smiles as she drops her fork in the sink and saunters out of the kitchen towards the bathroom. By the time I finish brushing my teeth, she’s already curled underneath my sheets waiting for me with a cute smile on her face. God damn she’s adorable. And she’s mine.

 

Mine.

 

It’s hard to believe I can finally call her my girl.

 

I lay down next to her and she scoots over, pushing up against me as she nuzzles my neck and sighs. I turn my head to meet her lips and we give each other a few slow, gentle kisses before she settles her head back onto a pillow and closes her eyes.

 

“’Night Justin,” she whispers.

 

“Goodnight, Ellie,” I respond, kissing her naked shoulder. All she’s wearing is a thin white tank-top and short cotton shorts and I can feel her heat radiating against me as she lies there pressed up against my side. Our legs tangle together as my body finally succumbs to my exhaustion, and I reluctantly close my eyes.

I am so incredibly sore.

 

And I don’t even care because I know exactly why I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck, and the thought makes my heart burst with giddiness. I wake up to the sound of running water and open my tired eyes, peeking out from underneath Justin’s warm comforter. His bed is so ridiculously comfortable, and it smells of him. His woodsy, clean scent and the warmth from his body are still imprinted in the sheets, completely wrapping me up in a cocoon of safety. I glance at his alarm clock and groan, seeing that it’s only 7:30 in the morning.

 

God. Last night was…utterly amazing. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we finally had sex. And not just any sex, either. I’ve never came so many times during one session, and that was only our first time.

 

I take another deep breath and stretch my sore muscles, smiling when I hear him humming in the shower as the water turns off. Damn it. I wish I had woken up earlier to surprise him in the shower. I have yet to wash the smell of sex off of me, and I feel gross and sticky, yet completely sexy and feminine at the same time. It’s strange how I feel so confident and sensual when I’m with him. The bathroom door swings open and I try not to stare too hard when I see him step out with a dark blue towel wrapped low around his slim waist.

 

Damn…now that is a sight to wake up to every morning.

 

“Hey,” he smiles when he sees that I’m awake. He comes over to the bed, leaning over me to greet me properly. He smells of mint and vanilla as his lips press against mine, and I feel my senses start to awaken as sparks shoot down to my toes. My hand reaches up to press against his damp skin, trying to pull him back into bed with me.

 

“Mornin’,” I mumble against his lips as he pulls away gently to look at me.

 

“How’d you sleep?” he asks nuzzling my nose with his as my fingers run across his smooth jaw line.

 

“Great…but it’s still too early,” I pout. “Do you have to go in? Don’t teachers get sick days too?” I kiss him again, this time working my tongue slowly against his lips in a lazy fashion. I successfully distract him enough to pull his body over mine, and I try not to smile victoriously when he settles his weight in between my legs. I can feel him hardening against me, and I want so bad to have him again.

 

I think I’m addicted.

 

Right when my fingers start skimming down his abdomen he pulls away, panting softly as he grabs my wrists and holds them in between our two bodies.

 

“I can’t,” he sighs, shaking his head as he looks at me pleadingly. “I’m already running late. But today’s only a half day.” He swiftly jumps out of bed and out of my reach as he walks over to his closet.

 

“What does that mean?” I ask, propping myself up with my elbow and resting my head on my hand. I watch as he pulls out a pair of dark jeans and a dark blue button up. He looks at me over his shoulder and kind of just watches me for a few seconds, his eyes scanning down my body. I’m so glad I joined that gym a few weeks ago.

 

“It means I’ll be back around noon. Just….go back to bed and I’ll be back by the time you wake up,” he finally says. He pulls on a pair of boxer briefs and his jeans, dropping the towel to the floor as he smirks at me. “Then we can continue this.”

 

My thighs rub together at the thought and I smile at him, nodding my head slowly. “Promise?” I squeal softly when he suddenly launches himself across the floor and lands above me, his hands on either side of my head as he leans down and crashes his lips against mine. He grinds down against my heated center and I moan, still sensitive from last night’s activities.

 

“I’m not done with you yet, girl,” he growls, pulling away and leaving me numb with need. God damn, he’s such a fucking tease. I let out an exasperated sigh and he just chuckles, knowing exactly how much of a tease he is. He starts buttoning up his shirt and smiles at me as I glare at him.

 

“I’ll be back before you know it, babe,” he sighs as he wraps a thin black tie around his neck. “I’ll even serve you brunch in bed, if you’re good.”

 

I smirk, giving him a sultry look as I sit up on my elbows and meet his glance through the reflection in his mirror. “But if I’m bad…will I get punished?” I’m pulling out all the stops. I need him now. It’s not fair that he gets to tease me and then just leave me like that. He just stares at me with his mouth slightly agape for a few silent seconds. I catch his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallows nervously and blinks at me.

 

“Just….give me a few hours,” he finally grits out, not so subtly adjusting his jeans as he turns his head back to the mirror.

 

“Fine…” I throw the blankets over my head, attempting to fall back asleep. The covers are pulled away from my face a few seconds later and I crack open my eyes to peer up at a smiling Justin.

 

“I’ll be back,” he smiles, leaning in for a kiss. My arms instinctively wrap around his neck, pulling him down on top of me as I meet his lips with my own. He lets out a yelp of surprise which melts into an appreciative moan as I slide my tongue between his parted lips. His hands are pressing into the pillow on either side of my head, steadfastly preventing me from trying to coax him into bed. I kiss along his jaw line, hearing him pant against my ear as I suck on his pulse, playfully nipping at his fragrant skin.

 

He moans softly and I can see his resolve weakening as his leg stretches over my lap and he climbs on top of me, straddling my legs. My hand slides down his chest, cupping him through his jeans as I try to stroke along the hardened length pressed against his thigh.

 

“Fuck,” he suddenly gasps, mouth falling open against my neck when a siren outside of his window pulls away his focus. I groan when he rests his forehead against mine, inhaling deeply as he tries to pull his thoughts together.

 

“Justin,” I groan when he stands up. My body practically screams for his as I follow him and sit up.

 

“I’m so late,” his eyes are wide as he looks at his watch. “Shit.” He stares at me, lust appearing in his eyes when my tongue darts out, tasting him on my lips. Then he shakes his head, running his hands over his face. “I really have to go, Ellie.”

 

“If you want to,” I shrug, knowing I realistically have no control over him. Especially since we’ve only spent one night together.

 

“I really wish I could stay, you know,” he says when I lay back down and pull the sheets over my body. “But I have to be there for the last day before break.” He tucks his button-up back into his jeans, adjusting his tie and trying to smooth out his now wrinkled outfit.

 

“Do I get a kiss goodbye?”

 

He scoffs, an amused smile on his face as he shakes his head. “Nice try. You’re too tempting for your own good, you know?”

 

“Obviously not tempting enough,” I joke as he gathers his things and then walks to the door.

 

“See you in three hours.” The door softly clicks shut and after a few minutes my sleep deprived body shuts down and I fall back asleep. I wake up about an hour later and finally roll out of bed to shower and freshen up a bit. There’s no way in hell I’m going to have sex with him again with morning breath. After the shower I wrap a fluffy white towel around my body and lay back down in his bed, just wanting to smell him all around me again. I must have fallen asleep because I wake up later to the sound of his front door shutting and him quietly whispering to Todd not to wake me up. I pretend to be asleep, pulling the comforter over my body right as his bedroom door opens.

 

My eyes are shut and I try to keep my breath as even as possible when I feel the mattress move under his weight as he crawls over me, his warm breath tickling my skin. My lungs subconsciously take in a deep breath, and I can’t help the small smile from crossing my lips when his scent completely takes over me.

 

“I know you’re awake,” he whispers, chuckling softly to himself as I open my eyes to give him a nasty look. Damn my body.

 

“Because you woke me up, ass,” I grunt back jokingly as he laughs and brushes my hair from my face.

 

“What did I tell you? I told you I’d be back before you woke up again,” he smirks, pressing a kiss on my lips. He suddenly raises his head, one eyebrow raised as he looks over to the bathroom door which is wide open with the lights still on. “Did you take a shower?”

 

I give him a sheepish smile as he chuckles and shakes his head at me. “I wanted to clean up for you.”

 

“Well that was kind of pointless because you’re about to get dirtied up again,” he grins, laughing when I roll my eyes at his lame attempt at a joke. He suddenly falls silent, the laughter dying from his lips as he gazes down at me, his hand cradling my jaw as his thumb traces my bottom lip. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning,” he admits quietly.

 

“Really?”

 

“Mmhmm,” he nods, almost like he’s in a trance. “I’ve been fucking hard ever since I walked out of here.” He accentuates his sentence with a rough thrust, and I can practically feel the heat radiating through the comforter and the towel separating our bodies. His hands pull the covers away, taking my towel with them, and a low growl vibrates in his throat when his eyes land on my naked body. Without another word, his lips crash onto mine and I open my mouth, sliding my tongue against his as my hands slip around his shoulders to unbutton his shirt. He tears his mouth away from mine and sears a trail of kisses down my jaw and neck before sucking one of my nipples into his mouth. His one hand is gently gripping my hip as the other roughly massages my other breast and I gasp, arching my back against him.

 

It’s a completely different sensation; feeling him against me in the light of day, fully rested and bursting with arousal. Now that I know what it’s like to be with him, my body only craves for more.

 

He continues his descent, his hands warm against my skin as he gently kisses underneath my navel and shimmies down my body so that the back of my thighs are resting against his shoulders and I feel his hot breath fan against my folds. He places a kiss on my inner thigh and locks eyes with me as he blows against my core. My hips immediately buck as I hiss and a slow grin crosses his handsome face.

 

“Justin…” I whine, my fingers digging into his short curls as I wiggle my hips. “Please…”

 

His tongue darts out against me, tasting me as his hands push my legs wider apart. My eyes wince shut as a moan pulls from my throat and he eagerly starts licking and probing my hot center. Within minutes, I’m panting hard against him as he sucks on my clit, eyes glued to me as I thrash in his hands. I feel a finger slide into me, curling and twisting, and just like that, I’m gone. My fingers curl against his scalp as my muscles all freeze and I scream out his name, trying hard to stay conscious. I’m vaguely aware of him pulling his body up to cover mine as he kisses me hard. I open my eyes and stare up at him, trying to catch my breath as he stares back at me with a gentle smile on his lips. My hands frame his face and I pull his head down towards me, trying to express my desire with one heated kiss. My fingers clumsily unbutton the rest of his shirt and I push it off his shoulders, trailing my fingertips across his smooth skin.

 

“Damn, I missed you while I was gone,” I hear him breathe against my shoulder, where he’s placing soft wet kisses. “I couldn’t get through the day fast enough. Just the thought of you drove me crazy.”

 

“And what exactly were you thinking about me?” I hear myself say as he blows a cool gust of wind across my breasts. He tilts his head to look at me, giving me a lascivious smile as his tongue sneaks out and flicks against my hardened nipple.

 

“The taste of you…” he answers, licking between my breasts and up to my neck.

 

“The softness of your skin.” His hands skim down my sides and legs, hooking underneath my knees. I’m completely speechless, mesmerized by the sound of his voice as he talks me into another orgasm. I’m serious too. He has the ability to unravel me with just his words. He raises my legs to wrap around his waist, and it’s then that I realize his jeans and boxer briefs are no longer there to stop me from feeling all of him. I feel his erection pressing against my lower belly and my breath hitches in my throat as he sucks on a spot underneath my ear.

 

“The feeling of your hair between my fingertips,” he sighs as his hands dig into my hair and he hovers above me, his deep blue eyes staring into mine. His hips move and I suck in a deep breath, anticipating him entering me when he brushes against me intimately.

 

“But most importantly, Ellie…you wrapped all around me.” He whispers this huskily into my ear right before he enters me in one swift movement. I gasp and my back arches off of the mattress

 

“Oh god,” I moan as he drags out slowly and thrusts back in swiftly. The pattern continues for awhile, punctuated by his soft grunts and my gasps as his lips leave red marks all over my neck and shoulders. My fingers run through his hair and down his back as I clutch at him, wanting to feel more of him. He grinds down deep against me, his pelvic bone hitting my clit as his lips crash down onto mine.

 

“Shit girl,” he groans, eyes wide as he grins at me. He reaches up to brush my sweaty hair out of my face as his other hand cups my breast. His thumb circles my nipple as he continues pounding into me. I tilt my head, granting him access as he sucks and gently nipples on my pulse point. I feel the familiar tingling in my stomach and hook my ankles right above his ass, moving my hips in synch with his.

 

“Harder, Justin,” I gasp as the angle changes and he hits a spot deep inside of me. He pushes himself up, bracing his hands on either side of my head as he hits that spot over and over again with each thrust.

 

“Come on, El,” he grunts, mouth hanging open, trying so hard to hold onto his own release. He suddenly sits back on his knees and his hands grip my waist as he tilts my hips upwards. My butt is pressed against his thighs as he thrusts into me, sliding against new pleasure points. A scream rips from my throat and my hands clutch desperately at his sheets as a wave of ecstasy takes over my whole body. He lets out a roar, his orgasm chasing after mine as his body collapses on top of mine and I feel him releasing into me in warm spurts. His weight is pushing me into the mattress, almost painfully, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

This was even better than last night. I can’t imagine it possibly improving. My body wouldn’t be able to handle that much pleasure.

 

Justin rolls off of me after our breathing has calmed and I let out a disappointed sigh as he lazily drapes an arm around my waist and squishes me up against his chest. I roll onto my side so that our chests are pressed up against each other and I smile at him. He smiles back at me through heavy eyelids and I strain my neck to kiss him. I easily get lost in the kiss as he gently sucks on my tongue but before we can start round two he gently pulls away and gives a low chuckle when I follow his lips.

 

“There’s plenty of time for that,” he mumbles as his finger tips skim down my arm and lace through my fingers. “But now it’s time to be fed. I brought some lunch back.” He kisses me softly before rolling away and standing up on his feet. I watch him unabashedly walk around the bed, completely nude, as he pulls a pair of clean boxers out of his dresser and puts them on. I follow his lead and get out of bed with my wobbly legs, looking for my clothes. But Justin steps forward instead and tugs one of his big t-shirts over my head.

 

The soft cotton is huge on me, but it smells of him, and I love it. His strong arms wrap around me as he hugs me tightly, pressing a kiss onto my forehead.

 

“Come on. Time to refuel before another round,” he winks, licking his lips as he eyes my bare legs. “I wasn’t kidding when I said we’d spend all weekend in bed.”

 

======================================

 

It should be illegal to be as happy as I am right now. I couldn’t describe how amazing my life has been now that I’m finally with Ellie. Granted, we’ve spent most of our time together in bed…but that’s not even the reason why I’m so fucking happy. Being with her just makes everything better.

 

She was at work for the past three nights, and although I’m usually thankful for some alone time, I found myself just waiting around for her to come home. Even Todd has gotten used to her being around. He stopped whining and scratching at the door after the first night, wondering why he wasn’t allowed to sleep on my bed anymore. I felt kind of bad, but then the guilt disappeared when Ellie pressed her naked tits against me and kind of rubbed against my thigh.

 

It’s Wednesday night now and I’m just sitting on my couch, nursing a beer as I wait for her to come home from her sister’s, where she’s having a family dinner. I had to go see my own mother for dinner, so we both decided to meet back here afterwards. I don’t hear a knock on my door until a little after eleven o’clock and I open it to see Ellie standing there with this huge ass grin on her face. She’s decked out in full winter clothing, and even manages to look sexy in a black beanie.

 

“It’s snowing!” she greets me before throwing her arms around me and planting a kiss on my lips. “Come on…go put your stuff on.”

 

“But…I thought we were gonna stay inside,” I pout, looking over at the bottle of wine I had chilling for her.

 

“Justin! We’ve spent all weekend…doing that,” she blushes a little. “I just realized you don’t even have a Christmas tree set up! There’s this really cute tiny one outside you can chop down.”

 

“Oh yeah? Let me just pull out my lumberjack boots and axe,” I roll my eyes sarcastically as she walks down the hallway towards the closet to find my winter jacket. I immediately lunge forward, trying to grab her before she opens it. But it’s too late.

 

She pulls open the doors and stares inside the closet for a few seconds. Her mouth hangs open in shock and she turns to me, her eyes wide and accusing.

 

“What is this?” she asks, placing her hands on her hips.

 

“Uh…” I stutter, scratching the back of my head nervously. How do I explain this one?

 

“Justin Randall,” she smirks. God she wouldn’t stop calling me that after she saw my middle name on my diploma. “Why is there a laundry machine hidden in your closet?”

 

“Because there wasn’t space for it in the kitchen?” I joke. She shakes her head as I step closer to her, offering her a bashful smile.

 

“You’ve had a laundry machine in your apartment this whole time, but have been washing your clothes in the basement instead?”

 

“Well…to be fair, it’s been broken for the past month,” I shrug as she wraps her arms around my neck and smiles at me.

 

“Seriously…”

 

“Okay,” I sigh, snaking my arms around her waist and locking my hands right above her ass. “It was the only way I’d get the chance to talk to you.”

 

She scrunches her nose and smiles, standing up on her tiptoes and I lean down, meeting her kiss halfway. Our lips just fit perfectly together. I will never get sick of kissing her.

 

“You’re too cute,” she chuckles, patting my cheek as I stand upright and pout.

 

“Just cute?”

 

“Oh stop fishing for compliments,” she swats my arm as she grabs my jacket and heaves it into my chest. “Now go put that on. It’s the first snow of the winter, and I will not spend it inside.”

 

“Come on…you know you want to stay in. I have a bottle of wine for you,” I sigh, wanting nothing to do with the ice cold air that waits for me outside. I’m perfectly content in my warm apartment. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

 

“I will not give in to your come ons,” she shakes her head, nibbling on her bottom lip uncertainly. “Please?” Her bottom lip pokes out and I immediately feel my resolve melting away as she pouts and blinks at me. God, I’m already whipped.

 

“Okay…but only to drive to the store to find a plastic tree. I can’t stand pine needles all over my floor,” I shrug on the hefty jacket and take her hand, leading her out the door with my keys and wallet in my other hand. When we make it outside, the snow is falling heavily and there’s already a two inch blanket of snow on the ground. How the hell did I miss it snowing this much?

 

“Looks like we can’t go anywhere,” Ellie frowns.

 

“Oh well…back inside,” I try to hide my grin as I turn back to the door. Her hand slips from mine and she plops down in the grass. I turn to her and watch as she tilts her head back, closing her eyes and letting the snow fall onto her face. The white particles immediately melt and disappear when they hit her skin, but a few fall onto her eyelashes, making her eyes sparkle when she opens them to look at me.

 

“I used to just sit outside and watch the snow fall. It was the only thing that could make me forget about all of the shit going on inside the house. Watching the ground turn white, like a blank canvas,” she sighs softly. I step forward and sit behind her so that she’s nestled in between my knees and can lean back against my chest. “My mom says I once fell asleep out there and they finally found me at midnight curled up under a tree. They were so scared I was gonna get sick.”

 

“Did you?” I ask, treasuring this rare moment with her. She rarely ever discusses her childhood with me. I only know that her father used to be an alcoholic and get the feeling he may have hit her mom a few times…but she’s never said much more than that.

 

“I got a cold for like a week,” she shrugs as her head falls back on my shoulder. “I love winter.”

 

“Mm...I love snowboarding. Not so much a fan of the cold though.”

 

“So are you excited for your Winter Break?”

 

“I’m excited to spend it with you,” I answer as she sighs and pulls my arms around her body.

 

She laughs softly for a moment, staring out into the quiet parking lot. “I still can’t believe you actually have a laundry machine.”

 

“Now that you mention it, I should probably finally call someone to get it fixed. I don’t need dirty clothes as an excuse to talk to you anymore. We could do laundry together,” I suggest, smiling at the thought of us just doing normal couple stuff. “Naked.” I add.

 

“In your dreams,” she scoffs, lifting one mitted hand to smack my head. We sit in the snow for a few more minutes, watching as it lays a heavy blanket on the ground. Our footsteps are mere divots in the snow now and I can start to feel the wetness soaking through my jeans, but stay quiet to let Ellie have her peaceful moment. I guess she notices me squirming a little and giggles softly before standing up and looking down at me. “Geez, you really don’t like the snow, do you?”

 

“It depends…” I shrug, getting up on my feet.

 

“On what?” We start to walk back into the building, our hot breaths disappearing into thin air.

 

“On whom I’m in the snow with.” She stares at me as the elevator doors open and we step inside quietly. “For example, I would sit all day in the snow with you if I had to.” I feel the blush creeping up my neck as she continues to look at me with a look of mixed admiration and disbelief.

 

Then a warm smile breaks across her face and she pushes herself up against me, cupping my face with her wool mittens. “That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She stands up on her tiptoes and kisses me deeply, her mouth opening up to mine. The elevator doors ding open and we part, breathing in each other’s breaths. “Now what’s this about wine?” I watch, slightly disoriented as she skips out of the elevator, tugging me along behind her.

 

I love you, I want to say.

 

I knew the moment that I saw all of her vinyl disks that she was the one. Alright, that might be pushing it a little, but there was definitely a spark there. And now, I feel like the three words are burning a hole in my throat as I shove them down, trying to keep them from spilling out.

 

“You know, I don’t think I’ve slept in my bed for a week,” Ellie muses as we walk into my apartment and she takes off her mittens. “All I really go there for is clothes.”

 

“Why don’t you just bring your clothes up here?” I blurt out my first thought. “I mean…I didn’t…It’s not…” I stutter nervously. An unreadable expression settles over her features as she steps forward and rests her hands on my shoulders. I look away from her gaze, embarrassed and scared of her rejection. Not her rejection of the idea. But her rejection of me, because I have surely scared her away with that errant thought.

 

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” She asks quietly, making me face her with one hand on my cheek.

 

“Uh…no...yes,” I shrug and a slow smile crosses her face, laughing at my idiocy.

 

“Well that clears things up.”

 

“Do you want to?”

 

She shrugs, her honey-colored eyes twinkling at me. “I’m not opposed to the idea. Don’t you think it’s early though? I mean…we’ve been together, what, a week? I don’t even know what we are.”

 

“Well we’re dating. Exclusively,” I nod, sure of at least one thing. “Or…that’s what I think.”

 

“Good answer,” she grins before unzipping her coat slowly. “It’s weird how comfortable I am around you. You know? So that’s why I guess the thought of moving in together doesn’t sound odd.”

 

“Yeah, but you’re right. We shouldn’t rush into anything like that so soon,” I sigh, relieved that she isn’t dumping me and storming out of the room. Ellie sinks back into the couch, ending the discussion as I hang up our coats and sit down next to her. She immediately curls her body against mine, kissing my neck as I stretch out along the length of the couch. Her head rests on my chest when I turn the TV on, and within minutes she’s fallen asleep. Her thick eyelashes curl against her tanned skin as she breathes deeply, her head rising with every breath I take. I slowly try to get up, carrying her in my arms as I move into my bedroom and lay her down on “her” side of my bed.

 

I lean down, unable to resist kissing her perfectly pouted lips as she sleeps peacefully.

 

“I think I love you,” I whisper quietly into the dark as I stand upright.

 

And I swear, I see a ghost of a smile on her lips.

My first thought when I wake up is that it is unbearably hot and that the sun is much too bright for it to be 7 o’clock in the morning. My second thought, and arguably the more coherent one, is the explanation for my first.

 

Today is Justin’s first day of Spring Break.

 

Naturally, we celebrated in the best possible way last night and well into the early morning. We probably didn’t fall asleep until about 3 AM, and the sweaty sheets are now wrapped tightly around our bodies and legs, which is the reason for the balmy temperature. I manage to twist my body and crane my neck to peer over at the clock, kicking the sheets loose to let some cool air in. It’s almost noon and I let out a snort of laughter in disbelief.

 

“What’s so funny?” Justin’s scratchy voice asks. I flop back onto my pillows and smile at him as he peers at me with an amused expression.

 

“Just the time…it’s almost noon,” I answer, surprised at how hoarse my voice is. He seems to realize this too, based on the arrogant smirk that immediately crosses his face.

 

“I told you not to make any plans for today,” he grins as the arm around my naked back tightens, hugging me close to his side. He leans forward, planting a kiss on my forehead as he sighs happily against my hair. “One whole week of no kids, no lessons, and no clothes.”

 

“You wish,” I scoff with a roll of my eyes. “We don’t all have the luxury of getting breaks off of work, you know. I still have to go in this week.”

 

He grumbles a response into the pillow that is squished against his face, but I don’t bother trying to decipher it. Instead, I push up off the mattress and move so that I’m lying on his back. My breasts squish against his angel tattoo and he turns his head, trying to look at me over his shoulder.

 

“What?” he groans, trying to sound annoyed, but failing miserably.

 

“I’m hungry,” I whine as I press kisses to the back of his neck, underneath his hairline. He shudders softly underneath me and suddenly flips over so that I’m laying on my back underneath him as he moves to hover over me. I let out a surprised squeal, which is quickly silenced by his lips as he leans down, kissing me deeply. My arms wrap around his neck and I relax into his embrace, lazily kissing him back.

 

The moments after we just wake up are my absolute favorite. Time runs a little slower then, and the kisses and touches are so much more intimate and tender. I love that we just lay in bed, trying to stretch out time as long as possible before he has to get up for work. And now that he has a break for one week, he’ll probably try to make us stay in bed all day.

 

“So what am I supposed to do about your hunger?” Justin asks, pulling away gently. His lips remain a few centimeters above mine and I stretch up, running the tip of my tongue along his bottom lip. His mouth is just so irresistible. I could literally just kiss him for hours.

 

“Mm…I dunno. One of your delicious omelets sounds pretty good,” I answer coyly, batting my eyelashes at him.

 

“I don’t think so. I’m going back to sleep,” he says as he rolls over onto his back and throws his arm over his eyes.

 

“Come on…please! Don’t you love me?” His arm stretches up as he looks at me, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. I match his expression, looking back at him expectantly.

 

“I love you,” he responds seriously, reaching out to drag my body over his. I rake my eyes over his stubbled jaw line, running my thumb over his cheek as I smile down at him. “I love you, Elizabeth Grace Reynolds. I absolutely adore you, and cherish you, and am completely obsessed with you.”

 

My heart flutters involuntarily, taken aback by the raw emotion shining through his eyes. I have never been in a relationship where love was expressed so freely, and for Justin, it just comes so easily. He never hesitates to remind me how much he loves me every day. And I know he means it because there is no way any man could say those words and look at me the way he does every time he says them, and not mean it. And I had been so shocked when he said it to me for the first time, that I literally froze for a few seconds.

 

There is no question that I love Justin. I feel it in every cell of my body.

 

And yet, I couldn’t muster up enough courage to say them back to him after only one month of dating. To me, with that kind of confession comes vulnerability. When you tell someone you love them, you’re laying all of your trust in them, giving them the power to completely crush you. And so I only smiled at him then, kissing him with all of the love I felt and trying to express everything I could not say.

 

He had said it again the next day in the car, where I was unfortunately strapped down to my seat. We were driving to his mother’s house for the first time, and I was already nervous enough about meeting her. I will always remember the way his face fell after a few silent seconds passed, and we just stared at each other. His jaw locked as he turned back to the road, almost flinching painfully when I didn’t answer him. How could I practically hurt with love for him and yet be unable to tell him so?

 

So I waited until we were pulling up to his mother’s house and then turned to him, stretching across the middle console, and held his face in my hands. He was still visibly angry, but as soon as I told him how much I loved him, his whole face lit up.

 

And I haven’t been able to stop saying it to him ever since. My heart still skips a beat every time he tells me he loves me, but at least I respond to him now. I’m still trying to get used to the fact that this amazing man loves me, and that is why I am left speechless every time he showers me with words of love and adoration so easily.

 

And I’m sure he knows of his effect on me, which is why he has chosen to tell me this, this morning. He’s trying to distract me from my hunger, but I will not be deterred.

 

“That’s great. I love you too, babe…and if you cherish me so much, why can’t you just fricken make me breakfast?” I ask, grinning as his eyebrows furrow together and he begins to pout. I nudge him a little with my elbow and finally he heaves a loud sigh, running his hand over his face.

 

“Okay, fine…but you’re helping.” He rolls to the edge of the bed and stands up, showing me his naked backside. My eyes immediately scan down the toned muscles and his slightly flat backside as he bends down to retrieve his sweatpants. Who knew music nerds could be so unbearably sexy? “Ahem…Ellie?” Justin’s voice clears, interrupting my lust-filled thoughts. I meet his bright eyes as he chuckles and kneels on the bed.

 

“Sorry,” I shrug. “I have wandering eyes.”

 

“You should never be sorry about that,” he smirks as he grabs my hand and pulls me up to a seated position. The sheet falls away from my body, exposing my breasts and I immediately cover them up with one arm as I follow him out of bed. I grab one of his big T-shirts and shove it over my head before he gets any ideas about returning to bed.

 

“Let me just wash up and I’ll meet you out there,” I say as I tiptoe past the clothes on the floor and head towards the bathroom. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I look exactly the same as I always have. But I feel like a different person. The past four months have flown by so fast, and yet I still get all giddy when I’m with Justin. I know it sounds cheesy, but we just fit together perfectly. We still have fights, of course, mostly about our different work hours, but at the end of the day we find a way to forgive each other. And now that I’ve finished moving all of my things into his apartment, we’ll have to work even harder on that forgive and forget thing.

 

After the past few months of going back and forth between our two apartments, I finally decided to just move permanently into his place. It was stupid to continue to pay my rent when I wasn’t even living there, so I gave up my lease and moved upstairs last week. Today is our first official day of living together. I’ve never lived with a boyfriend before, and I worry that we took that step too early, sometimes. But I trust Justin and he makes me want to take that risk. At the end of the day, he just makes me feel loved. And that’s all that matters, I guess.

 

After brushing my teeth and running a comb through my hair, I walk out to the kitchen and am greeted by the sight of Justin standing topless in front of the oven, singing to himself as he makes breakfast.

 

“Need any help?” I ask as I step up behind him. I stand on my tiptoes and rest my chin on his shoulder to kiss his stubbly jaw. My arms weave around his waist and hug him tight, sighing softly against his warm skin.

 

“Could you set the table, babe?” I nod and set off to complete my task as my boyfriend continues to sing and dance in the kitchen like the goofball that he is.

 

“You sure are chipper today,” I remark from my spot at the table where I’m watching him plate my breakfast. I will never understand how he can practically burn water for pasta, but has no problem making eggs. He will never cease to amaze me.

 

“I have no reason not to be happy,” he shrugs with a smile as he sits down across from me. “I have everything I could possibly want.”

 

I can’t help the rolling of my eyes as he smiles innocently at me and starts to pour orange juice into his glass. “I’m still not going to take off of work tonight,” I say with a smirk, understanding his sudden bout of sickeningly sweet romanticism.

 

His smile falters as he purses his lips disappointedly. “What am I going to do while you’re gone?”

 

“You’ll think of something,” I answer, smiling at the whine in his voice. “It’s only four hours, Justin. You can deal with not being by my side for four hours. Aren’t you sick of me yet?”

 

“Never,” he answers truthfully as he slides an omelet onto my plate and then takes the other one for himself. “I really do have everything I could want, Ellie. It wasn’t a ploy to get you naked. Although, I wouldn’t mind that option either.”

 

I ignore his last comment, choosing instead to ease my grumbling stomach as I take a bite of the breakfast he has so wonderfully cooked for me. He follows my lead and the room falls quiet as we both focus on our food. Breakfast, or brunch I should say, passes by rather uneventfully and after cleaning up, I settle into unpacking my last box of clothes. I didn’t have to bring much from my apartment since Justin’s apartment is already well decorated enough. He graciously offered to share his music room with me and now we have a pretty impressive combined music collection. He starts alphabetizing my vinyl disks while I unpack my clothes, deciding that watching me was simply too boring for him.

 

“I think I’ll go out and buy another shelf for this room. Your shit won’t fit,” I hear him call from down the hall.

 

“My music,” I correct him. He really isn’t subtle about his opinion on my musical tastes.

 

“Sure,” he laughs. I’m just unpacking the last of my boxes when I hear the familiar tinkering of piano keys from the music room. My curiosity piqued, I quickly shove the drawer shut and pad down the hallway. I walk into the room and Justin is sitting at his upright piano, smiling when he sees me standing by the doorway. He nods and pats his bench, gesturing for me to sit down.

 

“I haven’t gotten a chance to write anything in awhile,” he explains with a timid smile. I sit down next to him on the bench as he mindlessly begins to play a few chords, humming in harmony with the tune in his head. Within a few minutes, he already has about half a song written out. All in his head of course. Justin doesn’t bother with sheet music.

 

Watching him play music is completely mesmerizing and one of the things I love about him. There’s just something about the way he closes his eyes and his smooth voice just carries across the room. He exudes a certain self-confidence that I’ve never seen before, like he just knows that it’s what he’s meant to do. In a way, I’m kind of jealous that he can shed away all of his worries and just hideaway in his music. The fact that he is so sure of his ability and can fully give himself to that passion is inspiring.

 

I watch him as he bends over the keys, his fingers stretching across the ivory keys effortlessly as he begins to sing. His eyes are closed and he throws his head back, listening to the beautiful sound he’s creating as he leans towards me.

 

Now if you’re ever wondering about the way I’m feeling

Baby girl there ain’t no question

Just to be around you is a blessin’.

Sick and tired of trying to save the world

I just wanna spend my time with you girl

And what you give me lets me know that we’ll be alright.

Cause if your love is all I had in this life

Well that would be enough until the end of time

So rest your weary heart and relax your mind

‘Cause I’m gonna love you girl until the end of time

The music comes to an abrupt stop as Justin lifts his hands of the piano and rests them on his lap. He turns his body on the seat, straddling it as he looks at me with an embarrassed smile playing on his lips.

 

“I know it’s kind of silly,” he starts to say but I lift my hand and place my pointer finger on his lips, silencing him.

 

“It was beautiful,” I interrupt, trying to blink away the tears that start to sting my eyes. “Honestly…it’s really good.”

 

“Thanks,” he smiles. “And it’s about you…” He adds, as if he were afraid I thought it was about some other woman.

 

“Thank you,” I answer softly, dumbfounded by his honesty. “I love it.”

 

He grins at me, hugging me close to his chest. He pulls his head back and eyes me warily, his lips curving into a slight frown. “You’re crying.”

 

“No,” I argue, shaking my head. “I’m just…overwhelmed.”

 

“Was it too much?” he asks, tucking his bottom lip in between his teeth. “I didn’t…mean anything by it. Until the end of time doesn’t really mean…”

 

I chuckle as he stutters nervously, framing his face with my hands. “Justin. I meant that it just means a lot to me…it’s a really heavy song. I don’t think I deserve to be the inspiration of something so deep and beautiful.”

 

“You deserve much more than a song,” he scoffs, rolling his eyes at me. “You know I can only write exactly what I feel.” I can’t help but smile and lean forward as he meets me half way, kissing me deeply as his hand delves into my hair. After a few more minutes of heated kisses and wandering hands, Justin lifts me off the bench and carries me into the bedroom, sitting me down on top of the still messy sheets. He stands in between my knees, gazing down at me with a soft smile on his face.

 

“What?” I ask, feeling a wave of self-consciousness spread over me.

 

“I’m just appreciating the view,” he smirks. I break our eye contact and glance over to his dresser, where a bunch of my jewelry is organized next to his cologne and deodorant. A photo of us from a concert is propped up against the wall, one of our first pictures together and probably one of my favorites. I'm grinning at the camera while Justin plants a kiss on my temple. When my sister had seen the picture, she said she had never seen me so happy, and now when I look at it, her words are all I think of.

 

And now in this moment, living in this weird domestic bliss, my emotions are overwhelming. 

 

In my mind, our relationship has just climbed up two Mt. Everest-sized steps in the span of a few days. At first, moving in with him didn’t seem like a big ordeal. I practically lived with him anyways. But after the last few nights, I’ve realized that this is real. I am actually living with a man with whom I am deeply in love, who has no qualms about expressing how much he loves and adores me back. I can’t see myself with any other man. I have never felt even an eighth of what I feel for Justin, for anyone in my life, besides my sister and mother, of course. And this realization settles heavily at the bottom of my stomach

 

This is it.

 

Justin is the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with. There is no doubt in my mind that he is it for me, because being with anyone else just seems impossible. No other person could ever treat me and take care of me as well as Justin does. Maybe that’s why it was so hard for me to tell him I love him. I was scared that maybe I was falling too fast for him. But it was too late, I had already fallen for him. Hard. And now that I know he’s the one, I can’t stop thinking about how much I love him.

 

“Ellie?” Justin’s worried voice pulls me out of my epiphany. I blink dumbly at him and realize that I've been staring at the picture for the last 30 seconds and he is now sitting beside me with a concerned look on his face.

 

“I love you,” I answer him breathlessly. His eyes widen a fraction before a slow smile crosses his face.

 

“I love you too, babe,” he chuckles under his breath, eyes narrowing as he studies me carefully. “Are you okay?”

 

I nod distractedly and wrap my arms around his shoulders as I crawl into his lap, trying to get as close to him as possible His arms immediately envelop my body, warming me up as his lips meet mine in a fiery kiss. This is all I need.

 

Just me and him together.

 

 

====================================

 

My girl is crazy.

 

And I mean that in the most lovable, affectionate way possible. One minute she’s acting all quiet and weird, and then the next she attacks me and keeps repeating how much she loves me. Her hands are everywhere on me, like she can’t get enough and I have to struggle a little to keep up with her. Not that I mind at all. Anytime she wants any, she is free to take it.

 

“Justin…” her lips mumble against my chest, where she is doing some amazing things with her mouth and tongue right now. Her hands are now shoved into my pants, working fast against Big Jim. God it feels so good. She is way too amazing at getting me hot for her. She kisses her way up to my face and then pulls her face back, staring into my eyes. I get lost in her honey brown eyes for a little bit, my hands slipping underneath her shirt and pressing against her soft skin.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Make love to me,” she says softly, sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth. “Please…”

 

Well she doesn’t need to ask me twice. My hands slide down towards her ass and hold her against my chest as I stand up and pick her up, only to turn and then lay her right back down on the bed. She scoots back towards the pillow, giggling a little when I get out of my sweatpants and shirt a little too eagerly.

 

“What…you think this is funny?” I ask, looking down at my hard-on and then back at her. That shuts her up real fast as she stares at me a little, her eyes darkening with lust as she licks her lips and then rises to her knees. She moves over to the edge of the bed where I’m standing and rests her hands on my chest. I smirk down at her and my eyes scan over her soft brown hair which flows down her shoulders in waves, and the way my old Memphis Grizzlies shirt hugs her curves in all the right places and stops short revealing her lacy underwear.

 

“I don’t think it’s funny at all,” she apologizes, sliding her arms over my shoulders and locking them behind my head. My own lock above her ass and I lean in, kissing her real deep and slow. She lets out this soft moan when my hands start kneading her breasts underneath her shirt and her fingers roam down my body, wrapping themselves around my dick.

 

“Shit,” I gasp against her lips as she starts to work her hand up and down my length, rolling my balls between her fingers as her lips curve into a smile. She starts kissing down my chest, licking and sucking my nipples before she continues her way south. Her body slides down and across the bed, her stomach pressing into the sheets as she props herself up on her elbows and takes my throbbing erection in her mouth. Her position looks kind of odd and uncomfortable, but her tongue feels so good I can’t find it in me to tell her to move. My hands immediately burrow into her hair, not really pushing or anything, just letting her know that she’s doing everything perfectly.

 

She does this thing with her tongue that drives me fuckin’ crazy every time. I can’t really describe it, except that it feels amazing. Most of my exes had never liked giving head, and would just try to suck me off as fast as they could to get it over with. But Ellie is on a whole different level. I’ve always believed there was a certain art in oral sex. Not to sound like a pervert, but sometimes it’s just nice to pleasure your partner, you know? You don’t have to do any crazy shit…but just realize that guys don’t just get off with girls sucking on their dicks like a vacuum. It’s better to change stuff up, and Ellie totally gets that.

 

I feel her teeth lightly grazing my skin and I let out a deep guttural groan, my fingers curling against her scalp. If I don’t stop this soon, I’m going to come before the real fun begins. I can already feel my balls tightening and the familiar tingling sensations running to my toes. So I pull back away from her, slipping out of her mouth and wince my eyes shut, willing myself enough patience to get Ellie screaming my name before I let myself go.

 

My eyes open and refocus and she’s suddenly naked, laying back on her elbows and smiling up at me. Her knees are bent, pressed together, and I slide my hands up her smooth calves and over her knees, pushing them gently apart as I climb onto the bed and over her body.

 

“God…I love you,” I mutter as I study her face and greedily memorize every little freckle and minute detail of her face. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

 

“Not for a few hours,” she smiles and I smile back, nuzzling my nose along her jaw. I start to kiss down the long column of her neck, sucking and tasting her skin as I make my way down her body. Her breaths begin to get shallower and her skin is warm against mine as I lavish attention to her breasts. Her soft skin smells of vanilla and oranges, and frankly, it’s the best thing I’ve ever smelt. I continue my way down her body, kissing a trail down towards her navel as my hands slide down her sides and curve underneath her ass. I shower kisses on her inner thighs, licking my lips slowly as our eyes meet. Her lips are parted slightly as she stares down at me, her breaths releasing in heavier pants.

 

A soft gasp escapes her pink lips when my tongue slides in between her wet folds. Her body is squirming in my arms as she begins to move against my face, urging me on. My fingers smooth up her thighs and push her legs farther apart as I brush the pad of my thumb against her clit and then flick at it with my tongue.

 

“Justin,” she moans loudly, eyes fluttering shut. I slide a finger into her entrance, moaning when I feel how slick and wet she is. Fuck. Another finger slides in and I start to pump my fingers in and out of her, feeling her walls squeeze around them tightly. Her palm presses against my forehead and she starts to grind her body against my lips wantonly. My fingers curl up and I feel that soft spot inside her, pressing the tips of my fingers against it gently.

 

“Yes. Oh god, don’t stop,” she gasps as her hips buck off the mattress. I begin to move my hand and tongue faster against her and inside her, wanting to see her come apart in my arms. Her fingers scratch down my neck and grip my shoulders, digging into my skin as her mouth hangs open and her thighs squeeze around my head. I watch mesmerized as Ellie’s eyes wince shut and her head is thrown back against the pillows. In that moment, she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

 

I kiss my way back up her body, lavishing attention to her breasts and collarbone as her arms weakly wrap around my neck. My lips find hers easily and I melt in her kiss, feeling her soft curves against my body. I want her so bad right now and it’s taking all I have not to just bury myself inside of her to the hilt. But I can’t…I can’t just start to fuck her senselessly because tonight is different. It’s our first night actually living together, and I need her to know that I’m serious about us. Ellie has the tendency to freak out over things, and I know she’s been over-analyzing this move-in. Mostly because I overheard her talking to her sister about it, but that’s beside the point.

 

Her hands move down my back and I feel her legs wrap around my waist as she lets out an impatient sigh.

 

“What’s wrong?” she pushes my head up so she can look at me properly, her deep brown eyes searching mine suspiciously.

 

“What?”

 

“You…well you got me off and now you’re not trying to,” she bluntly answers and makes that expression she makes whenever she says something particularly vulgar.

 

“There’s no rush,” I shrug with a smile as I move my hips and press against her intimately. We both moan at the contact and I feel the pleasure ripple through my body. Unable to wait much longer, I finally push into her and suddenly everything is alright again. There’s that incredible, tight, perfect fit and I know that I’m right when I say she’s it for me. Our hot breaths mix together as I start to move inside of her, feeling her completely sheathed around me. There’s no greater feeling than this. My hands bury in her hair as I raise my body up so that I can move deeper inside of her.

 

“Oh…” I groan when she squeezes her muscles around me. I roll to the side and drag her knee higher up my hip. I think it says a lot about my stamina that I have been able to hold out this long. I was about ready to end it before it even started. She starts to kiss me real soft and wet, making the little noises I love as I start to pound into her faster. I can feel tremors run through her body, letting me know she’s close.

 

“Come on Ellie. Let go for me,” I encourage her as I cover her breast with my hand and graze my thumb over her hard nipple. This real sexy growl escapes her lips and I’m suddenly on my back and she’s on top of me, riding me. Her hips begin to roll hypnotically against me and I have to tear my eyes away from her bouncing body to take in a deep calming breath. She leans forward so that are chests are pressed together and starts to do some amazing things with her mouth against my neck. Just like that, I lose it and with one last deep thrust up, I explode. My fingers dig into her legs and I vaguely register her scream as her orgasm follows my own.

 

I don’t know how much more of this kind of sex I can take. I feel like I need days to recuperate after just one session.

 

When I finally gain consciousness and my breath back, Ellie’s body is completely slumped over on top of mine. She must have moved off of me at some point and is now just sprawled out on top of me, our legs intertwined and her hair fanned out across my chest. I can feel her heartbeat against my chest and I lazily throw my arm across her back.

 

“Holy hell,” I grumble and she turns her head to look at me, resting her chin on my sternum. I smile when I see her cheeky grin and squeeze her to my body. “You are going to be the death of me, woman.”

 

“Oh I don’t know. We still have a few good years,” she says thoughtfully.

 

“I don’t think I can move.”

 

“Then don’t. Let’s take a nap,” she yawns and somehow, I don’t know how, finds enough energy to lift her body off of mine and plop down onto the mattress. We snuggle together and I breathe in deeply, letting the exhaustion take over my body. Her smell and warmth completely surrounds me and I feel calm and at home with that knowledge.

 

“I love you,” I mumble quietly before she has the chance to doze off. “Everything about you.” It’s true, too.

 

I love the taste of her. I love how she starts mumbling incoherently when she’s close to the edge and I’m right there, pushing her closer so we can get there together. Or how she snores when she’s dead tired and passes out in bed before I can kiss her goodnight. I just love her. Even through all of the bullshit we go through, and drama with her family, I adore her.

 

And I really hope she knows that. She’s literally the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and her scent follows me as I walk through the school’s halls. Sometimes, when I’m working with the kindergartners, I even wonder what our kids would look like. It’s ridiculous, really. But I can’t help it. I know it’s too soon to be thinking about marriage or kids. Hell, I’m scared shitless of being a father right now. But she brings out thoughts and feelings I’ve never had before. And in these moments when we’re just laying in bed together, I think about my future. And Ellie is it.

 

I think she’s always been the girl I was supposed to live the rest of my life with, and that is why I was so hung up on her for so long. Every fiber of my being must have known that I needed her.

 

“I love you too,” she answers sleepily into the pillow. “By the way, I’m still going to work tonight.”

 

“Sure.” I laugh, knowing she won’t be saying that later when we’re trying to recover from being laid to pieces again.

 

“I’m serious, Justin. You can’t seduce me like that,” she whines and I have to smile when I peer over at her and see her pouting prettily at me.

 

“Just…sleep. We’ll worry about the seducing later.” I press a kiss to her shoulder and pull the sheets over us. If this is what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life, then I’ll take it.