It was five minute to midnight and Kara was standing in her bedroom, looking over herself in the mirror. She wished she'd had time to run to the mall and buy a new bathing suit. The one she had was fine, but it was old and no longer her favorite suit. It was different shades of pink all swirling together in different spirals. It was a two piece tankini and skirt, and when worn looked more like a colorful tank dress than a swimsuit. But, it would have to do. She'd never be able to get Marz to loan her something, and even if she did it probably wouldn't fit right.

Over it she wore a denim skirt, homemade from an old pair of jeans, and a black tank top. It was a little chilly outside, but the only place Justin could be taking her at this hour that involved water was an indoor pool, in which case the hoodie she planned on bringing would be fine.

Grabbing her purse, Kara snuck over to her sisters' bedroom. She'd gone to bed an hour ago. Kara put her ear against the wood. There wasn't any noise inside, and there wasn't any light coming from under the door. Marz was probably asleep for the night.

Satisfied that her sister wouldn't be a problem Kara headed down the stairs to wait on Justin. It was just two minutes before midnight and he was a pretty punctual person so he'd probably be pulling up any second. Kara stood in the kitchen, leaning against the table; from there she could see the driveway. She bit nervously on her thumb nail, a habit she'd never really practiced before. It was just such a nail biting experience sneaking around with Justin like this. It was exciting not only because it was so forbidden, but because he was just such an exciting man. She imagined him as the kind of man who'd always been able to get the object of his affection to do things she'd never considered doing before.

Movement out front pulled Kara out of her thoughts and she saw a strange white BMW pull up. What made it strange wasn't the fact that it had its headlights off, but that it was a car she'd never seen before. But it was exactly midnight, the car was waiting on something, and the driver had known the code to the gate so it must have been Justin. Kara headed out the back door, into the back yard and out the gate. It was much quieter than going out the front door and would be easier to sneak back in later.

She carefully pushed open the wooden side gate, and then gently latched it behind her. It was colder than she thought it'd be and she regretted wearing the skirt. But her bathing suit was a skirt, and trying to wear pants over it would have been incredibly uncomfortable. Thankfully when she opened the car door a gush of warm air came flowing out and she sighed with relief when she saw Justin sitting in the driver's seat.

"Hey." She whispered, climbing in.

"Hey," he smiled. "I see you took that whole swimsuit thing and went wild with it."

His fingers toyed with the shell necklace around her neck.

"I'm just trying to match," she said. "It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand."

He faked offense at her words, drawing his hand back only to drop it on her bare thigh. He massaged her skin for a moment, nodding his head approvingly. He'd told her once before that he loved how her skin was always soft, and now he used an excuse he could to touch her. She suspected that that was the reason he currently petting her leg. Finally he looked up at her.

"Nice."

He pulled away, waiting until they were several feet from the house before he turned the headlights back on.

"So," Kara buckled herself in. "Where'd you get this car?"

"It's mine, I just rarely drive it," he explained. "It's my disguise car, so the paps can't follow me. They always see me driving the Benz or the Escalade, they'd never recognize me in this."

"Yes, because there's a huge difference in a white BMW and a silver Mercedes."

"Hey, in my line of work little changes make a big difference."

Kara nodded, looking at the black leather. It was a beautiful car, more spacious than it looked from the outside. It even still had that new car smell, and not a single sign of wear.

"So where are we going?"

"Not telling."

"Come on." She turned to him. "I'm already in the car, what am I going to do? Jump out? Just tell me."

Justin shook his head defiantly.

"Just because I answered one question doesn't mean I'm going to answer them all. Just sit back and let yourself be surprised."

Kara huffed, but took his advice. She settled back into the leather seat, watching the streets of LA breeze by as they zipped down the 110 highway. She knew they were heading south, but she still had no idea what he could have been planning. What she did know was that the black sky was a fantastic backdrop for the city they were apparently leaving. Lights of white, red, green, and blue jumped out at her, mesmerizing her mind as the music played softly in the background. It sounded like Tom Petty, but she wasn't entirely positive until she heard the chorus of Here Comes My Girl. Every now and then Justin's hand would drop down onto her leg, petting her skin delicately or taking her hand to toy with one of her fingers.

A little less than an hour later they exited the highway and began to navigate the streets. They passed Heathercliff, Sea Lion, and Birdview and Kara began to get whiffs of salt water. Eventually they pulled into an empty lot with one light pole, Justin cut off the engine as Kara stared straight ahead. They were in Malibu, and the ocean was laid out before her. Through the raised windows she could hear the crashing waves as they reached the shore.

Her eyes slowly shifted over to Justin and he grinned excitedly back at her as if he still knew something she did not. Hopefully that something was that he knew of a Jacuzzi because there was no way she was getting in the freezing water.

"Come walk with me," he said.

Before she had a chance to reply he'd hopped out of the car and was making his way towards the steps that lead down to the sand. She could see now that he was dressed similarly; sandals, shorts, and a long sleeved fitted tee-shirt. Kara got out of the car, hurrying after him. She worried that if he got too far ahead that she wouldn't be able to find him again. She could make out two other people on the deserted beach, and she could only make them out momentarily when the waters broke, their icy white caps creating a bright enough backdrop that she could see the silhouette of the other couple.

"What are we doing here?" Kara asked, slipping her arms back into her sweatshirt.

She'd caught up to Justin and was now following him in his steady stride towards the shore. He waited until they were a mere few feet from the water before he answered.

"We're going for a little dip."

Kara's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Excuse me?" She asked in disbelief. "Justin, it's one in the morning. Do you have any idea how cold that water is going to be?"

He shrugged, unaffected by her complaint, and dropped the two towels she didn't even notice he was holding onto the sand. He looked out at the waters as he slipped out of his sandals and undid the button on his shorts. Under them he wore navy blue swim trunks.

"Nothing we can't get used too. It'll be invigorating."

"Invigorating?" She questioned. "More like suicide. You need a wet suit to get in that water. Can't we go find a nice heated indoor pool? I know there's one at your gym."

Justin turned back to her. She could see he was unafraid, and quite determined. He made a frown at her, and then pulled his shirt over his head. Kara's thoughts immediately began to run together as she inadvertently inspected his pectorals with her eyes.

"Well, there are two things that can happen here Kara," he said. "First, you can be brave and come with me about waist deep in, and be able to say you swam in the Pacific at one in the morning and lived to tell the tale. Or, second, you can wimp out and stay here on the sand and watch me be the brave one."

With that he turned his back, heading towards the water and leaving her alone.

"Justin!" She called after him. "You're really going to leave me here alone? What if a murderous-raping-mugger comes along?!"

It was a valid fear. Who else hung out at the beach at this hour except for bums and crazies? Apparently Justin was the exception. His feet touched the water and jumped at the temperature, but kept trudging along regardless, glancing over his shoulder to shout back at her. The waves were crashing so loud that she barely made out his shouted, "come on!"

Kara grumbled to herself watching as he got further and further away. Without him standing here next to her the temperature seemed to decrease even further, if that were possible. Grumbling even more Kara unbuttoned her skirt, letting it drop to her feet. Then she removed her hoodie, tank top, and sandals before chasing after him.

"Wait for me!"

The water was as she expected, freezing, and a long thin strand of seaweed wrapped around her ankle. Briefly she wondered about stepped on a crab, jellyfish, or some other sea creature. What if she got stung while running around out here in the middle of the night? Then she'd scream bloody murder, Justin would have to pee on it to ease the burning, and they'd be explaining to Marz and trace why they were in the Malibu emergency room at two in the morning.

Kara stopped, mid-calf deep in the water and called to Justin again.

"Come here! Justin, I really don't want to get in."

"Girl," he said sternly. "Get your butt over here. You need some kind of adventure in your life, everyone does."

As if having an affair with one of the worlds most sought after pop stars --while he was dating her sister and she was dating his best friend nonetheless-- wasn't enough adventure. If you asked Kara she had a hell of a lot more adventure going on in her life than most people did. But then he flashed her a smile and turned to head even deeper into the water. One glimpse at that angel tattoo and Kara's feet were moving again, slowly but steadily into the ocean. She realized with a start, that she'd probably follow that torso anywhere he asked her too. That probably wasn't good.

"Okay, can you just wait for me?"

Justin stopped, turning to look back at her as she wobbly made her way towards him. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, and though she looked like the poster child for a freezing woman he had to chuckle at how cute she was. When she was within arm's reach Justin's hand curled around her bicep, helping to guide her the rest of the way.

"Come here," he cooed.

Kara put her arms around his waist, hugging herself closer to him for some kind of heat. She was getting more used to the temperature, but it was still freezing, and the breeze coming off the water wasn't helping. His arms curled around her and he rocked them back and forth, the waves lapping at their hips.

"You ready?" He asked out of the blue.

Kara pulled back and looked up at him questioningly.

"Ready? For what?"

Without word -or warning- she felt his once sturdy and welcoming hands push her away, her body flying down into the ocean. It was dark, and cold, and she kicked and thrashed her way back to the surface. When she stood up again Justin was several feet away, laughing hysterically.

"What the hell?!" She cried.

"That's that adventure I was talking about," he cackled.

Kara's eye narrowed into such small angry slits she could barely see.

"That's it," she muttered.

She dove in after him, braving the water, sea weed, and potential run-ins with jellyfish to chase after him. He stopped when he the water was just below his chin, and he calmly treaded water as she grew closer, splashing water into the air. When she caught up to him she launched herself at him, pushing his head down below the surface. She'd hoped that when he came back up he'd be choking and sputtering like she'd been, but instead he was laughing again as if he didn't have a care in the world. Now she knew for the next time that he needed to be held under for longer.

"That wasn't funny," she stated.

"Yes, it was, don't be a spoiled sport, you know it was hilarious."

"It was rude."

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" He teased. "Poor thing, come here."

"No."

Kara swam away from his hands when he reached for her. She was freezing from head to toes, her teeth chattering, and it was entirely his fault.

"Oh, come on," he said. "I'm sorry, okay. I promise I won't do that again, honestly. Come here."

Kara didn't budge.

"Please."

Kara looked at the open hand he extended towards her before she finally allowed him to pull her closer. He wrapped his wet arms around her and she instantly felt warmer. Her arms went around his neck when he nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I just needed a way to get you out here. I knew you wouldn't just follow me, so I had to make you chase me."

She frowned to herself. It had all been a plan and she'd played into it perfectly.

"I didn't like that." She pouted.

Justin smiled, kissing her nose.

"I know. But aren't you glad you're out here now? Isn't it nice?"

Kara finally relaxed enough to take in her surroundings. She was floating in Justin's arms, her feet a few inches from the sea floor. The lights of the shore seemed a million miles away and it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

"It's nice," she agreed begrudgingly. "But don't you think it's a little too open?"

She'd never spent time with Justin in a place like this before. They'd always been inside somewhere where the prying eyes of the world couldn't see them. Here they were so exposed and she felt vulnerable.

"Open?"

"Yeah. I mean, we aren't usually some place so public, you know?"

He laughed openly.

"You don't think the hospital parking garage was public?"

"That's different. We were only there for 10 minutes and no one could recognize you behind me anyway. Here there could be stalkerazzi, or crazed fan girls or something."

"I don't think there's gonna be any paps out here this late. Besides, that's why we drove all the way down here. We left all the photographers back in LA."

"What about crazy fans? For all you know they could live in those apartments right there."

He waited until she glanced back towards the shore at the green and pink buildings before he rolled his eyes.

"We're too far out for any stalker fans or stalker paps to find us. They probably can't even see us."

Kara thought back to the couple she'd seen back at shore. The only time she'd been able to see them was when the water had provided the backdrop. To the naked eye they were probably invisible all the way out here. She looked back at Justin. The water was gently lapping at his jaw and his blue eyes were staring at her as she unknowingly clung to him.

"Promise?" She asked.

"I promise."

"Okay."

He smiled and his features visibly softened as he looked her over. Her wet curls stuck to the side of her face and neck, and small beads dripped from her face back into the ocean. The moon light reflecting off of sea made her look pale, but her eyes glowed brightly.

"Give me a kiss," he whispered.

Normally he wouldn't have bothered to ask her, he would have just pulled her close and kissed her the way he wanted. But she was hanging off of his body rather than standing on her own, and he needed his arms to tread water and keep his balance. Kara looked down at him, her hand petting the back of his neck softly.

She leaned down slowly, laying her lips over his. They were wet and cold, but rays of warmth washed over him. Her arms hugged him tightly when his tongue slipped past her lips, brushing her own. When she pulled back, she was smiling for the first time.

"See, it's not so bad," he teased.

"No, it's no so bad."

More than an hour later Justin was in the backseat of his car, leaning back against the door. The windows of the car provided a near panoramic view of the beach, and the stars twinkling above. The heater, and radio were running, and it had to be a good 15 degrees warmer inside than it had been out there. Now he could admit, without hurting his pride, that Kara had been right: it was freezing in that water. Lying with him, between his legs, was Kara. Her legs were pulled up onto the seat, her head resting on his chest. They'd found a large rock to change behind, and she was back in her skirt and hoodie, and he in his shorts and tee-shirt.

It was getting late, and the moon hung high in the sky, but he had no intention of leaving any time soon. He felt to calm and relaxed here with her, No Doubt's Underneath It All playing quietly on the radio. Kara was laying comfortably, one of her bare legs rubbing against his from time to time. He could see now, under the dim lights from the streetlamp, that her skin was tanned with a bronzed glow.

"The albums almost done," she said. "We still have some mixing to do, but everything is all recorded. It won't be long now until we're turning it over to jive."

Justin sighed deeply, his thoughts coming back to the present.

"Yeah," he sounded.

She thought she heard the slightest twinge of sadness in his voice, but couldn't be sure.

"What will you do now?"

He felt her shrug against him before snuggling deeper into his chest.

"Go back to working with Marz probably."

"Really?" He was genuinely surprised at that. "You don't want to keep producing? Working with other artists?"

Again, he got another shrug.

"I don't know. You were the first person I've worked with besides Marz, and look what happened."

She looked up at him with a knowing smirk that matched his own.

"Maybe I'll stay out of trouble if I stick with my sister."

"Maybe you just need to not be so good looking and then artists won't hit on you."

"Maybe you need to not get in the habit of seducing your producers."

She could feel the rumble of his chuckle in his chest. Her eyes moved back to the view out the windshield. If there was ever a better therapy than the ocean, she didn't know what it was. She'd never been one for the water really. She'd go in up to her knees, then get scared and run back to shore. Marz was the brave one that would dive in, the one that got all the attention in her string bikinis. But it had always been relaxing just to go to the beach, looking at such a large body of water, with so many millions of animals living in it, made your worries and problems seem small by comparison.

"Do you ever bring Marz here?"

Once the question left her lips she wished she hadn't asked it. If the answer was yes, she wasn't prepared to hear it. She wanted to believe that this place, this beach, this moment belonged completely to them.

"Marz? No, I've not brought Marz here. I've never done anything like this with her."

That made her sit up. She should have been ashamed at the happy feeling that overwhelmed her at those words, but she wasn't.

"Really?"

"Nope. I think if I ever brought Marz to the beach in the middle of the night she'd lock herself in the car. You know Marz. She likes to put on her dresses and heels, and that's cool. But sometimes you just wanna bea33; yourself, you know? Spontaneous. Adventurous."

There was that word again, adventurous. She nodded understandingly, watching his expression. He looked at ease, content even. She wondered if this was what it was like to be in a real relationship with him. Would all their days be laced with tranquil moments like this? She could feel the intensity growing in her eyes, and what scared her most was that his matched her own.

"You're wasting gas," she said, eager to break the silence between them.

She leaned forward, halfway climbing into the front seat to reach the ignition and turn the engine off. She felt Justin's fingers dance along her spine on the skin left exposed by her sweatshirt.

"We can go to a gas station before we get back on the highway."

"True, but you're still polluting the atmosphere with your non-hybrid BMW."

"Hybrids pollute, just not as much."

Just before she turned the key the DJ announced the next song and Justin lit up, his nails gently scratching her back.

"Leave the radio on," he requested. "I like this song."

Kara did as told, leaving the radio running, and climbed back into the back.

"Now you're just going to kill the battery."

"It recharges," he said absentmindedly.

He was already engrossed in the song, his head swaying along to the beat with his eyes closed.

Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you got to do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now

Backbeat the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I'm sure you've heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now

When he opened his eyes again, they looked different somehow. Darker, yet clearer at the same time. He brushed her hair behind her shoulders, and then gripped her knees, pulling one of her legs over so she straddled his lap. The ceiling was low, and the top of her head brushed against it, but she didn't care when he was looking at her like that. His touch was incredibly gentle, as if she were a delicate doll in his arms.

And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
But I don't know how

Justin looked her over, a different vibe falling over him. He'd never seen her like this before. Well, technically he had. He'd seen her all kinds of ways, naked, relaxed, annoyed, and insecure. But this was different, she looked different to him, and he saw her in a new light. He embraced her tightly, feeling like if he could hold her close enough now than he would have a chance at holding her forever, protecting her from everything bad or difficult or unhappy about the world.

Because maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall

She rested her forehead on his, and damp curly strands brushed his face. Despite the swim she still smelled like jasmine and vanilla. He could feel her breath on his face, her soft hands running down his arms. She snuggled closer and he wrapped his arms even tighter around her. Realizing that the album was almost done also came with the realization that their love affair may be coming to an end as well. Justin wasn't reacting to that news the way he'd always thought he would.

I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do
About you now

Kara sat up, her face just an inch from his. His large hand cupped her cheek and she snuggled into his touch. Justin let his fingers trail down the column of her neck, to the clevage between her breasts. With one slightly shaky hand he pulled down the zipper on her sweatshirt, revealing the spaghetti strap tank top she wore underneath. Kara watched him, not looking up to meet his eyes until he was done and the fabric fell open. They hadn't ever moved this slowly before. Even the first time they'd slept together had been hurried, a rush to get to the act and feel their bodies molded together. They'd never really taken their time to actually seduce one another, and she could feel the results all over. The burning desire in his eyes -which he was trying to suppress- would have been enough to make any girl give into his every whim.

When she kissed him, Justin's breathed hitched in his throat. It was feather light, and she tasted of the Pacific. His hands dropped to the smooth skin of her thighs tracing circles on her skin that rose higher and higher to the skirt that bunched at her hips. He realized that he didn't feel the straps of any panties, and she probably wasn't wearing any. His lips moved to her neck, and Kara leaned her head back, hissing when his tongue flattened over her collarbone. She was more turned on than she'd ever been, his warm fingers digging into her hips as the song played. She could feel him growing beneath her, and she wanted him desperately, not for the amazing finish that he'd undoubtedly give her, but because she ached to be close to him and to have this romantic moment to remember forever.

"Kara," he whispered huskily in her ear. "I want you so badly."

Hot trails blazed on her skin as he pushed the hoodie from her shoulders, and down her arms until it dropped to the floorboards of the car. She shuddered when he pulled her earlobe into his mouth, and then pulled back to look at him. His eyelids were heavy over his blue orbs. She trailed her hands down his sides, feeling his muscles twitch at her ticklish touch. Finally reaching the hem, she pulled his shirt up and over his head. He sat back against the leather, her body angled over his perfectly.

And all the roads that lead you there were winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don't know how

She marveled at his body, tracing the perfect contours of his abs with her fingers. Even if their affair was sinful, she'd never felt more heavenly than she did when she was with him. Every touch, every look he gave her made her feel wanted, desired, and beautiful. It was a feeling she didn't want to let go of. Never breaking their gaze, Kara undid the button and zipper on his shorts, pulling his member from within its confines. He was warm and solid, thick in her grasp. His eyes closed at her touch, a sigh escaping his lips. She tilted her head, kissing the side of his neck and she slid her hand up and down his length slowly. She could feel his hands pressing into her ever harder, his erratic moans warming her shoulder.

Suddenly he grabbed her hips firmly, pulling her hips directly over him. Kara took the hint. She raised up onto her knees a little, lining him up perfectly before slowly lowering herself onto him. Justin kissed her in an effort to keep from outwardly expressing how amazing she felt. Her skin still felt a little cool from the water, but inside she was deliciously warm. She started a slow grind against him, her head buried into his neck. Yeah, this was what heaven felt like.

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall

It was after four in the morning, and Justin was piloting the car back down highway one towards LA. He was wide awake, his mind a jumble of thoughts that zigzagged in all kinds of different directions, except for the directions that made sense. Beside him Kara had her feet propped up on the dashboard, the vents on her side tilted so they blew warm air onto her bare legs. Her head was leaning back in the crook between the door and the seat as she slouched in her chair. Her face was peaceful as an angel's. Every now and then he'd glance over at her sleeping figure as it was illuminated by the headlights of a passing car. Her cream colored hoodie was zipped up to her chin and she barely made a peep as she rested.

He'd stumbled upon a very important realization tonight. He knew that regardless of what the future held for he and Kara, he had to break it off with Marz. She just wasn't the right girl, THE one, and the sooner he ended it the sooner she could get back to finding the right man for her. But that wasn't Justin's biggest epiphany. He was hopelessly in love with a girl, but it wasn't the one everyone called his girlfriend.