Kara was curled up on the couch with a book in her hand. It was one of her few, much appreciated, days off. Nothing was on Marz's schedule, and there was no studio time with Justin; which meant the two were probably somewhere together. She didn't mind, or at least that's what she kept telling herself.

After the intimacy she and Justin shared that morning in the studio two weeks ago, she'd been feeling a bit more possessive of Justin, as he was beginning to do the same with her. They knew what they had done was wrong, that's probably what had made it so enticing. Knowing that they could have been caught at any moment intensified whatever need there was between them.

She adjusted the black plastic frames of her glasses and turned the page in the novel she was reading. She'd just made it through the thirteenth chapter when she heard someone turn a key in the front door. It was probably Trace. She wasn't expecting her sister until after dinner -if at all that night- and since they'd given both Justin and Trace copies of the house key and codes to the gate a few weeks ago they came and went as they pleased.

"Kara? You here?"

It was Trace.

"In the living room, hun," she replied with a smile.

Trace's face imitated hers as he made his way into the room. She leaned her head over the edge of the couch and accepted the kiss he placed on her forehead before he plopped down next to her, placing her feet on his lap.

"Hey stranger."

"Stranger?" She giggled. "It's been what, eight hours since you've last seen me?"

"Eight hours is too long," he replied, unconsciously rubbing her bare leg.

He noted her relaxed apparel; glasses instead of contacts, hair in a messy ponytail, an old t-shirt from one of Marz's concerts and black shorts. She couldn't look more beautiful in his eyes. Kara noticed him staring and furrowed her brow.

"What? Do I have toothpaste stains on my face again?"

Trace laughed.

"No," he laughed again before continuing. "I was just admiring your beauty. This is when I think you look the prettiest, chilling with no make-up on."

Kara could feel the heat rising to her face. He always said the sweetest things to her. She almost felt bad for sneaking around with his best friend behind his back….almost. Justin -his body and the things he did to her- was like her crack and she was addicted beyond belief. Kara didn't realize that she was daydreaming about Justin until Trace brought her back to the present by asking her a question.

"Huh?"

"I said what's that you're reading?" He repeated.

"Oh, it's Twilight. It's pretty good, I'm about halfway finished."

"A book about apples is interesting?" He asked, eyeing the cover.

Kara chuckled at his comment.

"It's not about apples. It's a love story between a vegetarian vampire and a human girl."

Trace furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Don't worry; I was just as confused as you were when one of my friends recommended it to me. Apparently it's part of a series. This is the first one and it came out like two years ago and there are three more after this. She loaned me this one yesterday."

"You got this yesterday and you're already half-way through it?" He questioned. "Nice."

"I read fast, and it's really good," she replied, beaming.

Kara marked her place in the hardback and placed it on the coffee table next to the couch.

"So, what have you been doing all day?"

She gave him her full attention. Trace cradled her right foot in his hands and began massaging it as he answered her question.

"I had a meeting at William Rast, had to approve of some hem lines and yolks. You know, the standard day at the office."

"Oh yeah, feeling on people's asses is typical huh?" She asked jokingly.

He shrugged.

"Hey, someone's gotta do it, right?"

"Of course," she replied laughing.

Her laugh melted into a moan when Trace began massaging the ball of that foot.

"Feel good?" He asked.

"Umm hmm," she moaned, her eyes closing.

Trace gulped; his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. Hearing her moan like that caused a stirring in his groin. He could see the pleasure on her face; see her softly biting down on her bottom lip as he continued to massage her foot.

"That feels so good, babe," she said, the words dripping from her mouth like honey.

Trace actually focused on what she said rather than the way she said them. She had been more open about pet names since they'd officially started dating a little over a week ago. He'd come over on an off day -just like today- and she was her room with her friend Roxi receiving a pedicure. It wasn't until Roxi questioned who Trace was that the two had to define their relationship.

"This is Trace, my boyfriend," she had said without hesitation.

They hadn't sat down and put a label on anything, but she felt secure enough in their relationship to tell her friend that. A look of surprise flashed across Trace's face before he confirmed what Kara had said. He smiled fondly on the memory before a moan from Kara brought him back to the present.

"You could definitely be a masseuse for your side hustle," she chuckled softly.

"That's what I have William Rast for," he replied.

Trace ended the massage on her left foot with an all-over rub, not realizing that he'd unconsciously switched feet during his daydream.

"Yeah, well we don't need you to give that up do we? I like the perk of free clothes."

"And you have the cutest shape to model our clothes in," he replied, running his hands up and down her bare legs.

"Thanks baby," she grinned. "But I'm gonna have to be honest with you, Ricardo and his boyfriend are starting to rub off on you; you're starting to talk like them."

Trace rolled his neck and snapped his fingers.

"Naw uh, girlfriend!" he mocked.

Kara laughed and sat forward.

"So what do you have planned for the rest of the day?"

"I was thinking we could grab something for dinner tonight, and just lounge around with you until then."

"Sounds good to me." Her smile mimicked his. "So how do you feel about vampires?"

She repositioned herself so that she was leaning against his chest. Then she opened the book and they both settled in for chapter fourteen.

"How does this look?"

Justin looked up from his folded hands at girlfriend and smiled at the ensemble she wore.

"I like it," he said, his grin growing.

The black pencil skirt she had on hugged her curves in all the right places.

"It doesn't make my butt look big?"

Marz scrunched up her nose, twisting her body to get a better view at her reflection in the floor length mirror.

"Yeah, but it's just more for me to hold on to."

He stood and wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed a feather light kiss on her forehead and breathed in the scent in her hair. Jasmine and vanilla. His thoughts immediately went to Kara. That was the scent that was engrained in his brain, especially when it had been mixed with the scent of their lovemaking.

"Did you change your shampoo?" He asked, kissing the crown of Marz's head.

"No, I used some of Kara's this morning when I ran out. You noticed the difference? Babe, I didn't know you noticed the little things like that."

Marz's smile grew with every word. Justin didn't want to lie to his girlfriend, but he also didn't know how to tell her that he only noticed the difference because that was the scent that he was breathing in as he and Kara had sex in the studio weeks earlier. Instead, he simply nodded.

"Aww, baby," Marz cooed as she captured his lips.

Justin felt that familiar tug in his heart as he kissed her. He loved her; -really, he did- but he also cared about her sister. He didn't want to give up what he had with her just yet, but it came with the consequences of having to lie to her face. It was wrong, but it felt so right when he was holding her in his arms. Justin was getting turned on just thinking about it. Her skin, her smell, her hips in his hands.

"Mmm, you're so bad," Marz giggled. "You know we can't do that in here. They'd kick us out of the boutique."

She ran a lone finger down his growing erection. Justin hissed at her touch and grabbed her wrist.

"Are you almost finished in here?" His voice strained.

"I wasn't, but I guess I could wrap things up."

It was just after midnight when Kara finally returned home that night. She and Trace had decided to go to the movies, and then to dinner at an Italian restaurant around the corner. He'd wanted to go to Justin's restaurant, but she didn't need any more reminders of Justin. Their encounter was fresh enough in her mind, and she was already feeling horrible holding Trace's hand and pretending to listen to him when inside she was thinking about his best friend naked.

So when she saw Justin's Mercedes parked in the driveway she headed straight for her bedroom. She didn't want to see, hear, or think of him at all. She laid down, trying to focus on the rest of her book. And when she couldn't find Edward interesting enough to stop the images of Justin from flashing before her eyes, she put on a Sex and the City DVD. But even Carrie's man-drama couldn't distract her. Her room had only so many distractions, and she was running out of options.

She was about to make a run for her car when her phone buzzed. From her place on the floor she could hear the cheerful chirp, and she sat up, seeing the screen light up. It was probably Trace, bored from hanging out sans-Justin. Kara crawled over to the edge of the bed, reaching up and grabbing the phone. But what she found wasn't a text from Trace.

What are you doing?

It was Justin. Wasn't he with Marz? What was he doing texting her then? For a moment she debated just ignoring him, but it was only a text message. What could it hurt?

Discovering that my room needs a wider range of entertainment.

Once the message was sent Kara raised an eyebrow at herself. Where had the witty response come from? Then she glanced back at the TV, softly playing Sex and the City season five. Too much Carrie Bradshaw?

The phone buzzed again and eagerly she pressed the green button to open the message.

What are you thinking about?

Kara bit down on her bottom lip. What was he doing? Right now he was down the hall in Marz's room. Shouldn't they be cuddling or having sex or watching The Notebook or something? Or maybe he'd already left and she hadn't heard.

I'm wondering why S and the C had a Louis from Louisiana on the show, and a Louise from St. Louis in the movie. That's a lot of L's. But, that's not interesting so I'm going to say 'nothing'.

LoL! Ur right, that's not interesting.

Sorry to disappoint.

Luckily, I have my own thoughts to keep me occupied…

Do I dare ask what they are? Or is it something for Marz' mind only?

No, definitely not for Marz. She wouldn't be happy if she knew what was on my mind.

Kara sighed, looking up from the phone she'd been holding in a death grip for the past few minutes. There could only be one thing he'd be thinking about that would make Marz upset. His comment did the exact opposite of what she'd been trying to do for the past hour. All the images came rushing back to her -his touch, his voice, his smell, the way he felt- and her heart began to flutter.

I would definitely have to say keep that to yourself.

Thanks for the advice. I was planning on keeping it on the low anyway. But that doesn't mean I can't think about it.

You shouldn't be doing things behind your girlfriends back.

Ha. She was one to talk about doing things behind someone's back. But this wasn't about her; this was about Justin, after all.

You know what they say. What she doesn't know won't hurt her.

I think that's the logic that got us in trouble in New York.

I don't know that I'd consider that trouble.

Then what would you call it?

…Euphoric.

Kara leaned back against the pillows on her bed and looked across the room at the TV. Samantha was at dinner with her lying, cheating, ex-boyfriend Richard. She picked up the remote and turned off the DVD player. Suddenly Lauren and Whitney hugging goodbye was on the screen, The Hills icon in the bottom right corner. The phone buzzed in her hand again.

If I remember correctly, we made some pretty sweet music together.

Her mind flashed back to that moment. The piano keys under her legs, random notes filling the air around them. It'd been cold and hard underneath her, uncomfortable and unsupportive. It groaned in protest with every move they made.

I remember.

And I remember you. Your hands scratching my back, whispering my name, moaning in my ear.

The phone fell onto the comforter and Kara stood up with a huff. He was not helping at all! She'd been trying to push those memories to the back of her mind for two weeks and here he was, casually reminiscing like it was just some kinky rendezvous and there weren't any consequences. She should have ignored his texts from the beginning.

She needed a distraction. She'd get ready for bed, and then she'd lay down with Edward, Carrie, and Lauren. One of them had to do the trick, eventually. Kara went into her closet, changing into a more comfortable ensemble of shorts and a tank top. When she came back around the corner her bedroom door was cracked open, and there stood Justin with an almost sheepish smirk.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked breathlessly.

His presence had startled her, and she needed a moment to get her footing back. He shrugged, looking around.

"I've never been in your room before."

Kara nodded, looking around at the beige walls.

"Not much to look at."

She turned, heading into her bathroom to brush her teeth. She'd just picked up her hair brush when Justin strolled in, leaning against the doorway. Kara raised an eyebrow at his reflection.

"What are you doing?" She asked again.

He shrugged again.

"Avoiding watching the last hour of Titanic."

She'd been wrong when she guessed The Notebook, but it was close enough.

"Where's Marz?"

"She passed out while Jack was showing Rose how to Irish dance."

His very presence was making her antsy. Just over his shoulder she could see her bed. Large and perfectly made, begging to be rumpled. He was inviting her subconsciously, standing there casually, his hands stuffed in his pockets while he eyed her up and down. It would be a lot more helpful if he could make his body language a little more abrasive.

"So, you stopped answering me," he said.

Inside Kara groaned. Please do not let their one time encounter be the topic of conversation tonight.

"I didn't really know what to say."

"Ah. I thought maybe Trace was with you or something."

"No, he went home a couple hours ago."

She brushed past him as she went back into the bedroom. Her teeth would have to wait until later. Justin followed her slowly, still glancing around at his surroundings.

"So, then, why did you stop answering?"

Kara turned to face him.

"I don't know that that was a good conversation to be having with Marz lying on your chest."

"She was on her own pillow, actually."

He was trying to be funny, and she refused to let it make her smile.

"This isn't funny Justin. We did something bad and you wanted to have text sex while cup caking down the hall."

Justin frowned, moving to stand next to her. She was fiddling absentmindedly with the remote control, while avoiding his gaze.

"I wasn't expecting text sex, but now that you mention it-."

"Justin." Her eyes rolled.

"Kara," he breathed.

His hand reached up, resting on her cheek. Just touching him made her insides flip. It was like an electric bolt was sent through her. Suddenly she craved everything delicious and sinful that came with being with him.

Her eyes opened and she watched his face as his hand fell down to her neck. His lips parted like he had something to say, but didn't know how. His fingers trailed down the column of her neck and just barely onto the top of her right breast. Just enough to suggest, but nothing more. Then they moved back up again, until his hand was curled around her cheek again. His eyes met hers, and his lips twitched again but no sound came out.

She knew exactly what he meant. She felt it too.

Kara closed the distance between them. Her lips met his eagerly, their arms winding around each other tightly. They kissed feverishly, hungrily. His hands roamed over her, fisting her hair, smoothing down her back, grabbing her ass. She caressed his back, biceps, and chest. She played with the hairs on his neck and rubbed her leg at the growing bulge between his. She could feel the rush coming on between her own thighs and it was morbidly intense. They fell onto the bed, arms and legs entangled.

"Wait," Kara panted. "Marz?"

"No," Justin whispered into her neck. "She's totally out. Besides, I told her I was going home. She doesn't know I'm here."

Kara was about to protest again, but his hands gripped the hem of her tank top, pulling it up to her collarbone and exposing her bare body to him. She felt his fingers kneed into her skin and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

She'd have to hold that thought.

I have to admit I like the red ones from the other night better than the white ones in NY.

I'll remember that the next time I go shopping.

I'm just saying, if you want a man's prospective.

Kara giggled out loud at the black and white text message. She wasn't exactly sure how they'd ended up on the topic of her underwear, but it shouldn't have surprised her any. It'd been two days since they'd slept together in her room that night and Justin had been irresistibly… naughty ever since. There were flirty messages, suggestive sayings, and secret phone conversations in the middle of the night when their respective significant others went to sleep.

They talked about everything, just like they had before. In fact, Justin probably teased her now more than ever. But their main topic was sex, rightfully so. They talked about partners, positions, wants, preferences. It was like the budding of a new, sexually charged relationship, only this one couldn't happen.

I don't remember asking, but I guess its good advice to have.

"What is so funny?" Trace asked.

Kara looked up, smiling at him from the passenger seat. Her adorable boyfriend was completely oblivious.

"Justin," she said. "He wants to know if 'Dick in a Box part deuce' is a good title for the album."

Trace laughed as well.

"Tell him it's perfect and to give Jive a call. We're going into the studio tomorrow; he couldn't have waited to tell you that?"

Kara, what are you doing tomorrow night?

"We haven't been in the studio since we got back, he'd just excited to get back to work."

Why?

"I know. I saw him the other day to go over some information and he was practically glowing. Things must be going great with him and Marz."

Just answer the question. Are you free?

"I guess. Usually Marz will complain about anything and everything, but she's been pretty quiet lately."

Yes.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow night? That new club is opening on Vine."

Now you're not. Meet me at 85th and Lex at 10pm.

Kara bit her lip, looking up at Trace as he navigated the LA freeway.

"Sorry baby, I already have plans with the girls."

"Okay, what about tonight?"

She grinned again.

"Tonight I'm free."

I'll be there, J.

"Hold on to my hand, there's a dip."

Kara obeyed Trace's words and gripped his right hand tighter. He'd shown up at her house an hour earlier and told her to put on something comfortable, and then meet him back downstairs in the living room. She'd stared at her closet for a whole twenty minutes before deciding that nothing could be more comfortable than a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. After dressing she returned back downstairs and found her boyfriend standing in the center of the living room with a bandana in his hand.

"What's that for? I thought I told you that I wasn't into that bondage stuff," she joked.

"Damn, there goes my plan for the evening," he replied in the same light tone.

Kara raised an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding; come here," he said, holding a hand out for her.

She followed his instructions and now here they were, walking somewhere with uneven grounds.

"Are we almost there?" She voiced, her tone uneasy.

She trusted him, but she wasn't too fond of being blindfolded, even if it was for a surprise.

"Yeah, just a few more steps."

Trace removed her hand from his and placed both of his hands on her hips.

"Ok, stop."

Both of them froze in their movements. He steadied her and brought his hands up to the back of the bandana.

"I'm gonna take off the blindfold, but I need you to keep your eyes closed just a bit longer, okay?"

Kara simply nodded before he untied the cloth. He shoved it inside his pocket and walked around to the front of her. He took a deep breath and told her to open her eyes. The change in her expression was immediate when Kara saw what Trace had planned for her.

"A picnic in the park?" She grinned broadly.

"Yeah, I heard that they have free plays out here every weekend when the weather's nice. This weekend is 'Romeo & Juliet' and I remember you telling me that that's one of your favorites by Shakespeare. What do you think?" He asked sheepishly.

Kara was silent for a moment, taking everything in.

"I love it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can't believe you thought of something like this."

"What? You don't think I can be spontaneous and romantic?"

"No, that's not what I said," she reassured. "I just didn't know that there was stuff like this here and that you'd remember that I love plays."

"I remember everything you say."

Kara's heart tugged at how sincere and sweet Trace was being. This was a side of him she'd never seen.

"Come on, let's eat; the show's about to start."

Trace took her hand and led her to the blanket. She eyed the spread in front of her and could felt her stomach growl.

"It's just a few of your favorites," he said, following her gaze. "Devilled eggs, bacon, tomato and guacamole, Hawaiian rolls, you know the works."

"And red wine?" Kara questioned, eyeing the bottle. "Are you trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

"Do I need to get you drunk to do that?"

The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. Kara cocked an eyebrow. How was she supposed to take that? It was then that it kicked in that she'd been more intimate with his best friend than with him and wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"You don't, but it doesn't hurt," she grinned mischievously.

The play began soon after and it wasn't long before the cast was back on the stage taking their bows.

"That was beautiful, Trace," Kara said, her face glowing with happiness. "Thank you babe."

She leaned in and kissed his lips sweetly.

"No problem, anything for you," he replied between pecks.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She didn't know if it was the alcohol or what, but her body was yearning for his. The sound of him groaning made her want to be closer to him. She climbed over onto his lap and their kiss grew more fervent. Her hands were flying everywhere, his shoulders, biceps, his neck and finally settling at the hem of his shirt. Anything to bring them closer.

"You ready to get out of here?" She asked breathlessly.

She didn't need him to respond audibly, the bulge she felt against her thigh said it all. But he still nodded with a smile.

"Come on," she said.

Prying herself off his lap, she started placing all the food containers and empty wine bottle in the picnic basket. He grabbed the blanket and led her to the parking lot.

"I still can't believe you did all this," she said as they loaded everything up in the trunk."No one's ever done anything like this for me."

The two of them walked to the passenger's door and Trace held it open for her.

"Well I care about you Kara, and I'll do all that I can to keep that beautiful smile on your face…see look, there it is."

Her eyes traveled from his blue orbs to his matching grin before she leaned forward and kissed him again. The alcohol was really getting to her now. Trace caressed her cheek and suckled her bottom lip before pulling back and walking to get in the car.

"My place or yours?" He asked, buckling up and starting the engine.

"Yours; it's closer," she answered once they pulled out on the highway.

It had been a while since she'd had red wine and she forgot the effect it had on her hormones. Kara was writhing in her seat, anxious to get to the house, anxious to feel Trace's body on hers. The thought of that alone was turning her on even more. She ran her left hand down the column of her neck, down to her chest where she pinched her erect nipple. Trace did a double take. It was kind of hard to focus on the road ahead when his girlfriend was moaning in pleasure in the seat next to him. Kara extended her left hand and rested it on his upper right thigh. She squeezed it and ran her hands up to his lap, over his groin, to his hips and up to his navel. She could feel him flinch in surprise upon feeling her touch, and he jerked the steering wheel slightly.

Why is she doing this now? They were ten minutes from his house, couldn't she wait? What the hell kind of effect did that red wine have on her? Trace was storing all of this information away for use at a later date. Lost in her own world, Kara unbuttoned her polo. Trace took his eyes off the road for a moment and looked down at her, absolutely titillated by the peek at her chest he was getting. He took one hand off the steering wheel and cupped her left breast through her shirt, squeezing her erect nipple and causing her to elicit the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

She leaned over into his lap, beneath the steering wheel as he released her breast. The outdoorsy scent of the park mixed with his cologne turned her on even more. She unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and slid her fingers through the slit of his boxer briefs pulling out his stiff member. Kara noticed his size and color and smiled, holding onto it as if she had just gotten what she needed. She drew herself into his lap even more.

Trace had to control himself, trying not to put all the weight of his foot on the gas. She held his member with her fingers and kissed its mushroom head. She licked the tip and capped it in her mouth. She took in his shaft slowly, a quarter-inch at a time, feeling him with her tongue, sliding it around his creases, lubing him up with her saliva and feeling her own lips becoming even slicker with her fluids.

Trace took a deep breath and did something that he really didn't want to.

"You---you gotta stop," he breathed out.

Kara pulled him out of her mouth and smiled against it.

"Why? Am I not doing something right?"

"No, you're doing everything right. But you gotta stop…we can't do this here," he urged.

"But I want to make you feel good," she slurred.

Trace couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or the lust.

"And I want to let you, but not here. We're almost there," he said, gently removing her head from his lap.

Kara pouted and he couldn't help the smile on his face. She looked so cute.

"What's so funny?" she asked, repositioning herself in the seat and crossing her arms over her chest.

"The way you're pouting at me, you look adorable," he chuckled.

He took a hand off of the steering wheel and fixed himself as they pulled into his neighborhood. They were parked in his driveway minutes later and Trace grabbed the stuff out of the trunk as Kara opened the front door. She was still pouting as they made their way inside.

"You don't want me?" She asked in a small voice.

"Yes I do, you don't know how bad I want you; I just didn't want to get into a wreck," he chuckled and Kara rolled her eyes.

She turned to walk away and Trace gripped her wrist.

"Awe, come here babe," he said enveloping her in his arms.

He kissed her and she could feel that he was still hard. With that all the doubts she had before were gone. His lips were warm and sweet against hers. Trace kissed Kara slowly, as if he were savoring the taste and feel of her mouth. With a gentle tenderness that took her breath away, he encouraged her to part her lips. When she did she felt his tongue, warm and moist, searching for hers.

Kara leaned into him and deepened the kiss. She wasn't sure if it was possible, but within moments Trace had grown even harder and she could feel it against her cleft. She shivered and dragged her mouth away from his, pressing her face against his shoulder as she did so. Trace placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face and looked up at her, asking for permission to continue.

"Honey?"

He didn't have to say it for her to understand his question.

"Yes," she whispered, and pulled his face down to hers.

Trace took her hand and pulled her up the stairs to his bedroom. Once there he undressed her, kissing each part of her body as he exposed it. He lingered a long time over her breasts, sucking and licking her until her body was shaking with need. When he undressed a fresh surge of lust roared through her. He had a beautiful body with broad shoulders, flat abs, and narrow hips. Trace slipped between her parted thighs and Kara's eyes rolled back in ecstasy.

"Someone got laid last night," Justin whispered and Kara nearly jumped out of her skin.

"What?"

Immediately she could feel the blood rush to her face.

"How clear can I make it? You and Trace consummated your relationship last night," he said with a grin.

Kara chuckled at his choice of words.

"Wow, what is this? 1945?"

"You acted like you didn't understand it when I said it the first time."

"It's not that I didn't understand, I just didn't think that it was any of your business what Trace and I did," she answered sassily.

"Really?" He grinned.

"Yeah," she replied matter-of-factly.

Thank goodness Trace had an emergency meeting at William Rast and wasn't here to witness this conversation; Kara could tell that it was about to go south. Justin leaned in close to her ear once again.

"But I bet you he didn't hit it as well as I did," he all but growled.

Kara's jaw dropped with shock.

"Justin Randall!" She hissed, her eyes boring into his. "B. Cox is right across the room."

"I know, don't worry about him. You didn't answer my question. Who was better?"

The smile he gave her turned her reserve to mush.

"I'm not even gonna dignify that with an answer," she said before turning her attention back to her phone.

"I'll take that to mean that I was better," he smirked.

Kara was just about to respond when Brian told Justin that he was ready for him in behind the mic. Justin smirked once more before walking into the recording booth. Kara rolled her eyes and reclaimed her seat next to her co-producer behind the mixing board. Brian double-clicked the mouse and the track they were currently working on cued up. There was a 4 bar intro before Justin started singing.

Babygirl
Drop your guard; I won't hurt you, no.
Baby I wanna give you everything you need
I wanna be your everything
I wanna be your knight in shining armor
But baby you gotta let me

This was the first time in a long time that they were working on something that Justin wrote. She didn't know when it happened, but it seemed as though the writer's block he had been suffering from was suddenly gone.

Just like in the movies baby, I'ma come to your rescue
And I know this might sound crazy
But I think I'm here to protect you
So girl, can you stop running
This ain't that kinda loving
I got you
Just run into my arms and I will show you

Kara bobbed her head along with the R&B instrumental. She liked the direction Justin was going with on this album. This vibe suited him well. Brian cut the track and motioned for him to come out the recording booth.

"I think we got it, for the most part at least. I mean, we're gonna have to spot clean it a bit, but other than that, really good job. What do you think Kara?"

"I agree. There was a line where you were a bit flat, but other than that, I think we got it. I was thinking that we could do an echo effect on that 'rescue you' line, just to cover up the dead air. But other than that, good job."

"Thanks," Justin replied, giving her that grin that made her heart jump in her throat.

They wrapped the session soon after and Justin escorted Kara out to her car. He walked along side her silently, kicking rocks like a nervous little boy.

"See you tonight," he smirked, holding her car door open for her.

Before she had the chance to respond he closed the door and walked off. Kara felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach that came every time she and Justin ended up doing something naughty. She knew she shouldn't, but she loved the thrill that it brought them. She was about to turn over her engine when she heard Marz's ringtone playing on her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, are you still in the studio?"

"No, we just left. What's up? What do you need?"

She knew her sister didn't have anything planned for the week and was curious to what the phone call was pertaining to.

"Nothing, I was just calling to see what you were doing. It feels like we haven't spent any 'sister' time together."

Kara was stunned.

"Huh? When have we ever had 'sister' time?"

"See? That's what I mean! I don't remember the last time we've done it either," Marz exclaimed.

Kara wanted to tell her sister that that's because they never have, but decided to hold her tongue.

"I don't know, I kinda have plans with Trace," she lied.

They didn't have anything set in stone, but he was her boyfriend so that had to count for something. Kara heard her phone beep in her in ear indicating that she had a text message. She told Marz to hold on while she read the text from Trace.

Emergency at WR. I'll be here most of the night.

Shit, now she had no excuse not to hang out with her sister…at least until ten o'clock rolled around. Kara smirked and replied to her boyfriend.

Alright, I'll see you at the studio in the morning.

"You still there?" she asked, going back to the conversation she was having with her sister.

"Yes, so are we on?"

Kara sighed before responding.

"Yeah, what did you have in mind?"

Kara double-checked the street signs as she pulled into the empty parking lot. She even went through her old text messages until she found the specific one from Justin.

Now you're not. Meet me at 85th and Lex at 10pm.

Yeah, she was at the right address. So why was she looking at the front door of a Catholic Church? She was just about to call Justin when she saw his BMW pull up. She waited until he parked and walked over to her window before chastising him.

"Do you want to be damned for all eternity?" she asked sarcastically.

He just laughed.

"You knew this was a church?" She continued.

"I honestly forgot it was here," he replied, still laughing.

"Yeah, right. Please tell me we're not staying here."

"No," he replied, the grin still on his face. "Follow me, there's a parking garage nearby."

He was right, there was a parking garage nearby, and it was for the major hospital in the area.

"You couldn't think of a more conspicuous place?" She asked after she parked and walked over to his car.

"It's the first place I thought of and it made no sense for us to take two vehicles," he said, pulling a cap down over his head.

"Ok, so what do you want to do?" She asked, resting her hands on her hips.

He licked his lips unconsciously.

"Wanna go for a ride? Can you drive a stick?"

It was a loaded question and both of them knew it.

"I sure can," she replied, her voice dripping with honey.

"Shit. That's usually the excuse I use for not letting anyone else drive. Most women don't."

Marz sure couldn't.

"Wanna give her a run?" He asked.

"Hell yeah. Is this why you picked a parking garage?"

Justin nodded.

"I figured we could start here, just in case you aren't good at driving a stick."

Kara felt her knees go weak.

"On second thought, maybe I should drive?" He said, picking up on her sudden uneasiness.

"How about we both drive?" Kara cocked an eyebrow.

"Now how can be we both drive?"

"A little trick I learned. Watch."

She got out of the car and motioned for him to do the same. She moved the driver's seat back as far as it could go and motioned for him to sit back down. She could already see the strain of the bulge in his pants and smiled, happy that she decided to go commando under her skirt that night.

She didn't know what it was, but Justin brought out the inner Samantha in her. She'd never been so physically comfortable -or attracted- to someone before. She lowered his zipper and perched herself on his lap, guiding him inside in the process. His hands held her hips as his forehead rested on her shoulder. It'd always been the absolute perfect fit from day one.

Kara shut the door, pulling the parking brake. The car shifted into first gear, and crept down the first ramp while she slowly rode him. Hearing his moan from his position under her turned Kara on so much that she hit the gas and shifted straight into third. After letting go of the clutch, she began bouncing up and down, finding a good rhythm while turning down onto the eleventh level. Her mind raced with excitement as her walls squeezed him. Trying to navigate the sharp downward turns of the garage while giving Justin the ride of his life was quite interesting, luckily his hands were helping to guide her along. He was strong enough to lift and lower her on his own. By the time they reached the third level the car was in overdrive and so was Kara's body. Speeding down the curves of the tower was about to give her one of the biggest orgasms of her life.

"Don't wreck my car. Oh shit, Kara, please don't wreck my car," he groaned.

As they flew down the ramp of the second level, two candy stripers that were probably just finishing their volunteer hours stopped in their tracks and gave Kara and Justin inquisitive looks while she used one hand to steer and the other to shift. Justin's arms reached around her, his hands busily rubbing her nipples. The tank top she had on didn't do anything to hide how erect they were. She threw a smile at the shocked nurses as she came closer and closer to exploding.

They sailed down to the first level and she slammed her left foot down on the clutch and used her right hand to throw the shift into neutral, letting the car roll down onto solid ground. As if on cue Justin groaned in ecstasy, and her mind exploded with a million colors. He pulled her down into his lap hard, holding her there as he grunted.

Steering the slow-moving car into the nearest parking space, Kara tapped the brake lightly to get it to stop. She lifted herself slowly off of Justin and opened the door, stepping out carefully on her wobbly legs. She adjusted her skirt and looked over at Justin who was breathing heavier than a horse and hanging his head over the back of the headrest. She couldn't help but smile, he looked more drained than she did. She waited until his breathing slowed before speaking.

"Wow; that was…"

"…intense," Justin finished for her.

"Yeah, we definitely need to do that more often."

He looked over, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Only if we use your car next time. I was scared shitless."

Kara smirked at him.

"Still want me to drive?"

"No," he shook his head. "You've done enough. Get in, I'll drive."

Kara walked around the front of the car, opening the door and climbing into the passenger seat. She glanced over at Justin as she put on her seatbelt and he gave her an appreciate smile before backing out.

"Nice ass."

She sat quietly in the passenger seat, fiddling with the radio while Justin expertly navigated the LA streets. They wound up parked behind a small hotel she'd never heard of, and Justin handed her a small roll of bills.

"Go check in," he told her. "It's under Penny Lane."

She snorted at the movie reference. Rock stars and their metaphors.

"Why me?" She asked.

Justin gave her a look.

"As if the reasons aren't obvious enough? If one pap gets a shot of me checking into a hotel room, especially without Marz, this won't stay a secret for long. Go check in, and then meet me by the elevators."

Kara nodded, getting out of the car and heading around to the front of the building. She checked in, paying for the room with the cash Justin had given her. Then she moved over the elevators and waited for Justin to come in. He appeared a moment later, moved past the front desk unnoticed. Most of that was because of the cap pulled low over his brow and the black shades covering his eyes.

He stood next to her in the hall, not speaking, or even acknowledging her presence. They stepped onto the elevator, and he didn't look in her direction as the elevator rose to the 7th floor. He wordlessly followed her down the hall to their room. Kara slid the key through the slot and pushed open the door into the dark space.

Justin let the door swung shut behind them. He pulled off his hat and glasses, tossing them in the general direction of the bed. Then he moved over to the door, securing the locks on it while Kara pulled off her heels and placed them on the floor near the desk. It was an average room, not at all like one would expect for someone of Justin Timberlake's standards. But it was understandable. The expensive, lavish hotels he was known to frequent would be crawling with paparazzi and there'd be no way to avoid getting their picture taken. But no one would suspect a place like this.

"You were planning ahead."

"More like thinking on my feet," he said.

He moved over to Kara, capturing her lips before she had a moment to even form a protest. Their tongues twisted and twirled, spiraling intimately around each other. He pressed against her, pushing her back against the desk before lifting her to sit on it. Her legs parted, wrapping securely around his hips.

Her pulse started to race, she could feel that same heat circulating between them. It was like a never-ending fire was ignited between them. He broke their kiss, pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it to the floor. His chest pressed against her, warm, solid, sturdy. There wasn't much patience for foreplay; there usually wasn't when it came to them. They were like two kids who couldn't get enough of each other, who couldn't get to the act fast enough.

Their foreheads rested against one another as they struggled to catch up on the oxygen they'd been missing. Kara could feel Justin's sweet breathe warming her face as they both rushed to undo the belt and jeans shielding his body from hers. They dropped to the floor with a clank, and then his mouth was back on hers, even more hungry and needy than it'd been before.

"What's the matter?" She panted. "The car wasn't enough for you?"

She heard him chuckle as his hands slipped under her thighs, lifting her from the table and tossing her onto the bed.

"This time, I get to be in charge," he declared.

Kara was lying on her back, a generic white sheet draped carelessly over her nude body. One leg was bent, her knee left defenseless against the cool air. Justin's arm was her pillow as she stared up at the cracked ceiling. She could feel his muscles contract and release as he toyed absentmindedly with a few strands of her hair.

It was the afterglow, and she should have been blissful laying there next to him. One of America's most sought after heartthrobs was resting beside her, with only a cheap cotton sheet as a barrier, and all she could think about was Trace's unsuspecting face and her sister's carefree smile. They had no idea they were being stabbed in the back by the two people closest to them.

Just damn it if the sex wasn't so great, if Justin wasn't so hot, if he didn't make her feel so good -in more than one way.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how we're both going to burn for all of eternity for this."

Justin chuckled and Kara nodded with certainty.

"We are. It's bad enough that we're cheaters, but then we met up at a church. There's no way we're not going to burn for this."

Kara rolled onto her stomach and looked down at his grinning face. He ran a hand through her hair.

"You can be so melodramatic. We're not the first people in the world to have an affair. Sad as it is, it happens to dozens of people every day."

"That just means we'll have company in the fire," she muttered.

She turned her head, resting her face against his forearm for a moment, inhaling his cologne. He always smelled musky to her, and it always turned her on.

"So that's what this is then?" She asked. "An affair?"

When she raised her head against Justin was watching her, biting his bottom lip.

"Feels like it to me, what about you?"

Kara let out a sigh and turned away from him, rolling onto her back again. Justin sat up, leaning over her to look in her eyes.

"Kara," he began. "I don't like this situation anymore than you do."

"We're going to hell," she said adamantly.

Justin's eyes rolled with annoyance.

"Would you stop saying that? Look, we both know we're bad but it's not like planned for this to happen. Sometimes people connect, even when it isn't exactly convenient for everyone involved. That's how life works."

He paused, his gaze lowering to follow his hand as he smoothed it down her neck, to her arm.

"There was just something about you," he said softly. "Every day it got harder and harder to get you off of my mind, until finally I couldn't fight it anymore. There's something about your kiss, haunting and strange, and I get a feeling like we're alive."

Justin's head lowered as he placed a kiss on her collarbone and Kara raised an eyebrow at him.

"Quoting New Radicals lyrics, are we?"

He shrugged, his lips moving down an inch and kissing again.

"I'm remaking that song for my next album."

"Oh, you are, are you?"

Justin nodded, lifting his head.

"Yeah. I was planning on talking to you about that in the studio tomorrow."

"I would hope so, unless you're gonna produce that song all on your own."

They shared a laugh before he kissed her again, and he didn't pull away. Her hand cradled his face, settling into the slow seductive rhythm of his mouth. One of his hands slipped under the covers, smoothing down her stomach to rest on the bare flesh between her legs.

"But it's all true. There's something about you."