Noemi wasn’t sure exactly why she had agreed to take the trip to Disneyland with whom she had but the truth of the matter was, that when her son had the sparkle of happiness in his eyes, she couldn’t have said no.

She was starting to think that maybe she was becoming one of those mothers who would do anything for their child even if it involved doing something illegal. Automatically the movie where the mom goes around killing people (just so her daughter can win a cheerleading competition) came to mind. All for the sake of her child’s happiness. Noemi would probably do anything for Sean, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness in the process. Which was what she was doing at the moment.

The minute she’d opened the car door, outside of her house, she knew she had been set up. He’d been sitting in the backseat of the SUV being secretly hidden by the dark limo tinting on the windows.

“Lance!!” Sean had said excitedly as he climbed onto the truck with her help. She had immediately frozen in place.

“Hey there, Bud. How are you doing?” Lance had asked hugging the kid.

“I’m excited!!” Sean said. Meanwhile Noemi stood outside the door with both hands on her hips. “Are you coming to Disney with us too?”

“Well that depends, Bud.” Lance said with a grin from ear to ear as he turned to Noemi for the first time. He winked at her before saying “Only if your mom says I could.”

“Mommy, please?!!” Sean had asked quickly bouncing off of Lance’s lap. “Lance can come too, right?”
Ignoring the pleads of her son momentarily she had looked at Lance before saying “Are you blackmailing my son?”

“Oh you got it all wrong, Noemi. I’m not blackmailing your son.” Lance said letting Sean go to the other side of him where Trace quietly placed Andie in her car seat. “I’m blackmailing you.”

“You must be out of your mind. It’s not going to work.” She had said between clenched teeth.

“Oh I think it already is.” Lance had said moving toward her, making her back away from the door. He stepped out of the car and slowly stood in front of her before he reached to moved the seat forward. “Come on Sean, there’s a car seat back here for you.”

“Okay.” Sean had said giving Andie the Game Boy they had both been entertained with while the adults stared at each other. “Aren’t you getting in the car, mommy?”

Lance glanced at Noemi and waited for her answer while he adjusted Sean’s seatbelt.

She hesitated a little, looking around before setting her eyes on Lance again.

“We can do it the hard way or we can do it the easy way.” Lance said settling back in his seat before she had a chance to say anything. “But it still will be done.”

“There’s not going to be any DOING of any kind between you and me. Got that?” she said yanking the passenger side door open and climbing into the car with a huff. Turning to look at Trace, who had been sitting in the driver side seat remaining quiet, she said “Your ass is mine.”

“Now what would your cousin say to that?’ Trace joked starting the car.

“Kill him, Noemi.” She responded.

“That wasn’t very nice, Noemi.” Lance said from the back seat.

“Do me a favor.” She said turning to face him “F U C K  O F F” she spelled out to him.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He’d said before winking at her, causing her to grunt and turn to look out the window where her attention remained for the entire ride.

A Few Hours Later

When Sean had run along with Trace and Andie at the entrance of the park, three hours ago, she should have had a fit. She should have talked her legs into following them, but instead what had she done? She had smiled at the excitement Sean’s face showed as Trace took him from one attraction to another. She didn’t say a single word to the adults on the trip, instead keeping her conversation minimal with the kids. Not one word to the bastard that played her cousin like a fool and not a single word to the man that was insisting on breaking her heart. Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Word were directed at her, for sure. But she didn’t address them and that action had apparently landed her where she was at that point. Standing in the middle of the park. Alone.

She knew he was looking at her from where he stood and it sort of gave her an odd satisfaction. She’d started this game of hers with the intension of doing just that.
Playing.

She hadn’t expected him to come back at her with the same game. That was when the day had turned sour.

She was used to being the player and not the playee and if he thought that he was going to win, he had something else coming. He was the one that had wanted to play with fire and who was she to turn him away. He wanted to get burnt. So be it.

Who the hell does he think he is? She thought.

“So you’re seriously going to keep playing this silent game?” she heard him ask for the millionth time, and getting the same response, nothing. “Okay.” He’d said
before walking away leaving her to curse herself.

Who does he think he is? How dare he? No one walks away from me. I’m the one playing here, not him!! she repeated in her head.

She couldn’t blow her own game by following him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

She wouldn’t.

Nope.

Not Noemi Ruiz.

No sir.

“How gentlemanly of you to leave a woman standing in the middle of the park.” she said walking to him where he stood watching the parade. “Alone.”

“Ahh….”  Lance said focusing his attention on one of the many floats going past him. “she speaks.”

“I would like to get my son and go home.” she said starting to walk away. Before she could get very far she felt his hand grab a hold of her wrist. She almost fell to the ground at the jolt of electricity that surged through the contact.

Apparently he’d felt it too because he quickly removed his hand as if he’d been burned. “They’re at Space Mountain.”

“Again?”

“Yeah, Trace said Sean wanted to go one more time.”

“Fine.” she said turning to walk toward the ‘Space Mountain’ attraction.

“Trace said he’ll meet us at the gate.” he rushed to say.

“When did you talk to him? I haven’t seen Sean in almost an hour.”

“He’s been texting me.” Lance said waving his Blackberry for her to see.

“Oh.”

“They should be at the gate shortly.” Lance said starting to walk hoping she would follow. She did.

They walked in silence for a while. She stopped a few times and watched as people recognized him asking for autographs and pictures. She had to admit that he was kind of cute but she quickly had to force herself to throw that thought to the backburner. She’d done just that, all day.

Lance had watched her the entire time they’d spent at the park. Any other time he’d consider himself a stalker or a voyager but this time it was different. Different because although she would probably die than to admit to the fact, she had been enjoying his attention.

He was beginning to learn all kinds of things about ‘Feisty Noemi’. He had caught on to a lot of things but in particular he’d noticed how she looked at him when she thought he hadn’t been watching.

She was interested alright.

The more he watched her, the more he uncovered about her.

She had made it a point to talk to every guy that showed interest in her. Every single one. He thought it was funny though, because although many of them asked her to go have a drink or go on a ride with them, she had turned every single one down.

Her excuse?

“I have to go take my son on a ride”

Sean, Andie and Trace had been at least a hundred feet ahead of them the entire time.

She wasn’t taking her son on a ride, in fact her son was already on the rides by the time they caught up and stood outside the ride to wait for them.

Although they had been together. Anyone that passed them didn’t notice. Noemi stayed five steps ahead of him the entire time.

He’d seen her game right away.

When she stopped to talk to the first guy and Lance hadn’t kept walking, leaving her (her goal), she had been disappointed. By the second guy, and he still didn’t walk away, she had gotten to a slow simmer. By the time she talked to the last guy and he was still there she had been boiling.

That was when he’d said a few words to her and had walked away to talk to a girl he’d met on an outing to Disneyland with Andie.

That had gotten him to where he was at that point.

The Gate.

She was trying her best to ignore the fact that he was nonchalantly leaning against a wall while they waited.

“You should try doing something while we wait for Trace and the kids.” he said to her.

“Like what? Talk to you? I rather not.” she said.

“Well I hate to break it to you but you did just talk to me.” he said giving her a cheesy smile.

“Whatever.” She said turning her gaze toward anywhere but him.

“Did you have a good time?” he asked.

“None of your business.” she said.

“I want it to be my business, Noemi.”

“You don’t always get what you want in life. Get over it.”

“Oh, Noemi. Didn’t you get the memo? Aren’t you ever going to learn? I always get what I want. I have to or my business would sink like the Titanic, the same goes with my personal life.”

“Well for you sake I hope you bring life preservers on your personal conquests because you’ll need them as far as I’m concerned.”

“Are you saying that you’re my personal conquest? Do you want to be conquered, Noemi?” Lance asked stepping closer to her. The action causing her to back away, her back flush against the wall he’d been leaning on moments before. “Do you want me to conquer you?” he whispered only inches away from her lips as he kept his eyes directed into hers.

Lance watched her closely. She didn’t say a word but she watched every move he made right up until the point where she’d closed her eyes. He knew she was expecting him to kiss her because her breathing became shallow and she didn’t move, anticipating.

He was struggling with his own emotions as the seconds went by as he looked at her lips wanting nothing more than to give her what she wanted.

But that was too easy.

She wanted to play games? Well he’d said he was up for it and he’d been around the block a couple timed to know that if he kissed her, she would think that she won.

‘Not happening’ he thought before he purposely whispered merely an inch from her lips. “Here they come.” and backing away with a cocky grin across his face that he knew would get her fired up.

“Stay the hell away from me.” she sneered opening her eyes and walking to where she saw Trace coming with the kids.

“Not a chance.” he said before smiling to himself. He turned to look the opposite direction and let out a gust of air. He needed to breathe because he’d been holding his breath since the second he’d gotten close to her. He’d hadn’t had that happen to him in a long time. Not since he was thirteen and he’d been in-love for the first time. Wow.

Maybe this game wasn’t only for her benefit but his as well.
------------------------

Three Days Later

Orlando, Florida

8:30 am

She always believed that in order to make a friend for life, one had to sacrifice oneself to make sure the other was happy. Today though, she was starting to think that her beliefs were a load of crap. She was seconds away from reconsidering.

Damn him.

When her parents had died she had been amazingly calm. She had just come back from a day at the beach with her cousin and had come into the Ruiz home to complete silence.

Her uncle had asked her to join him in the den wanting to discuss something with her. When she entered the den, she saw her uncle and a man she knew to be her parent’s lawyer.

She had immediately asked what was happening and the two men remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity. It took almost an hour of silence for her uncle to finally speak.

Everything after he’d told her that her mother (his sister) and her father were in a fatal car accident, was a big blur to Kayla. She couldn’t remember if she cried or asked questions that day. She couldn’t remember getting up from her chair let alone what day of the week it was. She did faintly remember getting on a plane to Florida the next day accompanied by the lawyer. Yet she couldn’t remember ever feeling so alone.

She remembered getting to Florida and going to the morgue where she bravely identified her parents. Through it all she had remained completely calmed and hadn’t shed a tear. She was a roller coaster of emotions and it had been extremely hard to make the roller coaster launch itself down the track.

She remembered getting to the hotel, grabbing a bottle of Whiskey from the liquor cabinet in the penthouse her parents had been vacationing in and chugging a quarter of the brown liquid without hesitation.

She had wandered outside of the hotel in the middle of the night, bottle in hand. She remembered getting to the beach across the hotel, stumbling across the sand until falling to her knees as she faced the ocean. And then she cried. She cried like she had never cried in her entire seventeen years on the planet.
She drank the god-awful liquid until she had finally blacked out completely.

She awoke a few hours later to hands roaming over her. She had been so out of it that when she tried to scream but her brain could not make her vocal chords follow through. The hands kept touching her in the most intimate places while she struggle with her brain to function.

And then just as quickly, the hands were gone and she was being carried to what she found out later, was a beach house. Her body giving into sleep while she was being carried away.

The next morning as she opened her eyes to find a young man staring down at her. She did find her voice that time. She screamed loudly causing the man to cover his ears and flinching in pain.

“How can something so loud come out of a little thing like that?” he’d said.

“Who are you?” she asked frantically.

“Your hero.” he’d said.

“Who are you? I will call the police. Don’t touch me.” she said getting up from what she’d noticed was a bed for the first time.

“You’re cute sweetie but not my cup of tea.” he’d said with a smile. “Why don’t you calm down? A hot shower will help, I bet.”

“Who are you?” she insisted.

“Well if you must.” he’d said. “I’m Shane Woods.” he had extended his hand out to her but she didn’t take it, he’d simply shrugged. Instead she had remained in the corner of the bedroom where she had backed herself into.

“What am I doing here?” she’d asked.

“I saved you from being mauled and eaten alive by a crazy man on the beach. Don’t you remember?” he’d asked. “Of course you don’t. You were drunk out of your mind. For future reference, someone as small as you are should not reach for a bottle of Whiskey let alone follow through and drink it. Your body isn’t equipped for that, sweetie.”

He had been patient with her, explaining what had happened to her. She couldn’t remember the events of the night and she thanked the Lord above for allowing her memory to be blocked of them.

What she hadn’t forgotten was that she was alone. Her parents were dead and she was completely and utterly alone.

And then she cried again.

She slid down the wall she was pressing herself into, down to the floor and cried like a baby. Unlike the crying she did the night before at the beach, she had someone holding her. Shane was there and he didn’t even know her. He promised that he would never leave her side again. That was when the bond had been made.

She had a friend for life.

Over the years her friend, or what he liked calling himself, her hero, had gotten her interested in dancing again. He’d insisted that her parents would have been proud to see her dance again.

At the age of twelve all Kayla ever wanted to do was dance but when her parents, her mother in particular, had wanted to force her into ballet, she had put her little twelve year old foot down. That had been her teenage rebellion against her parents. She wanted to dance jazz and they wanted her to become a famous ballerina. She’d chosen to give the whole thing up instead.

Dancing had made her whom she was that day. She owed that to her hero as well.

Unfortunately the person whom she had become could not deny anything to her hero. What kind of a person would she be if she said otherwise? Every time she found herself doing something out of the ordinary, for him, she remembered how’d they met.

How he was her guardian angel. She would forever owe him her life.

“I really can’t believe I’m doing this.” she mumbled to herself as she entered the dance studio.

Being the best friend in the world that she was, she had agreed to meet Marty Kudelka to ‘catch up’ before the auditions. She didn’t necessarily hate the guy but she didn’t necessarily enjoy being alone with him either.

She’d met Marty through Shane three years earlier. He’d been the only straight assistant in one of Shane’s dance classes at the studio where they both still worked. Shane had immediately tried to play cupid and introduced Marty to her. He claimed that she needed to broaden her horizons because she shouldn’t limit her dating selection to the men she met at the gym.

Kayla hadn’t liked the idea of her horizons being broadened because truthfully her horizons where just perfect the way she had them. But he’d insisted and she’d agreed. The date was straight out of a horror movie. Well, it wasn’t that bad but she truly just wasn’t interested in the man and he seemed way too interested in her, a turn off for her.

The whole thing became a crush from Marty’s part and a total annoyance to her. Marty had even transferred to her classes as her assistant and she couldn’t deny that they’d learned a lot from each other, dance wise, but that had been it.

Marty had gotten a job in Los Angeles a few months later and once in a while she’d bump into him in clubs in both Orlando and Los Angeles. The last time she’d seen him had been over a year earlier at auditions for Janet Jackson.

So when Marty was back in town, holding auditions again, Shane’s interest had risen.

Kayla Medina to the rescue.

Her mission? Find out who the auditions where for?

As she reached for the door to the room where she was meeting Marty to ‘catch up’ she found herself stopping in her tracks.

Marty was at the other end of the room facing the stereo in the corner, she could always recognize his thin frame and those god awful ears of his. Next to him stood who she assumed was his client. If that person was indeed his client then she wouldn’t be auditioning that afternoon.

Even if her friendship with Shane was as stake.
  -------------

Same Day

Florida

10:30 am

Juls watched as he laughed and joked with his friend. She hated when he acted as if they didn’t just have an argument two hours before.

Like everything was just fine and dandy.

He was acting as if he hadn’t called her a bad mother during the flight with their friends. So what if she’d decided to come along for the auditions. So what if she’d left Andie with Lynn for the day, she was her grandmother. So what if he’d said his mom was in town for business not to baby-sit. Lynn had been the one insisting Juls go with Justin and spend some alone time. He hadn’t see it that way at all. He’d said she just wanted to be everywhere he was. Since when was that such a bad thing? When did her husband start being an asshole? So, what if she was interested to see what kind of women would be dancing with her husband?

So, what if she wasn’t fucking hungry? She thought before slamming her fork down on the plate causing both men to look at her.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like your breakfast?” Marty asked.

“Oh no, the food is great. Thanks for asking.” Juls said with a smile only a model could give. She could feel Justin’s eyes on her from where he sat next to her. “Go on with your conversation, don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Actually I think I’m going to head back to the studio to set up everything.” Marty said getting up. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

“I’m looking forward to it, man. I’ll see you in a while.” Justin spoke for the first time. He laughed at something Marty said and turned to her after Marty was a distance away from the table. “Let’s go.”

“I’m not done eating.” Juls said.

“Yes you are. Come on.” Justin said getting up from his seat putting a hundred dollar bill next to Marty’s fifty and reaching his hand out to her. “Come on, Juliana.”

“I said I wasn’t done eating.” she said sternly between clenched teeth. Both of them being in the restaurant had caused attention as it was and Justin standing had sent the paparazzi outside the window into a flashing frenzy.

“I swear to God if you don’t take my hand right now I will make a scene.” he threatened.

“You’re already causing a scene, Timberlake.” she said before taking his hand and standing from her seat.

They plastered smiles on their faces as they headed toward Juls’ white Ranger Rover waiting outside. Justin opened the passenger side door for her before she climbed in and made his way around the paparazzi to the driver side.

The car was silent for a total of thirty seconds before Justin finally gave in to the deafening silence.

“I told you this trip would be boring for you.”

“Oh, so that’s why you ignored me the entire time in there?”

“I was having a conversation, Juls.”

“And you couldn’t include me?”

“Contrary to your beliefs not everything is about you, Juliana.” Justin said irritated.

“Oh, I’m sorry your highness. I forgot everything is about Justin Timberlake, the biggest pop star on the planet.”

“Shut up, J.”

“Oh no, why should I? I mean I’m actually married to you. I’m so honored, JT. JT? Your name isn’t JT? What the fuck is that?”

“You’re pushing it, Juls.” he said stopping at a red light.

“Pushing what, JT?”

“Why are you trying to ruin this for me?” he asked looking at her. “You should of stayed home.”

“You know what, Justin? I thought that maybe I’d come along and stay for an extra day or two and spend some time with my husband, but I’m seeing that you’re too busy with your solo career to bother with me. So, yeah you’re right. I should have stayed home with my daughter, at least with her I know where I stand. I know she loves me.”

“Now you’re questioning my love for you? What the hell is wrong with you?” Justin asked finally pulling into the studio’s back lot. “I wish your whole intention of coming today was to spend time with me but we both know that’s not the case. You came to be in my face the entire time, watching me. You’re paranoid for God knows what reason and you’re acting really ignorant and like a spoiled brat. I thought that by this point in our marriage, oh hell, in our whole relationship you would know that I’m not going anywhere.”

“Believe what you want Justin.” Juls said not looking at him and maintaining her vision outside the window.

“It’s really nice how you don’t even try to deny my accusations, Juls.” he said sarcastically. “This day has turned out to be great!!” he said getting out of the car and slamming the door with all his strength.

“Be careful with the car, you ass!!” she said out the window.

“I’ll buy another one.” he said going inside.
--------------------
Same time

Jenn and Jc sat quietly at the kitchen island going through tons of mail. They’d been fairly civil to one another for the past couple of days. She hadn’t been working at all instead opting to take a few days off. Jenn had been pleasantly surprised when Jc had decided to take off from working with Christina as well and had asked if he could make the trip to Florida with her.

“Your mom sent pictures of the new house.” Jc said handing her pictures he’d been looking at.

“I swear if that woman sends me one more picture of that damn house I’m going to Vegas to personally strangle her.” she laughed.

“She’s happy about it. Give her a break.” Jc said with a smile that had Jenn grinning from ear to ear. It had been a while since she’d seen him smile that way and that action tickled her. “What are you smiling about?”

“It’s just good to see you smile again.” she said getting up from the stool heading for the fridge.

“It’s good to have you all to myself.” Jc said to her a few seconds later as he leaned against the other side of the refrigerator watching her look through it.

“Ditto.” she said standing in front of him before placing a soft kiss on his lips. Jenn was surprised when he pulled her closer to him and hugged her to him.

“I miss you, Jenisse.” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

“I miss..” her words were muffled when he placed his mouth over her in a kiss that made her knees weak. The strawberries she had been searching to make breakfast now scattered across the marbled floor. He kissed her lips softly before moving to her neck teasingly kissing her most sensitive part. She shivered at the contact she didn’t know she had been longing for.

“Let’s forget about painting the studio and go upstairs.” he said looking in her eyes.

“Um hmm.’’ was all she could muster. This was the Jc she loved and married.

He was back.

She was ecstatic!!!
--------------------------

Same Day

Los Angeles

7:30 am (time-zone)

His eyes seemed to intensify as he towered over her. He wanted her and she was sure he could see the same want reflecting in her eyes because she couldn’t remember a time when she wanted anything this badly.

Acting on impulse she reached up and touched his eyebrow lovingly. She hadn’t felt this intense in a very long time and she was relishing in it.
Her finger traced the length of his slender nose and finally outlined the shape of his lips. She lingered over each feature as though her finger tips were committing them to memory. He was beautiful.

Gaining confidence she didn’t know she had, she lowered her hand and touched him just below his right breast. His skin radiated a warmth she longed to feel against her. She followed her eyes with her finger tips as they skimmed downward over several lean ribs, then moved back up to the sculpted under curve of his chest. She tauntingly whisked his nipple with her thumb.

His quick intake of breath dared her to raise her head high enough to flick her tongue over the tip.

Cursing softly he threw back the covers, lowered himself over her and pressed his face into her neck. Hungrily, he kissed her neck down to her collarbone.
His five o’clock shadow rubbed her skin but in an erotic sensation. Without any instruction from herself, she felt her hips lifting off the bed to nudge the fly of his pants.

He continuously and purposely rubbed his lips against her nipples until they were thrusting hard against the lace that contained them.

Just when she was on the brink of begging him, he peeled the lace to the side and covered her with his mouth. Each sweet tug of his mouth was felt deep within. She clutched handfuls of his hair and moaned in pleasure.

With a low groggy voice her urged her to unbutton him. Blindly she fumbled with the fabric and stubborn button because the hardness beneath was unyielding.

He grunted in her ear with discomfort and they both laughed lightly. Finally she managed to unbutton his pants and pushed them down over his hips along with his sexy boxer briefs.

He took her hand and guided it to his erection and folded her fingers around it. When she began a rhythmic massage, he closed his eyes and grimaced with pleasure enough to bare his teeth.

“Slower” he whispered before he was kissing her passionately again. When she complied, he pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as if he was in pain.

“Oh Jesus, that’s good.”

After a few minutes of kissing her while she touched him, he stopped and looked into her eyes. “You sure you want to be conquered?”

“Yes.” she whispered.

“Arch you back.” he demanded.

She pushed her shoulders into the mattress, lifting herself so that he could slide his hand between her legs to touch her. Her eyes momentarily closed at his touch and she thought she would scream.

“Please.” she gasped.

“I know. Me too, but I don’t want to rush it. You’d better stop that.” he said removing her hand where it still massaged him softly.

He hooked his thumbs around the elastic waist of her bikini underwear and pulled them all the way down past the tips of her perfectly manicured toes.

Wrapping his hands around her ankles and kneeling between them, he slowly opened her legs to his view. Her initial reaction was to resist or to cover herself with her hand or to bashfully turn her head aside. But she hadn’t done any of that, instead she boldly looked into his eyes.

His passionate stare was sweet, tender. It made her feel elevated. Gradually, his green eyes traveled up her body until they magnetically continued to be on hers.
They remained locked onto one another’s gaze as his hands slid up her legs massaging them. His hands glided upward to lightly squeeze the ticklish area just above her knees. His hands stayed on course up her thighs until his fingers were sprawled over her lower abdomen and his thumbs met at her center. She gasped at the touch and the intensity rushing through her body almost peeked.

His thumbs stroked her, becoming slippery, finding the treasured spot. Sparks of sensation shot through her, catching her lower lips between her teeth. He breathing becoming choppy and quick. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to come.” she said as her eyes fluttered.

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” he said softly against his thumbs. She couldn’t help herself and let out a whimper. Her cries of pleasure became louder as his tongue replaced his thumbs.

“But I want you inside me.” she said out of breath. Those words caused him to rise over her and thrust into her with one swift move. The instant that was done she was consumed in the most wonderful orgasm of her life. She couldn’t believe it. She was in pure ecstasy.

Possessively, his hands slid beneath her hips and lifted her to him so that it would have been impossible for him to be any deeper. He didn’t know it could be this good, feeling her muscles clench repeatedly around him only caused him to get impossibly harder. She immediately griped his thighs, pulling him into her.

Each stroke was greedy but also giving. His breathing became rough as he buried his face in her neck and groaned as he climaxed, calling her name.

“Mommy?” she heard.

“Mommy……” she heard again. “Mommy wake up! I had a bad dream.”

Opening her eyes to look at him she realized that she too had been having a dream. And it was very, very bad.
 

*AN** Thanks to S. Brown