Joey had done his best to ignore the blonde sitting across from him, his body angled so that he was watching the dance floor more than her. It wasn't that he was being rude, neither was Melissa, but it was just better if they didn't talk. He hoped if he kept telling himself that, it would actually work. AJ had said his goodbyes to them all a few minutes ago, telling Melissa where they needed to pick up tickets and passes at. He'd not missed the excited look on her face, the slight blush when AJ winked at her. Another shot had him turning back to face the table. He raised an eyebrow at her drink choice. “How many of those you had?”
“Not near enough,” Melissa replied, eying Joey. “You have a video shoot in the morning.”
“I can hold my liquor better than you, Bambina. You're a lightweight.” Joey's lip twitched into a smile when she downed her drink and took his too. “Watch it there, killer.”
“I'll have you know I could out drink Rachel. And you shouldn't care how much I've had...” Melissa knew she was done drinking when the alcohol hit her. “God, it's hot,” she mumbled, blowing out a breath.
“Wanna take a breather outside?” Joey questioned, watching the alcohol start to take effect. “Come on,” he said, not waiting for her to reply, pulling her up. Their friends were out on the dance floor and he didn't really care if they knew that he was leaving with Melissa or not. Waiting cabs were parked in the back.
“I'm okay, Joey,” Melissa told him, actually glad his hand was on her shoulder as they walked. The night air helped, cooling her off and sobering her up a little. They stood in the alleyway and she watched Joey light up a cigarette. “That help any?” she asked, watching him shrug.
“It gives me time...” Joey shook his head, not sure he wanted to tell her what went on in his head. Not that he thought she'd care, but he used that time to think about her. “I think about what I don't have,” he finally admitted, flicking the butt to the ground and lighting another.
“Oh,” she replied, her voice small. “Look, Joey...I can take a cab home. I'll be fine,” Melissa hadn't brought a purse and had her keys and ID and money in her pockets.
“I have no doubt,” Joey smirked, grabbing her left hand, rubbing the spot where the engagement ring had been. “What if I told you I won't be fine...Melly,” his voice got soft and he waited. Joey knew this was wrong. He was married; having a baby. A career that was on top of the world and everything he could ever want by most people's standards. Except here he was, looking at the one woman he still wanted.
“You...you told me not to talk to you Joey. Actually, Justin did.” Melissa's voice was just as soft, hurt. “I cried and cried...You just quit loving me all of a sudden, like it didn't matter. Our friendship didn't matter. Like what we'd had just went extinct.”
Joey started shaking his head, pulling her into his arms. His lips brushed her forehead and he sighed when Melissa's head found the spot on his shoulder and her arms went around his neck. “Let's get out of here,” he suggested, pulling her along after she nodded slightly. His fingers laced in hers, they got into a cab. Melissa gave her address and they rode along, neither of them saying anything for a while.
“I can't believe you moved out here. I mean, there's no seasons here,” Joey said, watching Melissa shrug.
“There's no seasons in Orlando either, Fatone.”
“Yeah but you're far away from New York. Why live in a place where the Big Apple is across the country?” he asked. It was a selfish question. He hated she was far away from any of the cities he considered home. Los Angeles wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't Florida or Brooklyn.
“What's in New York?” she smiled at his harrumph. “You're not in New York.”
“I might be in a few months...refused to move to Pennsylvania,” Joey admitted.
Melissa nodded, sighing. When they pulled up to her apartment, she paid the cab driver and then pulled out her key. “Holly lives next door,” she explained, letting them both in and then shutting the door and locking it. Her breath caught when she felt Joey's fingers brushing away hair from the back of her neck and then his lips on her skin. When his teeth nipped, a sigh left her. It was wrong, she knew, but the alcohol was still dulling her sense of right and wrong, making it a vast gray area.
“I hate the thought of hurting you, Melly,” Joey whispered, feeling her body relax and lean back on him as he whispered to her, sometimes in English and other times in Italian. Words he'd told her before.They were still in the doorway and he stayed there until she pulled him along. No lights were turned on as they made the stairs, pausing in the middle when Melissa stroked the side of his face before kissing him hard on the mouth. Joey felt a little bad not having any gum on him, knowing he smelled like cigarettes but didn't hear any complaining. “Oh fuck,” he growled when the hat he was wearing came off and he felt fingers along his temples. A tug on his hair was all it took for Joey to break off the kiss and look at Melissa, his fingers tracing her face. “I want you,” he said, swallowing hard.
“Joey...” she was cut off by his lips once more. The alcohol made her not protest anymore. The man she loved was there with her, telling her he wanted her. Just like her dreams, except he was flesh and blood real. Melissa let him take her up the stairs and then she led him to the bedroom. It was quick work of getting them both unclothed and she didn't notice Joey slip his ring off. A small night light cast a glow on them. “This should be interesting,” she laughed as Joey messed with her walking cast, taking it off before turning a lamp on. “Why did you...” she asked, then stopped, her eyes widening as she sat up. Joey looked skinnier. And not in a good way. “Joseph you've lost weight..”
“Nothing tastes good any more. Doesn't matter if it's a salad or a Big Mac,” Joey confessed, pulling her to him. “Don't start in on me, Bambina. I need this...” he planted a kiss on her shoulder and wiped away her tears. The guys knew he ate. They just didn't know he went and ran it off at the hotel gym. Two hours could breeze by and Joey would be able to sleep. He'd not lost enough weight to make him look sick, but he'd had to go buy some different pants.
Melissa gave him a searching look and nodded. She'd give him whatever he needed. It didn't matter. She told herself she should be scolding him, asking Joey why he wasn't taking care of himself. It wasn't that easy. If left to her own devices, Melissa would have just sat in her condo and let the world pass her by. An occasional phone call to her parents and brother, talking to Rachel; just trying to get by.
Joey reached over and turned the light off, leaving the two of them in darkness once again. “I love you, Bambina. No matter how I act,” he put one of his hands over his heart. “You have this. No other woman has it.”
“I guess I shouldn't tell your mother you said that,” Melissa joked, squealing when he tickled her. She felt his body shift to where he was on top of her, his fingers touching her, his mouth and tongue making it's presence known on the spots she loved. “I love you, Joey,” she whispered, smiling when his fingers entwined with hers to take her arms up over her head and his body came to rest fully against hers.
“Then just let me love you tonight, Melly.” Joey smiled when she nodded once more, giving him a smirk. His heart felt like it was full once more. Even if it wasn't right, he wasn't about to turn back now.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*
“Did you see Mel?” Rachel asked Holly as the group gathered to leave. It wasn't that she hadn't thought of her friend, but the club had been crowded and she'd been preoccupied between Lance, JC and Justin. Now all she wanted to do was get to be in Josh's arms for the night. And that time was slipping away.
“No,” Holly shook her head, looking over at Chris. They'd spent most of the time at the club dancing and talking. They'd exchanged numbers and promised to talk more. “Aren't you missing someone as well?” she pointed out and for the first time, they all noticed the absence of Joey and Melissa.
“Fuck, dawg. This is like a damn Jerry Springer episode.” Justin commented. He grabbed Rachel's phone before she could hit the send button, seeing she had Melissa's number pulled up. “I highly doubt you will get either one of them to answer. And if you did, I doubt you wanna hear what's going on...” he told her.
“You don't think they'd...” Rachel stopped before she said it. Joey was married. Melissa wouldn't ever ask him to have sex with her. Not sober at least.
“Let's just go to the hotel, Weatherly,” Lance said as they said goodbye to Holly. He said very little on the way there. He wanted to agree with Rachel that it was stupid for them to do. However, Lance also knew Joey and his sister. He doubted either of them really cared what they might think. And truth be told, worse things could happen. As much hell as Joey had went through, he wasn't sleeping with other women that weren't his wife;or now, Melissa. He just prayed nothing would happen between them that would make things any more awkward than they already were.
The group all got out of the cab and the guys paused, signing autographs for the few people hanging around this time of night before making their way with security to their floor and rooms. Lance looked over at Rachel who was pulling out her sleep clothes. “Have fun,” he said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek and squeeze.
“Thank you for letting me do this,” Rachel told him, giving him a smile. “I just want you to find someone and be happy.”
Lance grinned. “It'll happen, Rach. Just might take a little longer. Don't worry about me,” he told her, going to open the door to JC's room when he heard Josh knock. “What time do we need the wake up call for?”
“Six,” JC told him, pulling Rachel into his arms as he heard the door close from Lance's side before leaning in and giving her a kiss. It was one that he couldn't give her before since they'd been in public, his tongue dueling with hers. One hand was cradling her head while the other was on her back, pressing her up against his body. Josh felt her fingernails on his arms and groaned. He finally broke off the kiss when he needed more air, smiling at her. “Hi,” he said, nuzzling her nose with his.
“You are without a doubt the most charming man ever, Joshua Chasez,” Rachel said softly grinning at him. “And I still need a shower,” she informed him, pulling him along to the bathroom, laughing when he insisted on waiting outside until she was in the shower.
“You know we have a couple weeks off coming up,” JC said, leaning against the bathroom counter. “My vote is that you run away with me somewhere warm.” He'd wanted to surprise her with it, but then thought differently, not knowing what Melissa or Lance might come up with for plans. Josh wanted first dibs on his girlfriend's time. “Or we can just hide at the house.”
“I like hiding at the house,” Rachel told JC as she washed her hair. “Less likelihood of someone asking questions if we're all in the same spot. And then finally we can be alone. Together,” a smile came to her face and she put her head out of the shower and looked at JC. “You sure you don't want to join me?”
“I'd love to, babe...but..” JC sighed, seeing her pout. “I didn't want to do this...like this,” he explained, standing up and pulling his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor, then the rest of his clothes when Rachel shut the curtain to rinse her hair out.
“Like what? We've been almost naked enough times.”
“Yeah, but I wanted something better than the hotel,” he admitted, getting in the shower and looking at Rachel who was looking at him. “Somewhere secluded and no time limits,” his eyes took her in, the water cascading down her body, all the places his lips and hands had touched. Stepping up to her, JC touched Rachel's face and palmed her cheek, fighting back a groan when her body ended up flush against his. “You're beautiful, Rach,” he murmured in her ear, his teeth nipping her earlobe, leaving a trail of kisses along her neck. “This is your fault you know.”
Rachel's hands were on JC's shoulders, kneading them as his mouth went farther down, her mouth parting and letting out a soft moan when his tongue flicked over one of her nipples. “Joshua,” his name came out breathless. Her fingers ran through his wet hair, playing with it as his hands helped out what he was doing, tweaking the other nipple until it was a hard peak before his mouth moved over it. The warm water flowed over them both as Rachel let herself get lost in her boyfriend's attention. When he stopped suddenly, Rachel opened her eyes and looked at him. “What's wrong?” she questioned, trying to keep his body where it was, his fingers touching her pussy.
“Our first time's not gonna be in the shower,” JC said, standing up. He growled when Rachel's fingers closed around his hard dick, pumping it a few times. “Rach...please..” he grunted, moaning when he felt her teeth on his chest. “Stop,” he commanded, reaching down to stop her hand from doing any more. He pulled her to him and turned off the water. “Let's dry off a little and get in bed. Who needs sleep right?”
Rachel smirked at him as they each grabbed a towel and dried off, letting out a small moan when JC's fingers pulled her towel away to touch her breasts again. “Those hands are deadly, Chasez,” she told him as she pulled him towards the bed. The back of her legs hit the mattress and she pulled JC down as she laid down, inching up towards the pillows. He was helping her along, until he put his fingers down between her legs where they had been in the shower, moving off her enough to go at the right angle. Rachel stopped then, looking at Josh. His blue eyes looked her over like she was a precious jewel, studying her face as he fingered her, reacting to her expressions and breathy sounds of things she liked.
Nibbling her earlobe, JC continued, grinning when Rachel grabbed his wrist insisting he go faster and harder. He could taste the saltiness coming out in her skin the longer they went. And every time his penis brushed up against her leg, his erection twitched a little. If she thought she was going to do anything to him, it might be short lived. “That's it Rach. Come on baby, cum for me,” JC told her, his thumb brushing her clit, knowing what she liked. This time there was no reason to be quiet. They weren't on the bus and he grinned when she called out his name as her whole body convulsed with an orgasm. “Beautiful,” Josh murmured, kissing her as he slipped his wet fingers out, running them over her swollen sex now.
“I love you,” Rachel looked at him, grinning as her body tingled. She wanted to do the same for him, reaching down to his hard cock. “You like that?” she asked as JC bit his lip and nodded, suppressing a groan. She ran her thumb over the head of his penis, pre cum lubricating it.
“Fuck, Rachel,” JC growled, rolling her back over from where she'd been now on her side since starting with him. “I want you,” he told her, grabbing a pillow from the head of the bed and lifting her head up to put it underneath carefully, his lower body still flush with hers, his dick throbbing with need. “Let me make love to you now, Rach. I love you,” he told her, reaching down to position the head of his penis to go in. “Let me know if I hurt you.”
“You won't hurt me, Josh,” Rachel reassured him, bringing the palm of his hand up to kiss it lovingly before lacing her fingers through his. She wasn't worried about getting pregnant, having been on birth control for a while. She carded her hands through JC's hair as he let himself sink fully into her. She looked up at him and smiled, pulling him in for a kiss.
“You feel wonderful,” JC told Rachel after they'd broken off the kiss. He kissed her lips once more, trailing kisses along her jawline and to her ear, nipping the spot right behind her ear and down her throat. One of his hands was buried in her hair and the other was gently kneading a breast. He hadn't moved much, afraid he was going to cum soon. He hadn't had sex in a while and knew he wanted to try and get Rachel off once more before he was done.
“Josh,” Rachel bucked her hips a little, causing them both to groan in pleasure. Her fingernails ran down his back and she grinned wickedly at the goosebumps she made, grabbing a handful of his ass. “I want you to fuck me. Hard. Enough of this tender stuff...we've teased and played and everything else,” her eyes closed at him rolling one of her nipples through his fingers, pulling at it. “Please, babe.”
“Your wish is my command,” JC told her, running his hands down to her legs and bringing them up more to rest over his hips. He started out slow, glad they had taken a little time to just touch and kiss. He didn't think he'd explode now; starting the rhythm, chuckling at Rachel's hiss when he pulled almost all the way out to go just as slow all the way back in.
“Faster, Chasez,” Rachel almost begged, pulling his hair. She was rewarded, and sucked in a breath when she felt one of Josh's hands slip between their bodies to flick her clit. “Oh yes. Oh god, Joshua...mmm..”
JC swore softly to himself. She knew how to get to him. He loved to be talked to during sex, the moans and noises turned him on. “Cum for me Rach,” he whispered, kissing her softly. They were both starting to breath hard and his dick twitched. “Fuck,” he groaned, feeling her tighten up, getting faster and harder with each thrust.
“Mmmm..Josh..God..oh,” Rachel's words turned into incoherent moans until she came hard, yelling out his name, her fingers buried in his shoulders, encouraging him to cum right after her, which he did after a few more thrusts. A stupid smile came to her face when he put his head on her shoulder, his face buried in her neck. “You okay?” she asked, both of them sweaty and breathing hard, smelling like sex.
“I'm wonderful,” he replied, moving so he could slip his softening penis out of her and pull her to him. “How are you?” JC smiled when Rachel curled up to him.
“I'm alright,” she chuckled at his crestfallen look. “I'm perfect,” she told him, kissing his lips.
“Yes you are,” JC replied. He looked at the clock and groaned. “This video shoot's gonna be a bitch. And then you have that concert. Should I be worried about one of those Backstreet dorks stealing you away?” he asked with a smile.
“Not a chance,” Rachel played with JC's hair, making it stick up in odd angles. “I'm yours.”
“That's just what I wanted to hear,” he said as they both laid there in silence for a little bit. He would have been content to not have to go anywhere that day, but he knew they had to work later. “Would you be my girlfriend? I'll treat you good...” he half sang, grinning when Rachel laughed, watching her get up and find one of his shirts to wear after grabbing panties, getting up himself to pull on boxers. He pulled back the covers. “We smell like sex,” he pointed out.
“For once, Joshua, don't overthink it,” Rachel told him, crooking her finger and telling him to come to the bed. “We smell like sex because we had sex,” she pulled him down with her, tangling his legs with hers. “And I hope we wake up early enough to do it again.” She kissed his nose and grinned when he just smiled. “That's what I thought you said.”
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^
Joey slipped on his pants, listening for any sound that the girl in bed had woken up. It had pained him to leave her like this, but he knew it was for the best. He couldn't have Melissa thinking that he could just have her slip back into his life. This was a one time thing. A one time thing that shouldn't have happened, but he didn't regret it for a second. They'd made love the first time in bed, then again in the shower until the hot water ran out and he'd laid with her until she fell asleep. They'd talked about nothing important, laughing at stupid jokes they'd had together and Joey singing to her. He'd wiped her tears and kissed her soundly, promising he'd be there when she woke up. He'd lied, he knew, slipping his wedding band back on. And he hated himself even more for it. After he was dressed, he gave her one last look before quietly leaving, the cab waiting for him at the complex entrance. “Mind if I smoke?” he asked, lighting up when the driver said no after he got in. It was the only thing that kept Joey sane, sucking in the nicotine.
“Have a good night, son?” the older man asked, driving him back to the address he'd given.
“As good as can be expected,” he replied, knowing Melissa would wake up and wonder where he was. Joey would be doing what he always did. Just trying to get through a day without her. He hoped and prayed when his son made his entrance into the world that he wouldn't be so hung up on what his life was like before now. It was hard at the present time not to dwell on that, so Joey let his mind wander. He prayed that someday the woman he'd left sleeping would understand.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Part 2 of this chapter. Thanks for reading everyone. ;)
Story Tags: joey
