“The short black shorts with the lacy white top,” Megan told her on the phone an hour later. Annie was standing in front of her closet once more debating on what she should wear on her date. “Because then it won’t take you long to get out of it later.”

“Megan!” Annie groaned. “Seriously, that’s the least of my worries.”

“Oh please. You know you guys are gonna do it. It’s your first date and you’ve already done it, like, a hundred times this past weekend.”

“Shut up. Ok so the black shorts and the lacy white top. Option one,” Annie threw the items on her bed. “What about the strapless red shirt with leggings?”

“Maybe,” Megan thought. “Oh, hey, do you still have that lavender dress? You know the one that you said you’d never wear because it wasn’t special enough for anything?”

“Right,” Annie nodded and looked through the back of her closet until she pulled out a lavender strapless mini dress from H&M. She’d been with Carey and Megan when she’d bought it and they’d convinced her she had to get it because of how it showed off her cleavage and her legs. Annie bit her lower lip thinking of just how turned on she knew JC would be once he saw her in it. “He might not let me leave the house like this. He’d just try and convince me to stay in with him.”

“Then you should definitely wear it,” Megan said and sighed. “Annie, I have to admit. I’m a little envious of you these days. How is the sex?”

“Megan, I don’t have time for that. Should I wear the dress or the shorts and the white lacy top?” Annie looked at the items on her bed.

“You’re no fun,” Megan griped then relented, “I think you should wear the dress. And if he tries to convince you not to go out, you stay in and be as loud as you want.”

“I want to go out with him, you dork,” Annie picked up the lavender dress and looked at it. “We haven’t been out on a date yet and we’ve done everything else. I’m starting to feel like his love slave or something.”

“Wow, I feel so sorry for you,” Megan chided. “Getting to have sex all the time with a gorgeous, rich, man. And also, what if you go out and get tailed by paparazzi? You know that’s bound to happen and then you’ll end up on the cover of Star and then you’ll be calling me and lamenting ‘I wish we’d never gone out!’”

“First of all, I doubt we’ll be the cover story unless nothing else is going on out here. Second, there’s always a pap or two wherever he is so I’m already expecting it and I don’t care. The only thing I care about in this whole crazy relationship is that we don’t break Emma-Claire’s heart if it doesn’t work out,” Annie sat on the edge of her bed, the dress in her lap and let out a shaky sigh.

“So what about you?” Megan asked softly.

“What about me?”

“What about your heart in this thing? Yeah, I know it’s Emma-Claire that you’re worried about but what about your heart getting broken? Because as fast as you’ve fallen for him, if anything were to happen, I think you’d be crushed.”

Annie didn’t say anything because she hadn’t wanted to think about that part of it.

“I know things are going great but you’re like, what, a week into the relationship? And it’s all sex and those heart to heart talks with each other and feeling like it’s the best thing in the world but, I don’t know, just think about yourself in that situation, you know?”

“Yeah,” Annie cleared her throat. “I know, Megs.” She shook her head. “I really don’t want to have this conversation right now. I mean, it’s our first date and I should be getting dressed and making him think I’m the best thing he’s ever taken out.”

“Sorry,” Megan apologized. “I shouldn’t have gotten so serious like that. It’s just I keep hearing you talk about Emma-Claire and I don’t want you to forget about yourself.”

“No, you’re just being a good friend,” Annie assured her. “And you’re right. If he were to end this, I would be devastated.”

“Go get dressed. Put on some good music and drink a glass of wine. Forget we had this conversation,” Megan added quickly. “And you better call me tomorrow. Oh and tell JC that Saturday is Jamie’s birthday and we’re all going out.”

“’We’ as in me and you and Jamie and Carey?” Annie stood and hung the dress up on her door.

“Yes. Girls’ night out. Do you think he’ll let you off?”

“Considering I’m his girlfriend now I would say he would. And Saturday’s my day off anyway and his parents are in town so I don’t think it’ll be a big deal.”

“Sweet. Okay, go get ready. Call me tomorrow.”

“Bye Megs,” Annie hung up and went downstairs to take a shower.

JC walked downstairs at five til seven and Emma-Claire was playing on the floor with Karen while Mulan was on the television. Roy was reading something on his iPad in the recliner and all three of them looked up when he stepped onto the bottom stair. He was dressed in dark jeans and a short-sleeved dark button down. The sleeves were highlighted in a bright green. In his hand he carried a bouquet of pink tulips that Karen had picked up for him earlier that afternoon.

“Well, you certainly look handsome,” Karen told her son, standing to her feet.

“Thanks,” JC grinned, then looked at Emma-Claire. “Ok, Emma, I’m going to dinner with Annie. Kiss me goodbye.”

Emma-Claire scrambled to her feet and ran to JC, her little arms wrapping around his legs. JC bent down to kiss her and tousled her hair. “Can you and Annie tuck me in tonight?” Emma-Claire asked him, her little hands cupping both of his cheeks.

JC looked at Karen who smiled knowingly at him.

“Emma-Claire, I think Daddy and Annie will still be gone by the time you get in bed,” Karen told her.

“But tomorrow we’ll be with you all day,” JC quickly answered upon seeing Emma-Claire’s face fall. “Okay?”

“Okay,” the child’s face brightened somewhat and she leaned in to kiss JC’s cheek.

“Okay,” JC grinned. “Love you, honey.” He stood to his feet and went to hug his mother. “See you guys tomorrow.”

“Have fun,” Roy called to him as he walked through the kitchen. He stood for a minute at the sliding glass door and looked across the yard at the pool house. He smiled and opened the door, quickly crossing the patio and was soon knocking on the door. He felt a little silly knocking on his own pool house entrance, but he’d wanted this to feel like as much of a first date as he possibly could and with anyone else, he’d never just enter someone’s house without knocking first.

Annie walked down the steps as quickly as she could, still fastening a hoop in her ear. She brushed off her dress once she reached the bottom stair and shook her curls before going to the door. When she opened it, JC immediately looked her up and down and his breath caught in his throat.

“Whoa,” he whistled at her. “Annie, you look….wow.” He walked inside, and after handing her the bouquet of tulips, slid his hands around her waist until they rested on her backside. “Baby, you look amazing.” He kissed her lips and pulled her close to him. “In fact, we don’t have to go out at all,” he whispered between kisses. Annie chuckled and pulled away from him.

“I knew you’d say that,” she shook her head and played with the collar on his shirt. “You look pretty great yourself.” She placed her hand on his chest and reached up to kiss him again, wiping off the lipstick that was now on his upper lip. “We should probably go unless you really don’t want dinner.”

“I could handle just taking you upstairs for the rest of the night,” JC kissed her cheek, then her neck. “Is that the spot? The one that makes you crazy?” he hissed and Annie nearly melted.

“C’mon, Josh, let’s go,” she was surprised at how she’d willed herself to pull away from him when normally that little spot on her neck would have caused her to let him take her right then and there. “We’ll go out to dinner and come back here and you can kiss me wherever you want for however long you want.”

“Oh, I plan on that,” JC said and walked to the door. “But kissing is only part of what I’m gonna do to you when we get back.” He laced his fingers through hers and then opened the door leading outside. The air was crisp outside and JC let go of her hand to slide his arm around her shoulder. Annie forgot about her conversation with Megan earlier. It didn’t matter anyway. She would enjoy the newness of this relationship and not worry about what might not even come to pass. For now, it was her and JC out on their first date. She felt pretty and sexy and when she glanced at him, her heart jumped inside of her chest to be out with this man who she could liberally call her boyfriend.

The restaurant JC had chosen was a nouveau type of place with seafood and Italian dishes on its menu. It was bustling with people but had an intimate feel to it at the same time. JC had called ahead and asked for the most private seating area they had and as soon as they entered, they were whisked away to a back corner. Annie had never been seated so fast at a restaurant in L.A. in the whole four years she’d lived there. It was a completely different scenario being with someone who had celebrity status.

“So, our first real date,” JC smiled warmly at Annie after they had ordered. He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers. “Sorry it took so long.”

“It was worth it. The whole week you made me wait,” she replied sarcastically. “And this place looks fantastic.”

“Lance actually told me about it. He and Michael came here when it opened a few months ago,” JC sipped his wine. “He liked it because it wasn’t swarming with the usual L.A. type of crowd and he got through dinner without having to sign an autograph.”

“Then I like it for that reason, too,” Annie rested her elbow on the table and propped her chin in her hand. “I don’t want to share you with anyone tonight.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” JC assured her. Annie looked down at their hands. His on top of hers, stroking her palm with his thumb. She sighed contentedly and took a sip of her Cosmopolitan. “So, tell me something about you I don’t know.”

“What do you want to know?” Annie’s eyes danced as she asked him this question. All of their talks after making love together had ultimately turned into deep conversations about life and what their pasts were like before meeting each other. Annie had filled him in on growing up in Ohio, how she was always the little sister expected to stay put in the same sleepy suburb of Cincinnati, and teach in the elementary school where she’d gone as a child.

“I don’t know. You and your sister. Are you anything alike?”

Annie chuckled at the question. She and Maggie had a great relationship but were nothing alike. “Nothing,” Annie replied. “She’s married with three kids and would never dream of leaving Ohio. Though, I guess I should say our taste in men is apparently the same.”

JC raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Annie bit her lower lip and smiled at him. “You were her favorite Nsync member.”

“Oh, yeah?” JC laughed softly. “Were you a fan? I never asked.”

“Yeah….” Annie trailed off, suddenly feeling silly for being embarrassed about liking the band that her now boyfriend had been a member of years ago. “Yeah, Maggie introduced me to you guys. She had you plastered all over her wall in college.”

JC threw his head back and laughed louder. “She’d probably kill you for telling me this wouldn’t she?”

“Oh yeah,” Annie giggled and nodded her head. “I haven’t told her we’re dating yet. I guess I should fill her in. She’s really star struck, though. I guess that’s why I’m waiting.”

“So, I was your sister’s favorite. And you? Was I your favorite?” JC squeezed her hand and continued to trace his thumb over her palm.

“Um, no,” Annie shook her head and bit her lower lip. “Justin was. And for the sheer fact that he was the youngest and I was fourteen.”

JC shook his head and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “That’s right. I forget how much I’m robbing the cradle with you.”

“Shut up. I should be teasing you about how I’m dating an old man, then,” Annie smiled at him flirtatiously. JC leaned across the table and Annie met him in the middle to give him a lingering kiss.

All thoughts of going to a wine bar or a club after their meal were forgotten. They were both too caught up in each other and throughout dinner, JC kept reaching under the table to grab at her thigh. By the time they entered the pool house, Annie’s dress had been partially unzipped –JC had worked on that on the drive back-and they were desperately trying to make it upstairs without breaking away from each other. Annie knew it had never been this way with anyone else. That desperation, that longing to have the other person fill her up and fill her up completely had been lost on other suitors. JC had been the only one who could make her long for him even when he wasn’t with her. She could already feel the heat between her legs and the aching and burning she felt whenever he was touching her. Collapsing on her bed, JC nearly ripped her dress from her and Annie held herself back from tearing his shirt off of him. The only thing that stopped her was that he looked just as good with it on as he did off and she didn’t want to ruin it. Her hands couldn’t unbutton it fast enough. It was as though they hadn’t been with each other just twenty-four hours before.

Annie loved hearing him moan and gasp as he fondled her and undressed her at the same time and she gave it right back to him, which only urged him further. He made her feel like a goddess in bed and no one, no one, had ever done that before and she knew it. Sex before JC had been an exercise routine. In and out and in and out and done. Now she knew why it was so enjoyable and why her friends had been able to be uninhibited in bed because she was feeling the exact same way.

“Wait, I wanna try something with you,” JC panted in her ear. He was on top of her and Annie was beneath him, her legs spread and ready for him to enter her.

“What?” she groaned, waiting for him to continue.

He said nothing, only moved off of her and rolled her on her side. He pulled her against him, moved her thigh back and before she knew it, he was deep within her. His fingers rested on her inner thigh and he began to move slowly behind her.

“Do you like this? Is it okay?” he whispered.

“It’s…yeah, oh my god, yes!” Annie threw her head back onto his shoulder, his fingers massaging her swollen clit and him moving faster inside of her.

“That's it, Annie,” he groaned. “That’s my girl.”

“Mm, Josh. Josh!” she rocked forward, her orgasm hitting her faster than ever before and JC kept working her inside and out. She clutched the pillow next to her and before long, another orgasm had washed over her. Something between a gasp and a scream came out of her and JC began to go even faster. He fell onto her back as he released within her and gasped and groaned her name. Nothing was heard except their panting to catch their breaths and Annie only moved when she felt him pull out of her confines. She rolled over, her eyes meeting his lustful stare. Neither of them spoke a word for a few seconds. Annie reached up to wipe off the sweat from his forehead and slowly moved on top of him. His arms wrapped around her waist and he felt her lips began to suck and kiss at his neck, her hair trailing behind her kisses as she made her way down his chest. It was covered in beads of sweat and Annie looked at him and pulled herself up so that she was straddling him. He reached for her, his hands tangled in her hair and kissed her.

“You amaze me,” he said between kisses. “Every time I’m with you I think that’s the best time ever and then you do something else.”

“I feel the same way,” she kissed his cheek and JC rolled her over so that he was on top now.

“I can’t get enough of you, Annie Leighton,” he chuckled, kissing his way down her body. “I think about you all the time.”

“What do you think about?” Annie propped herself up on her elbows and watched him make his way down to her stomach. He took turns blowing and kissing around her naval before he answered.

“Any and everything,” he chuckled and kissed her again in the same spot. “It usually involves you being like this without any clothes on.” He rested his chin on her stomach and looked up at her. “And I usually get my fantasy fulfilled when I’m with you.” Annie ran her hand through his hair and he continued. “And the way you love on my daughter, well, as pissed off as I was at Shayna, if it wasn’t for her and for Emma-Claire, I might not have ever met you.” He pulled himself up until he was lying next to her again. “You’re different from everyone else, Ann. You’re not complex or after me for the wrong reasons and being with you like we just were….I mean, damn, Annie, you blow my mind in a million different ways.”

Annie was quiet and taking in everything he was telling her. She pulled the sheet over her body and turned to face him. “Is it gonna get old?” she asked, as he snuggled next to her.

“What do you mean?” he kissed her forehead and their noses touched.

“This. Is it gonna get old? It’s been a week. I guess, I just, I worry that after a while it’s not going to feel like this anymore. You’ve even said yourself you get bored. And I just know that if it weren’t to work out that I’d be devastated and that precious little girl that we both love would be crushed,” she rested her palm on his face.

“I don’t think I could ever get bored of you, Annie,” he kissed her lips softly and tried to reassure her with a smile.

Annie only nodded and took his arm, wrapping it around her waist. “Then I won’t bring it up again,” she said, closing her eyes and trying to rid herself of the gnawing feeling of uncertainty that was building inside of her.

Annie’s phone buzzing the next morning was what woke JC up first. He looked over at her, curled next to him in a ball and sleeping soundly. Rubbing his eyes, he swung his legs over her bed and walked to the other side of the bed to turn the phone off, only to look down and see Maggie’s name flashing across the screen. He looked at Annie and then back at the phone, recalling their conversation the night before at dinner.

“Annie’s phone,” his voice was groggier than he’d expected it to be, which only caused Maggie to gasp on the other end.

“Um. Who is this?” she asked, almost in a demanding tone.

“Josh Chasez. Who is this?”

“Josh Chasez. JC?!”

“Well, some would call me that, yeah,” he was trying his best not to burst into laughter on the phone.

“Why are you answering my sister’s phone?”

“I’m her boss. I pay her phone bill. Shouldn’t I be allowed to do that?”

Annie could hear a conversation in the distance as she slowly came out of the sleepy coma she was in. She rolled over and looked up to see JC standing next to her bedside with his phone to his ear.

“What are you doing?” Annie asked drowsily.

“I’m talking to your sister,” JC turned and winked at her and suddenly Annie was wide-awake.

“Shit!” she hissed at him. “Josh, give me that!”

JC was chuckling now and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. Annie grabbed the phone from him.

“Hi Mags,” she said as nonchalantly as possible.

“Annie, what the hell is going on?” Maggie questioned, her tone of voice sharp as it always was when she got excited.

“Nothing. Why?” Annie replied trying to be offhanded.

“Annie Leighton, I call you at 9:00 your time and JC Chasez answers your phone and you both sound like you just crawled out of bed and….” Maggie trailed off and then nearly screeched into the phone, “Did you have sex with JC Chasez?!”

Annie pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at JC. “I’m going to kill you for answering this!” she hissed at him and put the phone back to her ear. JC only laughed at her and then crawled on top of her kissing her as she continued to try and have a conversation with her sister.

“I’m not talking to you about this right now,” Annie retorted, then to JC she whispered, “Stop!”

“Stop what?” Maggie asked. “Annie, seriously, what are you doing?”

“I’m not doing anything, baby,” JC bit her neck.

“Not you, Maggie,” Annie sighed and tried to move away from JC but he was relentless.

“Annie, is JC Chasez in your bed right now?”

“Mags, I’ll call you back okay?” Annie succeeded in pushing JC off of her and standing up. “I can’t talk right now.”
“Ann-Marie! You better not hang up on me!” Maggie shrieked. Annie groaned and turned around to see JC on his side, propped up on his elbow and grinning at her with a goofy smile.

“I’ll call you back, Maggie,” Annie hung up on her sister and threw the phone on the bed. “Are you crazy?” she shook her head at JC. “I’m never gonna hear the end of it now.”

“She woke me up. I thought I’d have a little fun,” JC rolled off the bed and walked over to Annie. “Good morning, baby.” He kissed her lips slowly and deliberately while at the same time, walking her backwards to the bed until he was on top of her.

“Josh…” Annie whimpered.

“What?” he kissed her again and began to roll one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. “Does that feel good?”

Annie sighed and looked at him, unable to hide the expression of arousal on her tired face. “Mmhm.”

“Are you still mad at me?” his mouth was on her other breast and his voice muffled.

“Uh huh,” Annie snaked her arm around his neck. “But you keep doing that and I might change my mind.”

“Yeah?” he looked up at her and continued his kisses further south. “How’s this?” his tongue licked at the spot where her pelvis met her inner thigh. “You like that?”

“Mmm,” was all Annie could muster.

“Good,” JC spread her legs and was just about to continue his assault when a loud knock on the door rang through the tiny space.

“Are you kidding me?!” Annie groaned and sat up quickly.

“Not really a morning person, huh baby?” JC teased her and kissed her before getting up. “I’ll go answer it.”

“No, what if it’s Emma-Claire?” Annie stood and grabbed her robe that was hanging on the closet door. She tied it around her and quickly ran down the steps to the door of the pool house.

“Good morning,” Karen stood there with Emma-Claire next to her and a plate of pancakes in one hand. “Emma-Claire made you and Josh breakfast.”
Annie smiled, quite embarrassed at the state she was in and how JC’s mother must have been looking at her. “Um, wow. Thanks, Emma-Claire!” Annie grinned at her. “Josh is still, um..” she trailed off and looked at the stairs that led to the loft. “Well, he should be down in a minute.”

Karen bit her lip and looked at Annie. “I’m so sorry, Annie. She was quite insistent on seeing you both,” the older woman whispered.

“No, it’s totally fine,” Annie was doing her best to reassure her. “Come on in. I’ll go see if he’s ready to-“

“Good morning!” JC called from the top of the loft and began to make his way down the stairs. Annie marveled at him in his jeans and a white undershirt that he’d left from two nights before. Meanwhile, she looked as though she’d just rolled out of bed after having sex.

“Daddy!” Emma-Claire ran to him and JC picked her up. “I brought you and Annie breakfast!”

“That’s so great, baby, thank you,” JC kissed her and put her down.

“You know, why don’t we let you get dressed and we can just have breakfast out by the pool?” Karen suggested and smiled decisively at Annie, who looked relieved. “Come on, Emma-Claire. We’ll go set the patio table and then Annie and Daddy can come out in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Emma-Claire agreed and followed her grandmother out of the pool house.

“Oh my god,” Annie breathed a sigh of relief. “That was embarrassing!”

“My mother knows I’m not a virgin,” JC teased her. “And I’m pretty sure she knew we weren’t in here talking last night.”

“Yeah, but what must Emma think?!” Annie shook her head and went upstairs, JC fast on her heels.

“She’s four. We can tell her we were having an adult slumber party,” JC wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck from behind. “Because after my parents leave, we’re gonna be having a lot of them in my bed.”

Annie turned and faced him. “What are you saying?”

“Exactly? Well, I guess I’m saying I think you should just move in with me.”

“Move in with you? After a week?” Annie took her robe off and threw on her bra , while rummaging through her drawer for a pair of panties.

“My last girlfriend moved in after only-“ he stopped when Annie shot him a look. “I mean, never mind. I’m just saying it’s not like it’s not been done before.”

“That’s fine, Josh, but –“

“You know what your problem is?” JC sauntered over to her after she’d thrown on a pair of jeans and was still looking for a t-shirt. He pulled her into his arms. “You worry too much. Just chill and we’ll do this thing one day at a time like we said. And you know you’re not gonna want to come back to this place at night. We can’t even keep our hands off each other for two minutes, much less eight hours.”

Annie slowly nodded. “Okay,” she tried to be as assured sounding as she wanted him to think she was.

“You’re still worried about this aren’t you?” he rested his forehead on hers.

“A little.”

“A lot.”

“Okay, fine, a lot. I’ve just never had a relationship go this fast before.”

“Then maybe it’s time you give it a shot,” JC let her go and Annie quickly put on a t-shirt before following him downstairs.