Ashley was frustrated. It wasn’t that she had planned an extensive vacation with Delaney, but it would have been nice to lay out by the pool in the four hours of free time that afternoon. She’d briefly seen her at the bar before dinner until JC had come over and made awkward conversation. Now it was after dinner and Chris had to go to the last meeting of the day before he could join Ashley for cocktails. She’d texted Delaney to see if she wanted to join, but Delaney had responded that she’d felt a cold coming on and wanted to stay in her room for the rest of the evening.

Ashley thought her friend’s behavior had been a little off for most of the weekend. Delaney was usually always up for a drink and some gossip after work. As it was, Delaney had been disappearing during and after meetings and Chris told Ashley he hadn’t seen her show up at all after lunch. Maybe there was something big going on at the hotel that had occupied her time. But if it was that huge, Ashley felt as though Delaney might at least let on that something wasn’t right.

Then again, perhaps Ashley was over thinking it and she’d just been down that she couldn’t hang out with Delaney as much as she’d wanted.

“Cocktail?”

Ashley looked up and smiled at Chris, who was handing her a blue frozen drink. “Thanks.” Ashley took the drink and Chris sat down next to her in the empty chair.

“You looked all deep in thought. What’s up?” Chris asked her.

“I don’t know. I guess I just thought we’d see Delaney more.” Ashley took a sip. “This is delicious! What’s in it?”

Chris shrugged. “It was the drink of the day. It had alcohol. I got it.”

Ashley chuckled. “Good call. Anyway, I just didn’t think she’d be so busy.”

“She’s the assistant hotel manager. I’m sure she and JC have to be at a lot of meetings we don’t even know about.” Chris kissed her. “Let’s go back to the room. I kind of just want you for myself tonight anyway.”

She wasn’t going to spend the night. She had told JC over and over again that she didn’t want to stay. Yet, here they were at midnight rolling around on his bed, fucking each other for the umpteenth time that night. After dinner, she’d snuck back to his bedroom and they hadn’t left. Delaney couldn’t remember ever having sex like this with someone. Animalistic and rough. That was the only way to describe it. But she wasn’t complaining. In fact, she liked it. He brought out something in her that no other man had ever brought out before.

“You can’t go.” JC hissed into her ear. “Stay with me. Just for tonight.”

He felt good like this. He was still inside of her, growing soft, but Delaney liked it. He kissed her on the mouth and rolled off of her.

Delaney let out a satisfied sigh and bit on her lower lip. “Ok.”

“Ok you’ll stay?” JC stroked her shoulder with his fingers.

“I’ll stay. But just for tonight.”

This had gone beyond a one-night stand. A one-night stand was a person you never saw again. This was closing in on 48 hours now. Tomorrow they were headed back to Islamorada, back to normal life, back to the hotel. It made Delaney anxious to think about what it would be like once they were back at The Chancellor. When they’d left just two days ago, JC Chasez had been the most awful person Delaney had ever worked with in her career. In fact, he was probably the worst person she’d ever known.

But now? Now she was addicted to him and he to her.

“What’s going to happen tomorrow?” Delaney whispered in the dark after JC had turned off the light.

“What do you mean?” They were spooned against each other and JC’s lips were right next to her ear. He kissed the top of her ear and his chin rested on her shoulder.

“When we get back. What’s going to happen?” She was still turned away from him but rolled over to face him.

JC knew what she was talking about. He knew that Joey, Chris, and Ashley despised him. He knew she was close with them and could never breath a word to anyone about how she’d spent the majority of this conference in his room. And he knew that Delaney was very aware of just how many women he’d had in his office since she’d started working at the hotel.

“I don’t know.” It was the best answer he could give because he didn’t know. It was up to both of them to determine how they wanted it to go. And two nights fucking didn’t equal to a relationship, not that Delaney had hinted around to that.

“Me either.” Delaney rested her palm on JC’s cheek and smiled. “I guess we’ll just figure it out later.” She yawned and rested her head on his shoulder. JC watched her until she fell asleep, then closed his eyes.

Flashback 1995

“Josh.”

Josh groaned upon hearing his mother knock on his bedroom door. He’d been home for the summer exactly two days and already she was waking him up before eight in the morning.

“Josh, wake up. I need to talk to you.”

She was in his bedroom; he could hear her shuffling across the floor.

“What?” Josh mumbled into his pillow.

“Get up, come downstairs.” Karen was standing at the end of his bed.

“Why?” He still hadn’t moved but managed to grab the covers and pull them over his head.

“Just come downstairs. It’s important.” With that, Karen left and Josh heard the door close behind her. Reluctantly, he kicked off the covers and slowly stood up. He grabbed a t-shirt off the floor and threw it over his head. He couldn’t imagine what his mother had to tell him before noon that was this important.

When he came downstairs, his parents were sitting at the kitchen table with serious looks on their faces. He glanced at both of them, ran a hand through his hair, and sat down across from them.

“What?” He rested his elbows on the table and cupped his face in his palm.

“Josh, we heard from your biological grandfather last night. Lisa overdosed on pain pills and alcohol. She died a few hours ago.” Karen reached across the table to touch Josh’s arm.

Josh didn’t flinch or blink. He looked at his parents with a deadpan expression. Finally, he spoke. “Serves her right.”

“Joshua!” Karen gasped.

“You know I’m right, Mom. I’m surprised it didn’t happen before now!” Josh pushed his chair back and stood up. “Is that all you wanted to tell me? That my real mom died?”

“Why are you being so insensitive?” Karen looked at her son in disbelief.

“Because I haven’t wanted anything to do with her since she left me with you. I mean, I’m sorry it happened, but not a big loss for me.” He turned and then looked back at his parents. “I’m going back to bed. Unless you need me for anything else?”

“Joshua-“ Karen started but Roy reached over and touched her hand.

“Let him go, hon.” Josh heard his father saying as he left the kitchen and went back upstairs.

He lied down on his bed and closed his eyes but sleep didn’t come. All he saw were visions of Lisa when he was a little boy. Lisa had been a terrible, awful mother and he had never forgotten the feeling of being placed with Karen and Roy. He remembered feeling as if he was finally with a real family and would experience unconditional love from two parents.

But the fact remained that Lisa had been his real mother and he hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye.

It was that one realization that caused Josh to cry himself to sleep.

Delaney was sound asleep when she felt JC jerk next to her. He gasped and when she opened her eyes, he was shaking and holding his head in his hands.

“JC?” Delaney rubbed her eyes. The time on the cable box read 2:45 and it was dark outside. “JC, are you ok?” She sat up next to him and put her hand on his back. He was covered in sweat.

JC couldn’t verbally answer. Sobs began to wrack his body and he fell into Delaney’s arms crying. It was the first time he’d ever felt this completely broken.

Delaney didn’t know what else to do other than to let him cry. She kissed the top of his head and held him close to her.

He was embarrassed but he couldn’t hide it from her. He tried to control his sobs but the more he tried, the harder they came. When he tried to speak, all that came out was a gut-wrenching cry that only made Delaney hold him closer.

Damn Lisa. Damn her for making him have all of these god-awful flashbacks. And damn her for making him cry like this in front of Delaney of all people.

“It’s okay, JC.” Delaney whispered and kissed him again. “Shh.”

After what felt like hours, but had only been a few minutes, JC was able to calm down. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and let out a sigh. His arms rested on his knees and he looked straight ahead while Delaney sat next to him, running her hand up and down his arm.

“I’ve…been having these flashbacks. For a while now.” JC finally spoke, his voice cracking slightly.

“Flashbacks?” Delaney looked at him. “What are they about?”

JC had never opened up to anyone about his life, especially not in detail. But for some reason, he found it comforting to tell Delaney everything that had ever happened to him. Delaney listened intently and was beginning to put the pieces together in her head about who JC Chasez really was.

“It makes sense.” Delaney spoke softly after JC had finished talking.

“What does?” JC had calmed down enough to lie down and Delaney was in his arms.

“Why you’re such an ass.” She wasn’t being smart, she was being honest and he knew it. “You wanted to be the best at everything because you felt like you were nothing as a kid.”

JC turned on his side and faced Delaney. “Why am I having these damn flashbacks?”

“I’m not a therapist, JC, but from what I can see you’ve never dealt with any of that stuff,” Delaney said. “Eventually it had to come up somehow. I guess you’ve stuffed it so long that this is how it had to come out. I don’t know.”

“I just want them to stop. They’re ruining my life.” JC rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, then looked over at Delaney. “I’ve never told anyone any of what I told you.”

“I’m not going to say a word.” Delaney kissed his chest. “I think I’ve gotten good at keeping secrets with you.”

JC laughed. “Yeah, I guess you have.”

They didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Delaney felt her eyelids growing heavy and knew it was getting close to four in the morning. Their flight left for Miami the next morning at ten. In order to get everything packed, Delaney would have to be up in two hours.

“Hey.” JC nudged her and Delaney let out a tired sigh.

“Hm?”

“Thanks for listening to me. Nobody’s ever…listened to me.”

“I don’t think you gave them the chance.” Delaney mumbled and closed her eyes.

“You’re probably right.” JC kissed her forehead. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Delaney watched the plane touch down and felt her heart start racing. She’d thought about what to do with this whole situation with JC ever since leaving his room earlier that morning. When they’d woken up, they’d had a quickie, except this time JC had been gentle with her and not as rough. He’d kissed her sweetly on the lips before she scurried down the hall and to the elevator, hoping not to be seen by anyone.

Miraculously, the next time she ran into Ashley and Chris was when they ran into her at breakfast. Delaney had hoped Ashley hadn’t seen the guilt on her face from hiding something so huge from her friend all weekend.

JC had been on another flight and Delaney hadn’t heard anything from him since leaving his room that morning. As soon as she turned her phone on again, there were three text messages from him. He wanted to know how her flight was, he wanted her to text him when she got home, and he told her he hadn’t stopped thinking of her.

Delaney hoped the grin on her face wasn’t giving her away.

She replied quickly and then slipped her phone back into her purse as the plane taxied to the gate. Turning around, she waved over at Chris and Ashley, who were sitting two rows behind her.

“You think she’s going to be back to normal?” Ashley murmured to Chris as they started to exit their row.

“Stop being dramatic. She was busy. I told you that!” Chris rolled his eyes and began to get their carry-ons from the overhead compartment.

Ashley was still skeptical but said nothing more about it. It was an intuition she had. Delaney was hiding something from her.

JC hadn’t stopped thinking about Delaney. It wasn’t just the sex, which had been incredible; it was everything about her. She had listened to him talk about everything in his past, he’d opened up to her like he’d never opened up to anyone before, and even though they’d had to rush to leave the next morning, he loved waking up next to her.

It was a quiet Sunday at the hotel when he’d returned that afternoon. Delaney had taken the rest of the day off but JC went in just to check in on things and get settled for the next week.

As he sat at his desk, he wondered what it would really be like once Delaney was back in the office the next day. Would they even speak to each other? Would they act as they had before that weekend? JC shook his head. He didn’t want that.

He thought about Andrea, about Morgan, about the countless women who’d been in and out of that office for nothing more than sex. Then he thought about Delaney and even though it had been just sex with them that weekend, JC wondered if there could be more.

There was only one way to find out.

He shut down his computer, drew the blinds, and locked his office. He’d never left early but he was going to take advantage of being the GM today and go.

Delaney hadn’t moved from her couch since getting home from the airport. She started a load of laundry and made a pot of coffee that had lasted her most of the afternoon. It was overcast outside and even though she knew it was muggy and warm, Delaney felt cozy inside her house. She would silently scold herself whenever she reached for her phone. She hadn’t heard from JC since the text he’d sent her when she landed and that had been over four hours now. She knew she couldn’t be upset. It was a weekend fling and that was all. Tomorrow things would go back to the way they were supposed to have been all along.

She heard a car pull into her driveway and went to the front window to look out. Her heart jumped and she couldn’t help but smile when she saw JC getting out of his car and walk to her front door. She opened it before he could knock. He was standing in front of her with a bouquet of tropical flowers and a sheepish grin on his face.

“Well, hey.” Delaney greeted him. She motioned at the flowers. “What are those for?”

“They’re for you.” JC handed them over to her.

“Why?” She was skeptical as she took them.

“Because I always give flowers to someone I’m about to take on a date.” He looked at her and waited for her to respond.

“What?!” She couldn’t help but laugh. “A date? JC, I’m in sweats and a t-shirt and-“

“Our reservations aren’t for another hour and a half. Go get ready. I’m taking you out on a date.”

They sat across from each other at a tiny little hole in the wall Italian restaurant tucked away on a neighboring island. It had taken a half hour to drive there and all the way, Delaney and JC discussed the weekend and how they felt and JC finally told her he wanted to see what might happen if they went out on a real date.

“When’s the last time you took a fuck buddy on a date?” She couldn’t help but ask him that. She was pretty sure Andrea and Morgan hadn’t had the privilege of getting past his office desk. Or his floor, for that matter.

“I deserve that.” JC shook his head and took a swig of beer. “I can’t remember the last time I was on a date. Probably over a year.”

“I guess when the milk’s free, why buy the cow.” Delaney used a phrase she’d heard her mother use for years regarding women who gave out on the first date.

Little did her mother know about all of Delaney’s first dates.

“Ouch!” JC chuckled at her metaphor. “Damn, Delaney. I take you out to a nice dinner and this is how you repay me? Cutting me down?”

“Oh stop. You know I’m right.” Delaney held her glass of white wine and put her lips on the rim, then took a sip. “Ok, but seriously. This-“ she waved her hand between them, “-what is it?”

“Do we have to come up with a definition now? Can’t we just enjoy a dinner together?” He looked at her linguine alfredo. “How’s the pasta?”

“Delicious.” Delaney answered. “I’m just stuffed. I’ll take the rest of it for lunch tomorrow.”

JC didn’t say anything and finished his lasagna. Then, “I think we can get away with hiding this for a while. At the hotel I mean.”

Delaney looked up from her wine. “You’re serious?”

“I want to date you. I mean, I want to do other things to you, but I think we’d have a good time together. We do well at the other stuff.” As he spoke, he felt Delaney’s foot sliding up his leg and raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing this is your way of agreeing with me?”

“Maybe.” Delaney winked at him and leaned across the table to peck his lips. “Just don’t screw this up.”