JC's week in New York City was almost up. He had spent as much time with Samantha as possible, walking through Central Park, visiting some shops in SoHo, cooking in the loft and just taking the time to talk.

*NSYNC's schedule didn't allow him to stay over with her because of Morning Show appearances and late night shows. He accepted that he was in New York for business, and any time he was able to spend with Samantha was icing on the cake.

He had 3 dozen of red and pink roses delivered to her loft that morning while he was out early filming interviews with VH1 and MTV. He was excited to check his phone in between interviews to see a picture of the flowers and a heart text from her. He knew she was up early shooting Ashley's Valentine's Day lingerie line and it made him feel satisfied to know that she was aware he was thinking of her and all the amazing time they spent together over the last week.

Justin and JC were between shots at Rolling Stone, drinking waters.This would be the band's 4th cover and feature and would coincide with the release of their latest album. Everything about this interview and photo shoot were stripped down-- the guys were wearing their "regular" clothes and talking candidly about their lives and what was happening around them. 

JC adjusted his glasses on his nose. He kept peeking down at his phone with a cute little grin and Justin made a teasing face.

"You're walking on a cloud. I'm guessing this week has been everything you hoped for?" he grinned, looking at his best friend.

JC grinned wider, scrolling through pictures Sam had sent him from behind the scenes of the shoot. "Fuck."

Justin peeked over his shoulder to see what he was looking at, and he laughed all low. Samantha had her hair in rollers and a white silk robe on. The tiniest peek of a red bra was sneaking out between the white silk, and her lips were puckered into a kissing face.

"Ohhh. That's what's going down," he grinned and took a long sip of his water. "The first woman you've woken up with and actually let stay around in ages." He looked thoughtfully at his buddy, "the sex must be mindblowing. Ugh, grabbing onto those hips. Please tell me it's amazing."

JC looked over at Justin. "I will have you know that I've only kissed her! I'm not trying to ruin this for anyone. She's special and I could seriously date her, okay?"

Justin stared at his best friend with a little grin of awe.

"You shut your judgemental mouth right now," JC smirked, looking down at his phone buzzed again. "Oh shit." 

Justin laughed, "What now?"

JC held his phone out. "That's what!" Another photo was sent in a red bustier with matching garters, her hair was fully old Hollywood glam and she was smiling at the camera. 

Justin smirked, "And you haven't sexed that sweet thing yet..."

"I will though," JC rubbed his hands together, "Oh I will." He bit his lip and sent a text back to her.

JC: You look absolutely GORGEOUS today. Finishing up soon at Rolling Stone! :)

Justin rolled his eyes but laughed. "C, I haven't seen you like this since..." he let his voice trail off. One of the unspoken rules of their friendship was never to mention their ex girlfriends from the beginning of the band. 

JC peeked back at Justin. "I know. And you know what J? This one is even BETTER than that. I feel things I've never felt in my life when I was crushing on a girl before..."

Justin smiled, watching how animated JC got when he was talking. "Wow. Even better than your first love." 

"She has the potential to be my last love... yeah, I fucking said it." he grinned slightly, clicking back to the photos he had been sent. 

Justin peeked over his shoulder again and grinned for his best friend. "Oh shit. And damn, you're leaving this behind tomorrow morning?" He made a low noise.

"Uh, not that I want to. But we live in Los Angeles and we're working on the album." JC grunted.

Justin laughed softly, "Maybe she can wear that in the video. And then you can play house for a hot minute and see how your lust boils over."

JC tossed the sofa pillow at his friend. "Shut the fuck up!"

Sam walked back to her dressing room and changed back into her sweater and jeans, pulling her curls up into a messy top knot. She grabbed her phone and smiled at the texts JC had sent. She began to write one of her own.

Samantha: Thanks sweetheart. Hey, what are your plans tonight?

JC grinned, looking down at his phone. Now this is what he was waiting for.

JC: Finishing up at Rolling Stone, then I'm seriously craving sushi. I haven't had any in a week and that's not normal. What about you pretty?

Samantha: On my way out of the shoot. Debating grabbing a beer, falling asleep on the couch or possibly both... ha. 

JC: Uhhhh are you for REAL right now? Can I please invite myself to join you? You are speaking my language lady.

JC looked around the room and got up from the couch. "I'm gonna head out guys." 

Justin jumped up and gave JC a bro hug, "Go get that woman Joshua Chasez. Make that last night count." He grinned.

Sam laughed softly, staring down at her phone. He really was endearing.

Samantha: I don't want to keep you from your sushi. If I send you an address, can you get a cab or towncar there? They have the best sushi on the Upper East Side. And beer. :)

JC: I will do whatever you tell me to do as long as you're at that address.

Samantha: 3028 W 48th Street. Intersection of 7th and 48th. You've got a 50/50 chance of me or a pack of fangirls who are going to rip your clothes off. May the odds be ever in your favor, blue eyes. :)

JC grinned so hard, staring at his phone as the elevator opened on the ground floor. "Cab, cab, let's get a cab... c'mon." He walked out of the revolving doors of the Rolling Stone building and stepped to the curb. He raised his hand and within moments a bright yellow taxi pulled up in front of him. JC grinned. He could get used to this living in New York business. 

"SEVENTH AND FORTY-EIGHTH PLEASSSE!" JC called out to the driver as he settled in. He smiled as the cab took off. He looked up at the screen. He was only a few blocks away. He sighed and looked back down at her teasing text. "I'm gonna fucking fall for this woman. Shit." He rested his head back against the black seat.

Meanwhile across town, Samantha was in a cab as well. She pulled her phone out of her purse and started a text.

Samantha: I have about 15 minutes left. What's your ETA?

JC: Five minutes away.

Samantha: Get us a table then! Tell Keiko that you want my table in the back please. She'll hook you up. :)

JC pulled up in front of a small sushi restaurant. "Hatsuhana Sushi," he read on the tan awning as he paid his driver. "This must be it." He made his way inside, and a short, extremely beautiful woman was waiting at the hostess stand.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" the woman smiled.

"Are you Keiko? I'm Samantha Bentley's friend. She told me to ask for you and for her favorite table." he smiled.

Keiko broke out into a big smile. "Of course! Samantha is a regular here. Right this way sir," she began to walk through the small restaurant with little booths and a sushi bar in the center. There was a small table, tucked in the back in plain view of the sushi bar. JC took a deep breath. He could tell by the smell that this place was going to do him just right.

"Thanks Keiko," he smiled, taking a seat at the table. "Can I have 2 waters, 2 bottles of Tsing Tsao and an order of chili edamame as well?"

Keiko nodded, "Of course, a bottle of Samantha's favorite beer. Impressive you knew that."

He laughed, "It's actually mine, but that's good to know." He winked as Keiko walked to the bar.

Samantha: I'll love you forever if you've got a bottle of Tsing Tsao cold and waiting for me... I'll be there in 3.

JC smirked, reading her text. He didn't reply but got himself comfy in his seat as their beers and edamame came out almost instantly. 

A few minutes later, Sam walked in and smiled really big when she saw him sitting at her favorite table. She made her way through the restaurant and stopped at the table. She unbuckled her plaid pea coat and hung it up on the coat rack next to the table. She adjusted her slightly cropped sweater. "Heyyy you!"

"Heyyyy," he grinned. As he looked her up and down, he was thinking well fuck. The tiniest bit of pale skin was peeking out between the sweater and the jeans, and those thigh high boots she was wearing made him a little bit crazy. He shook his head slightly to break himself of his thoughts and he hopped up to give her a hug. 

Sam wrapped her arms around him nice and tight, enjoying his embrace. She closed her eyes and breathed in his clean smell, with the slightest hint of his Gucci cologne. She smiled softly, enjoying the warmth and the scent of him. She had definitely gotten used to having him around. She lingered just a little bit longer than usual holding onto him.

JC looked down at her, noticing the extra length in their embrace. He smiled, letting out a soft hum before placing his lips on her cheek, leaving a soft kiss before pulling away to sit down, all but pulling her next to him in the booth. "Your beer is nice and frozen cold."

"Ohh my hero!" she laughed softly, settling down next to him and pouring the bottle into the frosty mug. "It's been a day." She looked over to him making the same movements to pour his beer as well. She smiled, holding her mug up to his. "To your last night of an amazing week." 

Their mugs clinked together before she took a sip.

"Mmmm," JC mumbled as he toasted to her, "To one hell of an amazing week little lady," he took a sip of his beer as he looked at her through his black wire rimmed glasses, "Good thing it won't be long before I see you again."

Sam smiled, looking back at him. "When am I flying out to LA for the video?" She reached down to nibble on her edamame. 

"The video shoot is in two weeks. So I was thinking of getting your plane tickets to LA the day before the shoot so you can settle in. So 13 more days?" he smiled. 

Keiko made her way to the table, smiling at Samantha's closeness to her male companion. "Do you two know what you'd like?" she asked.

Sam looked at JC who smiled at her and then nodded toward Keiko. She knew he trusted her expertise in sushi here. "Can I have my usual? But can you make it a double order since he's here?" 

Keiko grinned. "You've got it. It'll be out shortly."

***

Forty-five minutes passed, and the boat of sushi sat nearly empty between them. The conversation flowed easily about Florida, traveling, winters in New York and their favorite kind of sushi. 

JC didn't want this night to end. He rubbed his full belly as he reached for one final piece of sushi with his chopsticks, chewing it with a satisfied hum. "Mmm this was. So. Good."

Sam leaned back next to him and rubbed her tummy as well. "Oh I'm full," she laughed, leaning her head back against the wall. "And we killed that sushi boat."

"You weren't kidding about this place. Wow. You just made my night better," he grinned, "But I'm kind of easy to please when you feed me." He laughed and adjusted his glasses, really taking the time to look over at her. She was casual, leaning back in the booth, but he couldn't get enough of her. It was raw moments like this he had been most afraid of in his past, but it was the moments like this that were the most cherished with her.

She laughed softly. "It's heavenly," she stopped and grinned softly, tilting her head to stare right back at him. "You look deep in thought Josh."

JC's voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "I am." He let his eyes search hers, and in a moment their gaze met intensely. He kept that eye contact with her, not wanting to break it. He could see so many things in her blue eyes that stared back at him. All of the things he said he didn't want, well here they were. The man who had his future all planned out for him, married to his craft, then here she came. He let out a soft sigh.

"Oh," Sam replied, unable to form any other coherent sentences, mesmerized by his intent stare. 

He smiled softly, taking a sip of his beer. "I just wanted to study on you for a moment. Take the time to appreciate you."

"You're always welcome to look at me whenever you feel like that's what you want to do," she too took a sip of her beer, and her eyes sparkled as she studied him in return. 

"Do you like when I look at you?" he reached for her hand, needing to touch her somehow in this moment, to feel even more connected to her. 

She smiled and looked down at their hands, slipping her fingers inside of his. "What woman wouldn't like you looking at her, Josh?"

He smiled and slid his fingers even tighter against hers. "I don't know. I'm sure there are plenty, but I'm not really worried about any other woman right now. Just you."

"Well this woman enjoys every moment of the time you're giving to her. And to have those blue eyes looking at her is wonderful." 

He pulled her hand up, kissing it. He left his lips there, looking at her over the top of their hands. Somewhere, in the corner of the restaurant, someone had snapped a picture of this moment in time.  

"Let me spend the rest of the night looking at you and enjoying your company," he said softly, as he put their hands back down on the table.

"I would love that," she smiled, "I was hoping you wouldn't have to leave too early tonight."

JC slipped Keiko his credit card in the sleeve when she approached with the bill. "Show me something in your city that you love. Something unique to you." 

"Hmmm," Sam made a cute face, "No pressure here." She laughed all softly. 

"No pressure at all. It doesn't have to be fancy." JC smiled, "It could be something silly and I'd love it." He grins, still holding onto her hand with his left one as he signed for the bill.

"Okay," she smiled, "I'll take you to one of my favorite quiet spots." She squeezed their hands together softly. 

JC stood up from the table, still holding her hand. "Lead the way young lady."

Sam smiled and nodded, getting her coat on. Their destination was only a few blocks away, so she snuggled up to him and they began to walk uptown.  

JC's arm draped around her casually as they walked in the cold, brisk air of the city. Every few steps he brought his lips to her temple, or up against her face. Light little kisses and brushes of his lips were just what he wanted. They needed no words, just their bodies being close was enough. Sam let her face nuzzle up against his every so often.

She sighed almost inaudibly. How did it feel like she had known this man for years and years? Moments like this she felt like they had been together for so long.Everything about him felt perfect and she wanted to hold onto this light feeling she had for the rest of her life. They continued to walk several blocks until the busyness of the city faded as Central Park took over. 

"Mmm. Central Park," JC finally said, "We don't usually get the time to stop here."

"We're almost there," she said, meandering along the path with him. "See that bridge there? It's where we are going."

"Oh wow, I never knew this was here," he said as she led him up onto a cast iron bridge over a pond. It was intricate with little urns decorating the top of the bridge. 

"It's the Bow Bridge," she smiled, "When it's quiet, I like to come here to daydream. Sometimes when you're lucky, there's no sounds of horns or sirens or people. In those quiet moments, it feels like anything is possible in New York City. My first apartment in the city wasn't too far from here. I'd come here all the time and dream about the life I wanted to have."

"Oh my goodness," he said softly, looking all around him. The skyscrapers of Manhattan were in the distance and they were surrounded by darkness and dimly lit lamp posts. If you closed your eyes, you could almost imagine you were somewhere other than New York. "I would fall in love with this place. I can see why."

"You can almost forget that there are millions of other people in New York," she whispered.

"I'd forget every other person in this city except for one," he whispered in return. He leaned against the bridge and pulled her close so she faced him.

She smiled and gazed up into his eyes. The way the lamps were lit low cast shadows across their faces and lit JC's cheekbones up. "You're making it kind of hard to forget you, Josh."

"Well Samantha Bentley, that's kinda the whole point," he smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her as close to him as he could have her, "A man is supposed to try and be unforgettable to you."

She smiled and whispered, "Never before in my life has someone been more unforgettable, Joshua Chasez." She brought her head up against his chest, breathing him in. His cologne, his warm body, she needed to take every moment in. She could hear the faint beating of his heart under his coat and her eyes fluttered closed. She wasn't the kind of woman who ever felt like she needed a man... but in this very moment, she needed him. She wanted him, and she wanted him around always. She could hear him suck in a deep breath and let it out before he brought his lips down to kiss the top of her head.

"I've done my job for the time being," he said softly, leaving his lips against her forehead.

"Extremely well," she whispered, tightening her embrace around him. "Even without you being here, it won't matter."

"You trying to say you're still gonna think of me?" he smiled, rubbing tiny circles on her back.

"Absolutely am," she smiled, opening her eyes to look at him. "Something about you Josh. I'm not quite sure what it is. I'm not sure that I need to.

"Don't try to figure it out," he smiled, "Just let it happen ok? Because I feel the same way about you, and I don't want to overthink anything." He kissed her forehead. 

"Consider it just happening," she smiled, reaching up to touch his face. She was loving the fact that his stubble was coming in.

The wind blew around them as the evening was quickly turning into night. JC shivered slightly as the wind picked up and he looked down at her, pressing his face against her hand. "Should we start to head back so we can warm up?"

"Mmm. That would be great," she smiled, sliding her hand off his face and back to interlock with his fingers. "At least the next time we see each other it'll be warmer."

He smiled lazily, looking down at her once more before he could even think about moving. He needed to burn these images into his brain. The soft fullness of her lips, the curve of her nose, the shape of her eyes... not to mention other things he wanted to keep in his memory. He sighed softly before placing one more soft and sweet kiss on her lips. "I'll be counting down the days."

She smiled at his perfect little kiss. He was so freaking romantic sometimes that it astounded her. In the last month, he had grown so much as a person from the man she had met in the little red shorts at the Halloween party. "Mmmm," she leaned in and returned the favor with one soft peck, "As will I. Josh, I'm extending the invitation for you to stay with me again tonight... I do totally understand if you guys have an early flight tomorrow and you're busy. I won't be offended."

"I couldn't decline an offer like that," he grinned, "I'd lose sleep over it." He kissed her once more, "C'mon pretty girl," he said as he pulled at her hand and led her to a cab.

They settled in the back of the car and a comfortable silence fell over the two of them. JC looked down at her, smiling to himself every few moments. Every smile he had was all because of her. Not once in their time together did he have any racing thoughts or anxiety about being around her. She just felt... right. 

As the cab crossed into Soho, Sam looked over and smiled up at JC. "I do have one favor to ask of you before you leave."

"Mmm. What's the favor?" he grinned. 

"Can you play the song for me again? I want to hear it before you leave, but I want it to be with you."

"I had planned for you to hear it again," he said, paying the cab as it pulled up to her building. "I just wasn't going to be around when you did. But, I can change that if you want it to..."

"Oh. If you had something else in mind, I can listen to it on my own." She held onto his arm a little tighter as they walked inside her building, giving a friendly wave to John, who grinned. This was the 5th or 6th evening JC had walked into the building with Samantha, and John approved. 

JC stopped to look at her as he watched her key in the code for the elevator. "My only thought was that I wanted you to hear it the way it was recorded alone... so that when you came to the set, everything would be very natural and kinetic."

She smirked, "I'd like everything to be as organic as possible, so I like your thinking." She giggled softly, "I'm sure I could find a more productive use of my time with you."

"A whole 8 minutes of extra time..." he smirked as the elevator began to go up. He pulled her in close to his body. 

"Mmm. That's a lot of extra time," she grinned, bringing her hands to his chest, resting them against his coat. 

He licked his lips and brought his forehead against hers, "You just want to kiss me for those 8 minutes." 

She grinned up at him. "Guilty. I'm also perfectly content taking those extra 8 minutes to look into your eyes. To listen to you tell me about your day. To touch on you just like this."

The doors opened to her foyer and he kissed her gently before leading her off the elevator. "Whatever you want. It all sounds wonderful. Let's just cuddle and take advantage of the time we have together." 

Sam unlocked her front door and they moseyed inside to the living room. "Couch cuddling or to the bed?"

He smiled and cracked his neck after taking his coat and shoes off. "Why don't we make another fire and hang out in the living room? We slept so well the other night."

"Mmm. Sounds perfect. If you start the fire, I'll grab the pillows and blankets again."

"I've got it under control, pretty," he said, smiling. He rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and began to pile the wood in the fireplace. As he lit the fire, it reminded him of their time together the other night and he smiled with a light sigh. He was never the cuddling by the fire kind of guy but he found he wanted to do it all the time with her.

Sam went to the linen closet and gathered up all of their materials from the night before, humming softly as she brought it all back into the living room. Blankets and pillows were spread out across the floor to create a replica of their cuddle pit of the other day.

JC closed the screen of the fireplace and turned to look at her with a soft smile. "Why don't you go get comfortable? You've been working all day." He pulled off his grey sweater and folded it half-assed before tossing it onto the armchair.

Sam smiled. "Got it." She walked over to him and kissed him softly, before letting her lips linger against his, then whispered, "Don't feel like you have to keep your pants on for my sake this time." She left him one more soft kiss then disappeared in her room to change.

He grinned so hard and called out after her, "I wasn't planning on it this time!" He reached down and undid his belt and jeans, letting them pool at his feet before kicking them over under the chair. He looked down at himself in his white v-neck and grey calvin briefs. "Behave," he mumbled to himself before sitting down on top of the covers.

Sam pulled her hair out of her messy bun and changed from her sweater and jeans into a long black tshirt and grey cotton panties. She fluffed out her hair and took her makeup off. As she rounded the corner to the living room, she smiled at the sight of JC in his briefs looking awkwardly around her living room. 

He grinned, laying down on his side as he surveyed her from head to toe. "Well don't you look comfortable..."

"Ugh yes," she laughed softly, crawling into the fluff bed next to him. "I'm gonna be real with you," she smirked, "I don't particularly love wearing pants."

He laughed all low. "And I have NO problem with that because I don't like wearing pants either, and I only do it when I have to." His hand immediately slid to her hip, feeling her soft skin under his fingertips. Her skin was inviting and he couldn't help it. 

She laughed softly as well, looking up at him before leaving one soft kiss on his lips. "Glad we have an understanding. Though I did gather that last week when you sent me that picture in the mirror in your briefs." Her lips curled up into a smirk.

JC shook his head and laughed. "Hey, a man's gotta do what he needs to do to be unforgettable right?" His hand slid up the back of the shirt, just along her back and nothing more. His touches were light and gentle. He wanted to get to know the feeling of her skin... and if this was all he touched tonight, it would be enough for him. He had never been with a woman he was so attracted to. But so... was he scared to take the next step in intimacy with her? Was he afraid that their chemistry would be so dynamic that he wouldn't be able to break himself away from her once he had that little taste of heaven? Either way, he knew that any time he spent with her he cherished, whether or not intimacy meant sex. He was discovering so many new things about himself as a lover, and what the actual definition of intimacy truly was. 

She grinned up at him before bringing her face along his shoulder with a soft noise. Every touch of his was electric, no matter how small or gentle. 

"Hey Samantha?" he mumbled, feeling along the soft skin just above her panty line. 

She fluttered her eyes open to meet his soft gaze, and it made her smile. "Hey Josh?" she replied. 

"You're unforgettable to me too. I just want you to know that you're beautiful and when the time is right, I'm gonna take my time loving on you. I promise you that."

Sam smiled a sleepy smile and brought her head back down to his shoulder. With a soft murmur of his name, she snuggled in and drifted off to sleep.

JC let his fingers continue to play at her skin before he pulled his hand out to bring the covers over their bodies and wrap his arms around her. As the fire roared behind them, it cast orange and red hues against her blonde hair. When he was sure she was fast asleep, he continued to study her before pulling her closer in his arms. He let his eyes close as he knew his time in New York was coming to an end when the sun rose again. 

"What are you doing to me Samantha Bentley," he mumbled against her skin, barely above a whisper. "You're gonna make me fall in love."