Chloe woke up the next morning with a smile on her face.  Truthfully, she hadn’t felt this good or slept that well in a LONG time. For the first time in what seemed like forever she was happy.  Sighing with content she rolled over in the bed.  There was someone in the bed next to her.  For a brief moment she thought it was Gabby, then she remembered. 

The person lying next to her was NOT Gabby.  Giggling quietly to herself Chloe placed a hand over her face and tried to calm herself.  This was NOT her bed.  The person lying next to her was Justin Timberlake.  She’d spent the night.  They’d had sex.  Still giggling, with one hand still covering her face Chloe pushed the sheet aside and tried to get out bed.  She didn’t get far.  A pair of strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her back.

“Oh, no! I’m not letting you get away now! Not that easily!” He said, whispering in her ear.

Chloe couldn’t help but giggle more.  “I’m not leaving…I have to pee…where is your bathroom?”

Justin chuckled in her ear and it sent shivers racing down her spine. 

“Oh…umm…the door on your left.” Justin said, loosening his grip.

“Thank you.” Chloe replied as she slipped out of bed.

She was still naked, but it was also still dark in the room.  The curtains were still drawn, blocking out the light so she didn’t know what time it was or where she was going. 

By some miracle she found her way through the dark to the bathroom without tripping or running into anything.  A few minutes later she returned to the bedroom, the curtains now partially open so that she could see.

Justin was still in the bed, the sheets drawn up to his waist, his hand holding his head up, with his elbow propped against the bed.  He was smiling at her with that adorable boyish smile that she loved but she was trying to appear unaffected.

“Good morning!” He said grinning.

Good morning.” She replied, blushing a bit as she slipped back into the bed next to him.

He popped a quick kiss on her lips, then smiled as he pulled away. 

“Did you sleep ok?” He asked quietly.

Chloe nodded.  “Yes. Thank you.  Your bed is ridiculously comfortable.”

“Good to know.” He chuckled.

“I need a new mattress.” Chloe confessed.

“Ah.” Justin laughed.  “Yeah, that might help.”

“I know, I know.  I just haven’t had the time…I either have my hands in someone’s chest cavity, I’m sleeping, I’m doing the “mom” thing or I’m sleeping.”

Justin chuckled.  “You do realize you just said “sleeping” twice?”

Chloe giggled and nodded.  “I need my sleep!”

“Which is why you need a new mattress.”

Chloe laughed a bit more.  “I know…but I am picky, and well, finding the time and the energy to go mattress shopping is a challenge.”

“Hmm…well…what do you have planned for today?” Justin asked grinning.

Chloe made a face.  “Well, I’m naked and in your bed, so you tell me.”

Justin couldn’t help but laugh.  Of all the things he liked about Chloe, her sass was definitely one of them.

“I have no definite plans.” Justin teased back.

Chloe could only smirk and shake her head.  “Fair enough.”

Justin chuckled.  “Would you like me to come mattress shopping with you?”

“Really?! Today?!”

Justin shrugged and smiled.  “I mean, we could.  Or I could just find out what kind this one is and where I got it and give you the information.”

Chloe nodded.  “Yes. Let’s do that.  I don’t feel like dealing with pushy sales associates today.”

“Done.  Now, what would you like to do today?”

Chloe gave him a look.  “Again, I am naked, and in your bed, so you tell me.”

Justin laughed.  He couldn’t help himself.  He loved that she wasn’t the least bit phased by him, or his status and didn’t shy away from speaking her mind.

He grinned at her and dropped his voice to a whisper.

“Hmm…I have a few ideas…”

Chloe bit her lip.  “Oh?!”

He didn’t respond, at least not with words.  Instead, he dropped his head slightly, capturing her lips in a kiss.  He kissed her tenderly for a bit, placing light kisses on her lips then gently rolled on top of her as his lips went to her neck.

He kept nibbling at her neck and nipping at her ear sending shivers racing down her spine and the feel of his body on top of her, his skin against hers was making her warm and tingly all over. 

She could feel his chest pressed up against hers and the way his heart had started to beat more quickly.  She was having an effect on him too.  It thrilled her and terrified her in the same breath.  She’d been living in survival mode for so long she wasn’t sure she knew how to do THIS anymore.  A relationship.  An actual mature, adult, healthy relationship.  Did they even exist?

Something was different.  He could tell.  He looked down at her.  Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lip but not in a good way.

“Hey?” Justin whispered.

Chloe opened her eyes and looked straight into his blue ones.  They were filled with concern.

“Hey.” She replied, forcing a smile.

“Are you ok?”

Chloe sighed.  “Yes…and no. I’m sorry…I’m just…”

Justin rolled off her, settling himself on the bed facing her.  His eyes were still locked on hers and he cracked a smile before reaching up to push a strand of hair away from her face.

“In your own head.” He finished, his voice low.

Chloe cracked a smile and nodded.  “Yeah…how did you…”

“Me too.” Justin replied.

“Want to talk about it?” Chloe asked bravely.

If this was going to work things had to be different this time.   She couldn’t hide or ignore her feelings.  She had to be honest with everyone, including herself.

“Do you?” Justin replied.

“We probably should.”

Justin nodded.

“Ladies first.” He whispered.

Chloe swallowed hard.  This was not going to be easy.

“I haven’t been with anyone in a really long time.  Not since before Eddy and I split up.  Last night was the first time in over a year and a half.”

Justin nodded but stayed quiet.  His eyes were still fixed on hers and that was where they would stay until she finished.  He wanted her to know that he was listening, really listening.

“Don’t get me wrong, I liked it.  It felt good.  REALLY GOOD, but I also don’t take what happened lightly.  Being with someone like that, being intimate, that’s not something I do with just anyone.”

Justin smiled.  “Me either.”

Chloe blushed slightly.  “I like you.  I like you a lot.  I want to see where this could go but …”

Justin put a finger to her lips.  “I get it.  You said your ex wasn’t a good person.  You’re being cautious…because getting into a relationship doesn’t just affect you.  It affects Gabby too.”

Chloe nodded.

Justin took a breath.  He knew what he wanted to ask next but he also knew that he probably wouldn’t like the answer.

“He hurt you, didn’t he?” Justin managed to get out.

Chloe sighed heavily.  “Not physically, but mentally and emotionally, yes.”

Justin felt his jaw clench.  He knew enough about abuse to know that mental and emotional scars took much longer to heal than physical ones.

“Did he hurt Gabby?”

“Physically? No…” Chloe started.

She didn’t have to finish.  He knew the answer without her even having to say it.

“What did he do?”

Chloe took another deep breath.  As much as she hated talking about what had happened, reliving it, she’d made a promise to herself to make sure it never happened again.  This was part of that.

“Short of hitting…you name it.  He had a temper.  He would scream and yell and throw things, then play the victim.  He had a way of making you feel guilty, like it was your fault, even when he was in the wrong.  One night…he got mad…I honestly don’t remember what set him off but he threw the tv remote against the wall…it shattered and a piece nearly hit Gabby.  That was the last straw.  I kicked him out and filed for divorce a week later.”

Justin stayed quiet for a long time.  He was trying to find the right words. 

“I’m not perfect…” Justin started.

“No one is.” Chloe answered.

“I’m not without my own baggage.  True, my demons may look a bit different than yours but they are still there…”

Chloe nodded.  “Understandable.  You’ve lived your life under a microscope since you were a kid.  I can only imagine what that’s like.”

Justin couldn’t help but smile at this.  Her compassion and empathy were unparalleled.

“I can’t promise I won’t mess up, that I won’t make mistakes, but what I can promise is that I will try my best to NEVER hurt you…or Gabby.”

Chloe sighed and nodded.  “I appreciate that.”

“I like you too.  I like you a lot.  I want to see where this could go probably as much as you do but you’re in charge.  We move at your pace.  If the last few months have taught me anything it’s that happiness isn’t worth rushing.  True happiness takes time. You can’t force it. You have to allow it to happen a little bit at a time.”

Chloe smiled.  “Wise words from an obviously wise man.”

Justin grinned.  “You think I’m wise?”

Chloe giggled.  ‘I told you, anyone who writes lyrics like you do obviously has some semblance of a brain.”

“I do alright.” Justin smirked.

Chloe laughed.  “I’d say you do a fair amount better than just “alright” Mr. 10 Grammys.”

“Not all of those are for songwriting.”

“True.”

It was then that Chloe got a bit more serious.  She had a hunch she knew a least a little bit about what he was in his head about.

“You’re worried you can’t do it anymore, aren’t you?  That it won’t be the same…”

Justin’s eyes widened.  How she could be that intuitive he had no clue.  It was like those emerald green eyes of hers saw straight into his soul.

“How…” He stuttered.

This time it was Chloe with the reassuring smile.  She took a breath then looked up into those blue eyes that were now swimming. 

“This was your 2nd vocal chord surgery, yet you kept this one quiet.  Only those closest to you knew the truth, everyone else just speculated.”

“You knew.” Justin replied.

Chloe shook her head.  “I took an educated guess.  You postponed your tour and you went into hiding.  Then, members of the Tennessee Kids all started tweeting messages of “good luck” on the same day.”

Chloe paused for a moment, but the pause was brief.  Before he had a chance to respond she started again.

“AND…a motorcycle ride at 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning …to me that says trying to get out of your own head.”

Justin nodded.  “I was.”

Chloe smiled up at him again.  “I don’t blame you, but now I have to ask…is it the fear you won’t be able to do it anymore that has you in your head, or is it the worry that you’ll disappoint people if you can’t?”

Justin’s breath caught for a moment.  She’d taken the words he was too afraid to say right from his mouth. 

“Both.” He whispered after a long pause.

Chloe nodded.  “Well, I’m not an E.N.T…”

“E.N.T?”

Chloe smiled.  “Ear, Nose and Throat doctor.”

Justin nodded so Chloe took that as her cue to continue.

“I’m not an E.N.T., but, like I told you, I researched your condition.  Rest is the key…”

Justin opened his mouth to speak but Chloe smiled and shook her head, quieting him quickly.

“I know, I know, you are Justin Timberlake.  You’re always doing about five different things at once…writing, producing, acting, touring, but even Justin Timberlake deserves a break every once in a while.  You need to cut yourself some slack.  Happiness isn’t going to happen if you’re too busy to enjoy it.”

Justin smiled and chuckled a bit.  As much as he was having a hard time admitting it, she was right.

“And I’m the wise one?!”

Chloe giggled.  “I have my moments.”

Justin nodded.  “Ok, now, be serious, what do you want to do today?”

“Well, I have to be at work by 7.” Chloe answered.

“Yeah, I figured as much when you said you were picking up Gabby tomorrow afternoon.”

Chloe smiled at the mention of Gabby and nodded. 

“She’s very curious about you.” Chloe confessed.

Justin grinned.  “Oh yeah?!”

Chloe couldn’t help but giggle.  “Yeah.  She has a ton of questions.”

Justin nodded.  “Don’t most five-year-olds have a ton of questions?”

“Mostly, yes.”

“What does she want to know?”

“Really?!”

Justin nodded and popped a kiss on her lips.  “Absolutely.  I get it.  To her, I’m the new guy taking up all her Mommy’s time.  Of course, she has questions.  I’d be worried if she didn’t.”

“Well, she wanted to know what your name was, and if you were handsome.”

Justin laughed.  “What did you say?”

Chloe blushed.  “I told her the truth.”

“Which was?”

Chloe blushed more if possible.  “I told her that your name was Justin and that I thought you were very handsome.”

Justin grinned.  The way she smiled as she talked about Gabby just made him like her more.

“Good answer.  What else?’ Justin asked, dropping his voice to a whisper.

“Umm…well, she asked what we talked about and if we talked about her.  Again, I told her the truth.  I told her that you were just as curious about her.  Then she asked if you like Sushi.”

Justin chuckled and nodded.  “I do.  Not as much as JC, but I do.”

Chloe nodded and then bit her bottom lip.  This was not where she thought the conversation was going to go but she wasn’t upset about it in the least.

“She knows a little bit about *NSYNC.  She knows each of your names, and can identify you for the most part.  She sometimes gets Joey and Chris confused but she has you, Lance and JC down.  JC is her favorite, and she really likes the video for “It’s Gonna Be Me.”

Justin grinned. 

“She sounds like a smart girl.”

Chloe laughed.  “She’s incredibly smart, sometimes too smart.  I have to remind myself she’s only five.”

Justin could only smile.  “She sounds like a great kid.  I can’t wait to meet her.”

Chloe’s eyes softened.  “You will. Just not yet.  I’m not ready.”

Justin smiled again and reached up to touch her face.  “Like I said, we move at your pace.  I just want you to know I’m ready when you are.”

Chloe nodded and smiled but stayed quiet.

“Now, at the risk of sounding like a broken record I’m going to ask once more, what would you like to do today?”

Chloe bit her lip.  He was being incredibly sweet and charming. 

“Honestly?! This is perfect.  Just talking, getting to know each other.  In surgery, especially trauma surgery there isn’t a lot of conversation.  You’re laser focused on the task at hand.  You have to be.  Then, at home the only people I have to talk to are Gabby and my brother.  Don’t get me wrong, I love them both dearly but having someone who I’m not related to…it’s a nice change from the norm.”

Justin smiled then dipped his head and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“Sounds good to me.” He whispered as he pulled away.

Chloe smiled then returned the kiss.

Justin couldn’t help but grin against her kiss.  “I thought we were going to talk.”

“I never said we had to JUST talk…” Chloe started, her smile playful now.

Justin grinned more then rolled himself on top of her. 

“Is this what you had in mind?’ He asked quietly before burying his face in her neck.

“Mmm.” Chloe sighed softly as she felt his lips against her skin.

Chloe’s eyes fluttered closed and she felt her body start to respond to his lips and the feel of him on top of her. 

“You feel good too…DAMN GOOD!” Justin whispered as he continued to nip at her neck.

“Mmm.” Chloe mumbled.

He kissed on her neck for a while before moving his mouth to her collar bone and then between her breasts.  Every nerve ending in Chloe’s body was on fire.  Being with Eddy had NEVER felt like this.  His soft lips felt like heaven against her skin.

Her eyes were closed, her breathing had quickened a bit and the cute little noises she was making made him grin.  Feeling a bit playful Justin closed his mouth over her left breast and gently tugged with his lips.  Chloe immediately gasped and arched her back to meet him.  In the next moment she felt his tongue flick against her as a soft moan escaped her.

“OH!!”

Justin paused for a moment then moved to the right.  Giving her right breast equal attention before trailing his lips down her stomach.

His lips were soft and gentle, his kisses sensual.  She could feel the anticipation building within her.  After several moments of kissing at her stomach Justin changed directions, trailing kisses up her body until reaching her mouth.  His mouth closed over hers, his tongue finding hers as he pushed his hips forward slowly, gently sliding inside of her.

Eddy has always been quick, never lasting more than a few minutes.  Justin was NOTHING like Eddy.  He took his time.  He was slow and attentive, his mouth on hers the entire time.  It was then, in that moment, their bodies merged together, his mouth on hers and the beating of their hearts echoing in her ears that Chloe realized that sex with Eddy was just that, sex, but THIS was different.  This wasn’t just sex. 

Justin had vowed to do his best not to hurt her.  This was his way of showing her he meant it.  The way he was taking great care with her, the slow, steady rhythm of his thrusts, the way he seemed to be meeting her needs before taking care of his own.  THIS was the way it was supposed to feel.  Justin was making love to her whereas Eddy never did.

3 dates.  Not even a full month.  Almost, but not quite.  Could she be in love so soon?  Could he?  True, she’d been divorced for over a year and things had been over between Chloe and Eddy for a while before that, but even things with Eddy hadn’t progressed this quickly.  Then again, this felt different than anything she’d ever experienced from the very beginning.  From the moment she’d pulled his helmet off that night Chloe had known that her life would never be the same.  You didn’t save someone’s life on the side of the road and not have it change, regardless of who the person was.

Chloe took in a deep breath and tried to slow her mind, to calm her thoughts.  She was overthinking it. 

“Take it slow.  Enjoy it.” She reminded herself.

It was time she took her own advice.

It was then as she was trying to “get out of her own head” as she’d put it, that Justin decided to switch gears.  He must have sensed that she was distracted, or that he was losing the connection because without so much as a word he took his left hand, slid it up her right leg and then hooked his arm beneath her knee, lifting it off the mattress and tilting her hips just enough for him to go a bit deeper inside. 

Chloe’s back arched again and she felt her hands grip the sheets as she gasped.

“Are you ok?” Justin whispered.

Chloe nodded but didn’t speak.

“Do you want to stop?” He asked, his own voice shaking a bit.

Chloe shook her head but stayed quiet.

“Open your eyes for me?” He pleaded softly.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she met his gaze.  His eyes were on fire.  It made her breath catch in her throat and a shiver spread throughout her body from her head to her toes.  Nope!  Edward Anthony Hunter was no Justin Randall Timberlake.  There was no comparison.  Of that much Chloe was certain.

For a long time after they stayed quiet.  Chloe’s head was resting comfortably on Justin’s chest and he was gently playing with a few strands of her hair, lost in his own thoughts.

He was thinking about her and the way he felt when he was with her.  There was just something about her that calmed him.  From the very first time they’d truly met she’d put him at ease. 

“Would you like some coffee?” He asked quietly.

Chloe sighed and smiled.  “Coffee sound wonderful.”

Gently, he slid out from beneath her then stood from the bed.  He was still very much naked and Chloe couldn’t help but blush and giggle a bit.

“What?” Justin asked grinning as he pulled a pair of flannel pajama bottoms on.

“Nothing.  It’s nothing…you’re just…” Chloe said blushing.

“I’m just…” Justin replied, stifling a smile.

“It was dark last night.  I couldn’t see.  I mean…yeah…I’d heard stories…but…” Chloe stuttered.

Justin said nothing but bit his lip and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish.  He could tell that she was rarely flustered or embarrassed so he was enjoying this moment more than he probably should.

“You’re …you’re HOT…ok?! There, I said it.  Happy now?!”

Justin chuckled a bit and nodded.  “Not gonna lie, it’s nice to hear, especially from you, but just so you know, I feel the same way about you.”

Chloe allowed herself to blush a bit more.  “Thank you.”

Justin smiled.  “Just speaking my truth.  Now, how about I go get that coffee?”

“Sounds great.”

Chloe smiled and giggled a bit as she snuggled back down under the covers.  She couldn’t help but listen as he moved around the kitchen.  She heard the coffee maker and him opening the fridge as he hummed to himself.  It seemed so normal. 

Minutes later he returned to the bedroom carrying a mug in each hand.

Chloe sat up in the bed, the sheets pulled over her chest, tucked beneath her arms and reached up for the cup when he offered it to her.

“Thank you.” She said before taking a slow sip.

As soon as the warm liquid hit her lips her eyes widened.  She looked down at the cup and grinned.

“Is this whip cream and nutmeg?” Chloe asked, her eyes sparkling.

Justin couldn’t help but smile back at her.  “Pumpkin spice creamer, whip cream and nutmeg.”

Chloe giggled more.  “So, you’re trying to spoil me?”

Justin chuckled.  “Maybe a little.”

“Just a little?” Chloe challenged.

Justin smirked. “For now.”

“Careful Mr. Timberlake, you may get me to fall for you just yet.” Chloe half teased.

In that moment, Justin was feeling feisty.  She brought that out in him.  “Do you mean I haven’t yet?”

Chloe’s eyes widened.  Yes, they were flirting but she hadn’t expected him to say that.  Truthfully, she didn’t know how she’d expected him to respond but his actual response had never even crossed her mind.  Or, had it?

“Umm…” Chloe stuttered.

“I guess I will have to keep at it then.” Justin said with a wink.