JC closed the door, getting a better look around the large room. He was familiar with the bed, but hadn’t really noticed what else there was. He saw the balcony, walking towards the sliding glass door.  

“Wanna sit outside for a bit?” JC offered. She nodded quietly, unsure of what exactly was going to happen. I mean, she KNEW, but not really at the same time. 

She walked towards him, JC opening the door silently ahead of her. She sat at the table, seeing his unopened gift sitting on the table. 

“You planned this part…” Mikayla smiled. 

“I really didn’t,” JC sighed honestly. “That husband of yours…”

“We don’t deserve him, neither of us. Me as his wife, you as his best friend.”

“I don’t think I’m his…”

“You think he’d agree to all this if you weren’t?!  You mean a lot to both of us.”

JC sat down next to her. “Ready to open your gift?”

“It would be rude not to, wouldn’t it?” Mikayla laughed lightly. 

“I’ve missed that laugh,” he smiled. “The house hasn’t felt the same without you.  Wish you could move in again.”

“I know, me too. Your house has a great view, but Justin’s has a pool, a yard…”

“I can buy a new house, if you want.”

“The thing I love most is my children, OUR children. They really are his just as much as they are yours.  I know you’ll make up for lost time, though.”

JC nudged the bag in front of her. She pulled it to her. She grabbed a red leather box, bigger than her hand, slowly opening it. 

“Josh, it’s beautiful.  Holy fuck… It’s too much. You bought me something from Cartier…”

“Two somethings, but yes.  I’ve missed quite a few birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases… I figure the price tag is roughly equivalent.”

“I’m afraid to know…”

“Then don’t. You have always been, will always be, worth every penny.  Put it on, I hope it fits ok.”

It was a bracelet, several loops of one stream of metal, looking like multiple bands but being one piece, with 47 brilliant white diamonds along one band. 

“A carat and a half, total.  Not that that matters to you.  Open the next one.”

This box was smaller, but the same red leather. Inside was a ring that matched the bracelet. It looked like two bands crossing over each other, 17 diamonds around one band. 

“I figure since Justin gave you the diamond ring you always wanted, maybe this could be a close second. Wear it on your right ring finger. The left hand for him, the right hand for me. It won’t attract suspicion since it doesn’t look like a typical wedding type ring, and paired with the bracelet looks like a gift from him.”

“JC, I can only imagine how much this cost you…”

“I’d sell everything I own if it gave you what you want, not just your needs.  5 figures though, being honest. You’ve borrowed things worth more, I’m sure of it.  If the jewelry you wore for your wedding is where they say it’s from, you’ve worn more expensive jewelry before.”

“It still baffles me though. I’d be freaking out if it was Justin buying it, too. So far jewelry from him hasn’t been over the top. I didn’t even think about the jewelry I wore for the big wedding. I don’t even know how much my dress was, I just know everything was paid for.”

“Justin does have more money, which is great, don’t get me wrong. He’s given you things I could never dream of…”

“You gave me the twins, and they are priceless,” she smiled. “You know that money doesn’t mean anything to me. I’d be just as happy with either of you even if you guys weren’t famous.  Thank you for these, they’re beautiful.”

JC looked at her. “This is a great spot you have here. I meant what I said earlier, I can get a new house, move, to give the twins a better place to live.”

“JC, you know I’m staying married to Justin…”

“I know. But I want them to have a great place to go to when they’re with me…”

“Are you trying to stall, Josh?”

“What?”

“This isn’t what I thought we’d be doing right now…”

“What did you have in mind?” he wondered with a smirk on his face.

“Being a lot less clothed right now.”

“He told me not to fuck this up. Feeling some pressure, I’ll admit it.”

“We’ve slept together twice this last week, Josh. Not like this is our first time, either.”

“I wasn’t planning on sleeping with you on Wednesday.  But once you let me rub my foot up your leg, my brain went into overdrive. Then last night… Well, that wasn’t my idea. I was along for the ride as much as you were.”

“If you don’t want to…”

“Mikayla, look at you. The mother of my children, wearing a dress that has a pretty good track record of ending up crumpled in a heap on the floor…”

“One hundred percent, works every time,” she smiled.

“I can’t break that kind of streak now, can I?”  He pulled her into his arms, his hand cupping her cheek.  “You’re beautiful, Kay.  I’m so sorry for taking this long to make things right, with you, Justin, our kids.  But I’m in this, for good.  I wanna be the dad they should have gotten years ago.  I know they have Justin, but I want to be there for the big things and the small things.  Let me show you things can be the way they were again, between us…”

“Didn’t the last week show that?”

“No.  That was pent up sexual frustration and a desire to not be outdone by Justin Timberlake with the woman I love.”

“Well damn, I’m a lucky woman then,” she smiled.

He led her inside, leaving the sliding glass door open a bit, hearing the waves crashing, but closing their curtain, blocking anyone from seeing in.  Private beach or not, there could be people on that beach that could see them if they so desired.

He held her close, his fingers combing through her hair.  “Your hair is so soft, it smells so good… Oh Kay…”

“Easy, Lenny,” she chuckled.  She stopped when his lips found hers, his mouth swallowing her groan of need for him, his hands pulling her closer.

“You’re sure you want this, with me?  You can change your mind before it’s too late…” Josh said tentatively. 

“Honey, it’s been 10 years too late…  I’m yours and you’re mine, nothing has changed that.”

“Not even Justin?”

“I’m trying to set a mood here, Josh.  I love you, in spite of everything.  If I wasn’t ok with this, I’d have made it obvious by now.  I want you in my life as more than just a co parent, an ex.  I still love you, for better or worse, body and soul.  Make love to me Josh.”

“That’s the plan, over and over again.”

He kissed her again, with renewed purpose.  This wasn’t Justin forcing them together, there was a mutual want for this night, setting things closer to the way they should have been.  Doing what they would have done if they were together.  Maybe not in a private beachfront home, getting the nanny or Carolina to watch the twins for a night or two so they could truly be alone.  

His hand unzipped her dress, admittedly a little disappointed until he pulled back to look at her.  “You normally go braless with this dress, though damn if this isn't close enough…”

“Yeah, I thought it’d be nice to have something new thrown in,” she lied.  She wasn’t going to tell him Justin had bought it for her to wear.  “Be all sexy and seductive…”

“You don’t need sexy lingerie to do that, you should know that by now.  I’m not complaining, cuz, well… fuck you’re hot.”

“Same goes for you, Josh.  Your soulful eyes, the energy that radiates from you.  I don’t know what I expected when we first met, that we wouldn’t end up here somehow.”

“You were a Justin girl…”

“Until you changed that.  I was still a fan, but I totally became a JC girl for life once you walked into that auditorium…”

He kissed her deeply, his hands teasing her breasts barely hidden under the lace bra keeping them fully from him.  She groaned in his mouth as he rolled her hardened nubs between his fingers.  He gently laid her on the bed, kissing her cheek, sucking and biting gently on her earlobe before kissing down her neck, running his tongue along the hollow of her neck, sucking gently on it.  

Her hands tangled in his hair.  “Josh, make me feel good.”

“I’m up for the task,” he smiled.  He kissed her collarbone, kissing over the lace cup of her strapless bra, nibbling teasingly at her nipples. His hands rested on her outer thigh, one working its way in. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt the lace she was wearing down below.

“Is this what I think it is?” JC wondered aloud.

“Crotchless panties? Yeah. Add to the sexiness…”

“I’ve got my work cut out for me, mama’s bringing her A game.”

“I have no doubts you’ll do the same.”

He unhooked her bra, pulling it off of her before tossing it behind him. He nipped and sucked her breasts as his fingers felt her excitement greet him. “Fuck, Kay.  You feel so good.”

“You make me feel even better,” she groaned, rolling her hips to match his fingers, moving between stroking inside and out of her.  His movements were slow, full of passion. Almost reminiscent of their first time, HER first time.

“Josh, are you…?”

“As best I can. It’s one of several memories I recall when I need something.  I might be fuzzy on the exact details at this point, being without you to relive it until now.”

“Don’t stop, Josh.  Keep going, oh GOD, keep going…”

“I’m taking my time right now, the times this week were faster than I’d like, or with more people than I’d like…”

“Still hot as fuck,” she groaned. 

He kissed down her stomach, her legs allowing him access.  She groaned at the contact, he hummed in enjoying her like that again, alone.

She felt that warm swirl getting more intense, her hand cupping the back of his head before grabbing more firmly. “Fuck, Josh… YES…”

His hands gripped her hips, his fingertips pressing into her ass as he continued, needing to drive her crazy.  He knew it was coming, like no time had passed between them.

She released with a loud groan and her body shook, Mikayla all but spent.  He kissed up her body, finally placing a kiss on her lips.  “I love you,” he whispered as he playfully kissed the tip of her nose. 

“I love you, too.  Do you want me to…?”

“No, I’m ready if you are.”

“Lie down. I feel this needs to be a little different.  It may not feel like it, but time has passed. I’ve gone through pregnancy and childbirth, my body isn’t the same.”

“Your body is incredible,” JC gushed. 

He lay on his back, Mikayla straddling his hips. She slowly took him in, inch by inch, the sensation almost too much.  She leaned over him, not directly skin to skin except from the waist down, her legs hooking under his. 

He looked at her at this angle, trying to see what she could possibly have referred to. He was surprised at how far along she was, she showed no signs of a baby bump. He smiled as he watched her breasts bouncing with each roll of their hips.  They had changed, slightly bigger, fuller.  Maybe less perky, but he wasn’t about to complain. This woman, her body, had carried his children.  He would find that more beautiful than anything else.

“What’s the look for?” Mikayla wondered, keeping the pace slow and even.

“You’re beautiful, Mikayla. So damn beautiful I can’t put it into words. I can’t find a single flaw, you are just as perfect now as you were then, more so after having our twins.  I love you so much, I’m sorry for being this insensitive asshole…”

“I’m sorry for not telling you, even out of spite. You’d at least have known, been able to know them sooner.”

“Let’s not do this now. Kay, you feel so good. I’ve missed this, I’ve missed you…”

“Should I keep going?”

“Don’t stop. I want you touching as much of me as possible, feeling your whole body almost merge with mine.”

She laid over him, his body picking up pace, hers shifting right along with him. It was like they shared one mind, one heart, body. 

It wasn’t passion filled, not in the ‘I need to have you now’ way, but more like ‘I’ve waited my whole life for you’, ‘epitome of romantic’ kind of passion. It was slow, intimate, a real reunifying their souls experience.  

Mikayla flashed between her first time with JC, and her first time with Justin on their wedding night. This moment blew any other out of the water.  It was tender, delicate, filled with promise and hope for the future.  

“Kay…”

“Let go for me, Josh.”

He kissed her deeply, feeling his body jerk in release.  She felt whole.  She felt guilty that the two times she’d had with Justin hadn’t felt like that, but at the same time she knew this was different. 

“You’re thinking, I can hear the gears turning,” JC smiled. 

“Feeling guilty. Justin and I had sex twice today and I didn’t feel any of what I felt just now…”

“I’m afraid to ask…”

“I don’t even know if I can put it into words. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this close to someone, so cared for. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never had complaints sexually with Justin, but just now, it felt so right. Like there’s no one else I'm supposed to be with.”

“I know I’m glad you feel that way, with us.  Maybe tell him?  How did you feel then?”

“I mean, it was hot as fuck. He picked out the lingerie, even bought some toys just in case…”

“For us?” JC asked. “Seems weird…”

“I guess in case we were into certain things.”

“Anything you don’t use with him?”

“I mean, you know my go to items…” 

“Were those in there?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure we wanted them, though.”

A smile spread across his face. “We just did nice, I’ll be ready for something more naughty in a bit.  We’re gonna go as long as we can, mama.”

“A challenge I look forward to,” she smiled in reply.