“You what?”  The incredulous tone in Trace’s voice caused it to crack.  Normally, Justin would’ve made fun of him, but he was in a sour mood at the moment and his best friend wasn’t helping.

“I asked her to move in with me.”  The carpet had started to lay flat in the section where he was pacing back and fourth.

“Are you fucking serious?  Justin, what the fuck are you thinking?”  Trace was seated on the edge of the couch and his eyes followed the frantic movements of his pacing pal.

“Stop fucking swearing at me! Shit, Trace.”  Trace busted out laughing and the seriousness of the moment was broken for a second.

“Justin, why did you ask Christina to move in with you?  You’ve barely been together two months and I know that you’re not that serious about this chick.”

Justin’s eyebrow raised in challenge.  “Really?  You know that for a fact.”

Trace sat back on the couch and rested his arms across the back, a smug look crossing his face.  “Yeah, I know that for a fact.”  He paused, wanting to make Justin squirm just a little.  “You told me that you just wanted to be with someone fun and you didn’t want it to be serious.  Christina was that girl, you even said that she wanted things to be low-key too.”

Justin stopped his pacing and landed with a flop into the arm chair.  He rested his elbows on his knees and placed his head in his hands.

“Why did you really ask her to move in?”  Trace had an idea that he already knew, but he wanted to see if Justin was going to admit it.

“I don’t know, I just figured it was the thing to do.”  The scoff that came from the other man made Justin look up in shock.  Trace was supposed to be supporting him, not laughing at him.

“I think that you’re doing it to convince yourself that you really do want to be with Christina.  This is some sort of macho declaration to prove you’re not hung up on anyone else.”

The ‘anyone else’ hung in the air like a bad smell.  Justin knew what Trace was getting at but he wasn’t really ready to admit it yet.

“Whatever, think what you want.  This was my decision and I’m not taking it back.”

“Well, you better pray that Christina says no.” 

“So what if she does move in?  It’s not like I asked the girl to marry me.  She can always move back out.”

There was a stretch of silence where both men sat brooding.  Justin was upset that Trace never seemed to have his back lately, and Trace was pissed that his best friend had turned into such an idiot.

“Did you ever stop to think about Rylee in all of this?”  The question caught Justin off guard and he almost caught himself answering with a ‘I think about Rylee all the time’ but he managed to swallow it back.

“What do you mean, ‘think of Rylee’?”

“Justin, she and Christina live together, I’m sure they share rent.  You’re basically taking away her best friend and you might even be hindering her living situation.”

Justin’s mouth opened before his brain had a chance to censor.  “You could always have Rylee move in with you, then you two could fuck all the time.”

The shock that registered on Trace’s face was nothing compared to the anger that settled on it next.

“You are so fucking lucky that I know you as well as I do.  Because I am so fucking close to punching you in the face.  Grow up, Justin, and don’t come running to me when all this shit blows up in your face.” Trace stormed out, slamming the door and leaving Justin to his menacing thoughts.

Now he’d gone and pissed off his best friend too.  Well shit, there must be some disease that caused people to say things uncontrollably, what was it?  Turrets or something?  Shit, either that or Justin just didn’t know how to shut up.

He knew that whatever feelings he had for Rylee were getting stronger, but he was too stubborn to admit that he didn’t want to be with Christina anymore.  He wasn’t the kind of guy to bounce from one woman to her best friend, so he was determined to make the relationship he had work.  The only problem was, he wasn’t really sure how he was feeling about Christina anymore.

She was an amazing girl, and she was one of the most gorgeous people he’d ever met, but now that he’d gotten to know Rylee…Christina’s qualities paled in comparison.

He didn’t think that there was anything wrong with his girlfriend; in fact, she was a great catch for any guy.  But for him…he wasn’t so sure anymore.  Both of them had gone into this relationship with the intention of keeping it light and not letting things get too serious, and he now felt that using that philosophy had kept them from getting really close.

 He let out a guttural grunt and propelled himself out of the chair.  Now he didn’t know what to do.  He didn’t really want Christina to say ‘yes’ to his request, but he didn’t think it would look very good if he took it back.  He didn’t want to upset her.

“Oh fuck.”  He breathed out.  He really didn’t know what he was going to do, and he hated that feeling.

~*~

The twang of the guitar strings sent a dulcet melody floating through studio.  Rylee’s fingers glided over the metal threads as she nimbly picked and strummed, completely caught up in the tune coming from within and unaware of the eyes that watched her from the doorway.

The music she was creating was unrehearsed and new, something she was feeling at the moment.  It was sweet with a cheerless quality that gave away the distress that was hiding underneath her cool exterior.  Her eyes were closed, her mouth open slightly as she breathed deeply, as if in a trance.  She didn’t stop to think, or to correct any mistakes, although there weren’t many to note.  She caressed the guitar with a softness that exposed her nurturing nature and made it apparent to anyone watching that she loved to love.

Justin wasn’t aware that you could learn so much about a person from watching them play, but he suddenly felt more connected to Rylee simply from staring at her stroke that guitar.  She had this peaceful look on her face, and he truly noticed the beautiful lines of her features and the soft curve of her lips.  Her hair fell gently over her eyes, almost tangling with her eyelashes.

She was beautiful, and Justin questioned why it had taken him this long to truly notice.

She stopped suddenly and looked up in his direction as if something had alerted her to his presence.  She didn’t seem shocked to see him there; instead she smiled unsteadily and wiped a hand down the thigh that the guitar wasn’t resting on.

“Hey.”  The serene moment was broken with her words, but it lingered between them, waiting for something to happen.

“I’m starting to think that I should be the one working for you, not the other way around.”  Rylee gave a smirk and set the guitar back in its case, ending the moment for good.

“That would never work; you wouldn’t listen to a thing I said to you.” She chided.  Justin let out a laugh and nodded his head.

“You’re probably right.”

It was awkward between them, and neither was really sure about why.  Justin shuffled over to the chairs in front of the sound board and sat stiffly.  He felt as if something had happened and he should apologize, but he didn’t know what it was.

“So, I hear you might be stealing my roommate from me.”  With those words, Justin suddenly knew why he was feeling so uncomfortable.

“Ahh…she told you.”  Rylee raised an eyebrow in his direction, as if to express that his statement was absurd.  “She didn’t seem very receptive, though, I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about.”

Rylee made her way over to where he was, and she jumped up on the counter in front of him.  She watched him for a moment before shrugging and turning away.  She picked up some papers that were sitting next to her and looked them over.

“We’ve got that band coming in next week, right?  The one with that tiny little girl of a lead singer?” 

Justin thought she was going to keep going with the Christina conversation, but apparently it was over.  He nodded in response to her question when she looked up at him expectantly.

“I’ve heard some of their stuff, she’s an amazing singer.  I’ve actually got some stuff in mind for them, if you don’t mind me taking over for a bit.”  Rylee wouldn’t look him in the eyes and he was really curious about the source her discomfort.

“Rylee?”

“It’s OK if you don’t want me to; I know I’m just the intern…”  She kept on babbling and he almost laughed at her obvious nervousness.  Something had changed between them and he couldn’t put his finger on it but he was going to try his damnedest to find out.

“Rylee…”  He tried to interrupt her again, but she wouldn’t stop talking and he was getting a little frustrated.  He did the only thing he could think of that might work, and he was really taking a chance at getting his balls ripped off.

Justin stood from his chair and took the step needed to reach Rylee.  He gently placed his hands on her knees and separated them so he could settle between them.  She seemed shocked that he had done so, and her mouth hung open, her eyes wide.  He took a hand and closed her open mouth, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

He studied her for a moment, not saying anything.  She swallowed thickly.  His eyes flitted across her face before finally settling on her mouth, and he licked his lips slowly and took a deep breath.  They stayed like this for a few seconds, but for Rylee it felt like an eternity.

She couldn’t stand the tension anymore, and against all of the voices screaming in her head, she grabbed Justin’s collar and pulled him to her, crashing his lips inter her own.

Justin responded immediately, taking his hands and plunging them into her curls and pressing her harder into his mouth.  Rylee’s hands spread up and over his shoulders and she gripped him tightly.  There was a desperation and a need that overwhelmed them both, but neither was capable of stopping even if they’d wanted too.

All of the misdirected passion and sexual tension had finally come to a head, and Justin— if he had been capable of coherent thoughts—would’ve caught himself wondering how he’d controlled himself for such a long time.

Rylee pulled back from him, her chest heaving in an attempt to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen.  The thought of stopping flitted across her consciousness for a second, but she let it leave just as quickly as it had entered.  Rational and conscience didn’t exist here, in this room, and all she could concentrate on were the feelings that we coursing through her body.

Justin’s lips attacked her neck and his hands found a way to her thighs.  He grabbed her roughly, liking the way she felt underneath his grasp.  He made his way up to her torso and found the zipper to her sweatshirt, discarding it quickly.  Fingering the fabric of her t-shirt for a second, he hesitated only for a moment before it joined her sweatshirt on the floor.

Rylee gasped as the cool air hit her bare skin and Justin’s lips traveled down her collar bone and toward her heaving chest.  She struggled to get his own shirt off, pulling until the kisses on her neck finally relented long enough for her to pull the clothing over his head.

The frantic pace of their tryst increased as bare flesh touched for the first time.  Justin’s fingers skimmed up the hot skin of Rylee’s back and he had a moment of triumph when he located the clasp on her bra and removed it from her body.  His triumphant moment increased when he felt the softness of her breasts beneath his wanting hands, her nipples growing hard underneath his touch.  She took a sharp intake of breath and threw her head back at the sensations that he was creating within her.

Rylee let her hands roam over Justin’s shoulders and down his back, pulling him in closer to her.  She wrapped her legs around his waist and their lower halves were forced together, causing another ripple of sensation to course through their taut bodies.  She could feel his arousal through the fabric of his jeans and it made her tingle within, almost to a point of blissful numbness.  Justin let out a grunt when her groin connected with his sensitive one.  He needed her to be closer.

Their lips connected again with an aggressive fervor as hands fumbled around buttons and belt buckles.  The slide of zippers sounded amidst the din of their passionate embraces.  Clothes were discarded with frantic speed and soon there was only the barrier of boxers and panties that separated their wanting bodies.  Rylee’s hand traced its way down Justin’s abdomen, skidding over tight abs and down toward the soft hair that trailed beneath his boxers.  She grinned at Justin’s hiss of air when she dipped her hands beneath the fabric and grabbed onto him firmly. 

Through the haze of sex that was clouding his mind, Justin managed to form the thought of protection.  He gripped Rylee’s wrist and removed her hand from his erection so he could step back and open the drawer to his left.  The break in contact sent Rylee sitting back on her hands, watching as Justin struggled to find the condom that he knew was located somewhere in that drawer.  Her eyes roamed hungrily over his frame, stopping with a heated stare at the obvious arousal underneath his boxers.

The moment the square foil package was in his grasp, Justin turned back to Rylee and crashed his mouth back upon her, stealing her breath.  He set the condom next to her thigh before finding the edge of her panties with his hands and swiftly sliding them down her legs.  Rylee tugged at the elastic of his underwear and they pooled at his feet a moment later.  She caresses him again, eliciting a moan from his lips.  She searched next to her for the condom at her side, grasping it between her fingers and tearing it open, all while her lips were being devoured by Justin’s.

She unrolled the condom over his tip and reveled in the hard feel of him beneath her fingers.  Justin’s head fell back at the sensation of her small hands gripping onto him and it took all of his self control not to slam into her right then.

He took a moment to control himself before grabbing her hips and sliding her forward on the counter, bringing her center to touch his groin.  Both moaned with anticipation.  Rylee’s legs slid up and down Justin’s hips in a needing gesture.  He held off for a second, teasing her, before he finally obliged and connected their heated bodies.

There was more passion in this act than either adult had every truly felt before.  The feel of him pulsing within her hot core sent Rylee into a frenzied state of mind and she could focus on nothing other than the feel of him sliding in and out.  Justin’s focus was on keeping the pace at a slow grind.  He didn’t want this to be over any time soon.

Rylee threw her head back, small gasps and moans falling from her lips at each thrust.  Justin looked down at their connected bodies and noticed for the first time the tattoos that he’d always wanted to see.  She had a treble clef and the comedy – tragedy masks on her left hip, and covering her right side was a staff of music that weaved its way down her body.

“God, you’re so fucking sexy.”  He grunted into her ear before he took her mouth in another passionate kiss.