Cassidy was nervous.  She was dropping Cody off at school for the first time in almost a month and things had changed quite a bit since the last time.  Of course the biggest change this particular morning was that Dre was chauffeuring them.  Justin had wanted to come along, but they decided that was too risky.  He’d been camped out at Cassidy’s house for the past week.  And for that entire week they’d managed to keep Cody out of the press.

Preschool was going to be the big test.  There was no reason for anyone to know this first morning, but after Cody started spilling to all his little friends and the teachers about his newfound daddy, tomorrow could be a completely different story.  Word travels fast in tinsel town, even when it involves the Pre-K level. 

Several offers had come in from different magazines trying to buy the rights to the exclusive story on Justin Timberlake and his son.  It was ridiculous the amounts of money they were offering just to get the first dibs on it.  Cassidy would stand behind whatever decision Justin came up with.  He really wanted her input, but ultimately it was his career that could falter because of bad press.  As long as their little boy wasn’t in any danger—which she was sure Justin would never put him in—then she was fine with it.  It was obvious to Cassidy that Justin was waiting for her to tell him what she wanted him to do, but that just wasn’t how she operated.  Cassidy trusted Justin and she trusted his judgment.

She was also very good at dealing with reality.  And the reality was that sooner or later Cody’s face was going to be put out for public scrutiny and there wasn’t a damn thing either of them could do to stop it.  Honestly, she was beginning to feel like they should just go ahead and do the story, just to get the madness over with.

Justin had mentioned that if they did sit down with one specific media outlet, that any proceeds would go straight into a college fund for Cody.  Cassidy liked that idea.  She liked the fact that Justin was thinking first of their son’s future.  It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  But a lot of things about the little family they were building did that.

Pulling into the parking lot of Cody’s Preschool—one that had more than a few celebrity kids on its roster—Cassidy took in a deep breath.  She noticed Dre reaching for the door handle and knew instantly that if he walked them in it would definitely get noticed.  “I think we can go in by ourselves,” she told him.

He looked back at her warily and let out a rather debatable huff.  Obviously he wasn’t sure about the idea.  “You do remember those security guidelines we’ve been over several times?”

“Yes.   Very much so.  But I also know that if you go in there with us it’s going to be the talk of the entire school for the rest of the week.  If not longer.”

“Okay, fine.  But try not to take too long.”

“I’ll be as quick as possible.”  She didn’t really want to stick around and explain why Cody had missed so much school anyway.

After helping Cody out of his booster seat, mother and son walked hand in hand to the front door.  “I can’t wait to tell everyone about my Daddy,” Cody remarked as Cassidy opened the entrance for him.

“I know you can’t,” Cassidy replied.

“Do you think Daddy will pick me up?”

Cassidy signed him in at the front desk, grinning at the head teacher who was on the phone behind the desk.  “I think he will be at home waiting for you afterwards,” she told her little boy.

They got to his classroom and Cassidy was instantly relieved to see that the teacher was involved in another conversation with a high profile parent.  Someone much more recognizable than Cody’s as-of-yet unidentified father.  The woman wouldn’t dare walk away from that to talk with Cassidy—thank God. 

Cassidy bent down, kissed her little boy and told him goodbye.  Then waved to the teacher across the room and left.

Picking him up wouldn’t be near as easy.

It was a short drive back to the house, maybe ten minutes tops.  Altogether she and Dre had only been gone for maybe 25 minutes.  They pulled up the drive and Cassidy found herself wondering what she and Justin would do all day with Cody gone.  Rarely they had time away from him.  It might almost be kind of weird.  Would they actually get to experience what a normal, adult relationship felt like?  She doubted it.   There time would be consumed with—something.  She was sure of it.

“You coming in?” she asked Dre.

He shook his head no.  “I’ll be back later.”

“Okay.   I’ll see ya later then.”  With that she hopped out of the car and went inside the house.  She expected to find Justin on the phone, either in the kitchen or in the downstairs office, because that’s where he was most of the time during the day.  So when she didn’t find him in the first place, she immediately looked in the second.  She didn’t find him there either.

“Justin?” she called out.

“I’m upstairs!”

Trotting up to the second story, she heard that the radio was on, but even more enjoyable was the fact that he was singing along with it.  It was something very popular at the moment, although she couldn’t quite place the name of the song or who sung it.  She was terrible with that stuff.

The fantasy in her mind found him freshly out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his tautly firm waist, moisture from the steamy water still apparent on his blemish-free skin. 

Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.  He was completely dressed—and dressed for one thing in particular. 

Golf.   Casual golf, but definitely golf—collared shirt, plaid shorts, golf shoes set out neatly on the floor just waiting to be put on.

“Going somewhere?” she asked.

He turned swiftly on his socked feet.  “Yes.  For some much needed relaxation.   Care to join?”  The question was asked by his entire being, not just his voice, as he tilted his head and stared with hopeful eyes.

Like she’d ever turn him down when he asked like that.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she tried her best to fight off the grin she felt creeping to her lips.   “Are we actually playing or just hitting balls at the range?”

“I didn’t think we had time for much more than the driving range.  What time does school get out?”

She was grinning even wider now.  “Two.”

“Yeah, we need to be back by twelve.”

It was her head that gave a tilt of curiosity this time.  “Why is that?”  It was barely 9:30.

Now it was him that was smiling—wide and charming like.  “Never mind that.”   He stepped two feet closer and winked.  “Just get changed and let’s go.”  Then he gave her a swift smack on the ass before waltzing out of the room—smug and cocky-like.

It took her a second to move after he was gone.  She just stood there, still smiling, thinking maybe this was going to be what you might call a date.  She hadn’t been on one of those in ages.

Something about the way Justin handled his club was overly stimulating to Cassidy.  She couldn’t quite figure it out, but she realized she was doing more watching than swinging.  The only thing she could chalk it up to was witnessing the more athletic side of him—something she knew was there, but had rarely seen—and, obviously, she’d always had a thing for athletes.

She’d been playing golf since her early teens and it was evident that there was a bit of a competitive streak in him.  But there was little that could take her attention away from how much she really wanted to jump him—clubs and all.  Over the course of the past minute, she’d checked her watch three times already.  All she really wanted was to take him home.  He’d said something about noon.  At this point, she wasn't sure she could wait that long.

“You, uh, in a hurry?” he asked, mid-stance, about to hit another.

She’d just checked her Cartier for the fourth time in the past sixty seconds.  The smile was impossible to suppress.  “No.  No hurry.”

He took a good whack and the ball sailed across the range.  “Then how come you keep looking at your watch?  We have plenty of time still.”

Looking away, she let out a subtle smirk.  “I don’t want to say.”

He’d just knelt down to place another ball on the tee, but as she’d told him that, he stopped, set down his club and moved closer.  “Why?”

She smirked again, louder.  “Because the walls might have ears,” she said with a bit of a tease.  She wasn’t sure if she really believed it or if she just thought it sounded good.

But instead of looking at her like she was crazy, he gave one quick nod.  “True.   But you sure are making me curious.  Tell me it’s not bad.”

Her smile widened instantaneously.  “It’s definitely not bad.”

It was like he must have read her mind, because next thing she knew they were packing up and heading back to the car.

He was speeding down the freeway and the only image in her head was of her climbing onto his lap and straddling him.  That fantasy quickly turned into a massive car pile-up, which thankfully kept her from attempting to carry it out.  “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted you so badly.”  It was the truth.  And she’d wanted him pretty damn bad before.  This was fucking unbearable.

Justin didn’t respond to her words.  Instead he downshifted and passed the car that had been in front of them, the odometer passing 90 MPH easily.  Most women probably would have told him to slow down at that point.  Not Cassidy.  In her head, she was telling him to speed up.

When they finally pulled inside the security of her gated home, she was out of the car before he put the brake on, rushing up the paved drive, straight to the front door.  He caught her there, by the waist, and turned her around before she’d turned the key in the lock.  Then his lips were on her—warm, moist, soft and inviting.  She felt like putty in his arms.  A mere pile of mush.  She was completely hot from head to toe.

He was grinning widely when he finally gave her a chance to catch her breath, reaching behind her and turning the key that had already been set in the lock.  “God, if you get this worked up just from swinging a few golf balls, I’d love to see what happens when we play an actual game.”  His grin wasn’t just wide anymore, it was cocky.

She liked it.

The front door opened and she stumbled in backwards, pulling him with her as she eagerly untucked his shirt.  She succeeded in pulling the pale yellow polo over his head, only to find the white t-shirt he had on underneath.  She managed a whispered, “damn,” as she clawed at that one as well, but he stopped the movement by grabbing hold of her and hoisting her into his arms.  “We’re not gonna make it upstairs,” she said breathily, wrapping both her legs around his fit frame as he supported all of her weight.

“Not a problem.”  His lips skidded down the side of her neck as he maneuvered them towards the closest room available.  “This’ll work fine,” he said, tossing her down on the neatly made guest bed.

“This is the room my parents stay in when they visit,” she remarked as he came at her, just before his mouth fell to her collarbone.

“All the more intriguing for some reason.”

She smirked, but stopped quickly as his hand slipped underneath the back waist of her khakis.   He kissed her hard—lips and tongue and warm, tantalizing breath—as he managed to undo the button of her pants with his other hand.  They were off in about two seconds flat.  “Your turn,” she breathed, finagling the pesky white cotton over his head, her teeth scraping his bottom lip as he pulled up just long enough to let her discard it.  Her fingers couldn’t seem to cooperate as she tried to unfasten his belt.  He realized her struggle and removed it for her.  Then she was pushing away the flimsy polyester shorts, dying to feel his bare skin—all of it.

When they’d finally managed to rid themselves of all constricting materials, their bodies couldn’t collide fast enough.  It felt like an eternity had passed when her desire was finally met with true satisfaction—him inside of her.

It was needy but slow, quick but drawn-out.  She couldn’t explain it.  She didn’t want to.  She just wanted to feel it—feel every part of it.  Why did this man fill her up in a way that no other ever had?  What made every inch of him feel so amazingly good?  He barely had to touch her and she was half way over the edge.   It was incredible and she didn’t ever want it to end.  She didn’t ever want them to end.

As he collapsed against her, his weight crushing into lungs already starved for breath, she smoothed one hand around his back and the other to the top of his head.  There was something she needed to say.  She’d said it before, not a lot, but it was definitely known.  At the moment she was feeling it more than ever.

“Justin?”

His response came out more as a hum, a perfectly tuned hum.  His chest vibrating against her.  It was pleasing to every ounce of her.  “I love you.”

He kissed her shoulder, the part of her body that involved the least reach on his part.   An evident smile on his face.  “I love you too.”

“Yes.   But I really love you.”

“I really love you too.”

With a smirk, she grabbed both sides of his head and pulled until his sight matched with hers.   “I am head over heels in love with you,” she admitted, speaking softer and quieter than before.

He kissed her cheek and then her lips—tenderly, lovingly.  “It’s nice to hear you admit it,” he said after a moment.  He was teasing her and she knew it.

But she kept her seriousness. “It’s the truth.”

The touch of his palm smoothed over her forehead as he planted a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.  “Being with you is the most incredible thing I’ve ever felt.   Being with you, and being with my son.”

Cassidy smiled.  “We are a package deal.”

He kissed her again—the other cheek.  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”   He definitely wasn’t teasing anymore. 

“I love making love with you,” she revealed rather sappily.  It was a rare moment for her to be so emotional, but she was going with it regardless.  She just didn’t feel the need to deny any feelings with him.

Delicately he traced one fingertip down her bare side.  “That is what we do, isn’t it?   Even when it happens so quick most people would categorize it as just a fuck.   But it’s not.  It’s not at all.  Not ever.”

Lightly she shook her head.  “No, not even close.”

With a deep sigh, he had just started to roll off of her when the house phone rang.  “Shit, I left my phone and my wallet in the car.” 

Cassidy didn’t bother to answer her phone, but Justin got dressed and headed out front to grab his from the car.  He sat down in the driver seat and checked his voice mail, realizing he’d missed five calls in a very short period of time. 

Something was going down and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out what exactly it was.

The first call was from his mom.  The second from Trace. 

There was a pattern going on. 

The third was from his mom again, this time sounding a bit more urgent.

The fourth call was from his publicist and the fifth was from JC—who he hadn’t talked to since before his life had changed so drastically.  Not for any specific reason.  They just hadn’t caught up.  Obviously his long-time friend was calling for just that.  He was sure Chris had relayed the news.  Justin gave him the go-ahead on that.  Besides, it had been all over the papers since then.

He’d call his mom back.  Then Trace.  Then JC.  Then Jeff, his publicist.

Barely stepping out of the car to go back inside of the house, he found Cassidy heading down the drive towards him in her bare feet.  She looked especially appealing to him at that very moment.  Maybe it was the disheveled look about her along with the obvious after-sex glow she held.  Or maybe it was the fact that she’d just showed emotion that had totally made his heart swell even more for her.  Or it could have been how cute she looked in the very flattering denim jeans and t-shirt she’d just slipped on.

“You have a phone call,” she said.  “Two, actually.”

He hadn’t realized till that very second she was carrying the cordless receiver from inside the house.  It must have ringed again after he’d stepped outside.   “My mom?”  He’d bet a million on that one.

She nodded.  “On line one.  Trace on the other.”

Justin shook his head.  “Jesus,” he sighed, taking the phone from her. 

“I heard that,” his mom was saying as he put the device to his ear. 

“Sorry.   What’s up?”

“I called the cell.  Everything okay?”

“Yes…” He sounded it out, hoping she didn’t delve any deeper.  “Everything okay with you?”

“Well, yes, I’m fine.  But, did you hear?”

He was only a stride or two behind Cassidy as she walked inside the front door.  He caught her by the wrist before she could get away any farther.  She turned with a curious stare.  “No,” he told his mom, “but I’m sure whatever it is, that must by why everyone else is calling me too.”

“I heard.  Trace is on the other line?”

“Yeah.   So what is it?”  It was almost like she didn’t want to say.

“Macie was arrested last night.”

That was about the last thing he’d expected to hear.  “What?  Why?”   Cassidy tried to step away, like he wanted his privacy.  But he didn’t, and he let her know it.  He wasn’t letting her go anywhere.

“DUI.   It’s all over the news.”

He was nodding his head—thinking.  This could be a very good thing for him.  Sure, he should be concerned about the well-being of his ex-wife.  Well, maybe not so much after she’d turned into a psycho bitch and decked him in the face a week earlier.   The signs of the incident were still a bit noticeable up close.  What he was thinking more than anything, was that maybe now the focus would be taken off of him just a little bit and put on her.   

Would a little happy dance be inappropriate at the moment?  He thought so, but it was tempting to say the least.

“You’re not saying anything,” his mom spoke after a moment.

“Um, gee…  sucks to be her.”  The other line beeped in his ear and he figured that Trace had hung up and called back.  “Mom, thanks for the heads up but the other line is ringing now and I’m sure it’s Trace calling to tell me the same thing.”

“Okay, call me when things settle down.”

“I will.  Bye.”  Shaking his head with a smirk he relayed the news to Cassidy as he clicked over to the other line.  “’Lo?” was all he managed to get out when he answered, as he’d jumbled too many words in too short of a time.

“J?”   It wasn’t Trace after all.

“JC?   How’d you get this number?”

“Dre.”

“Oh.”

“I’m in the neighborhood.  Mind if I stop by?”

“I’m not home, man.”

“No shit.  I called you, remember?”

Justin shook his head.  “Oh, yeah.  You know how to get here?”

“Yep.   I’ll be there in ten.”

“Cool.   See you then.”

Cassidy was standing there, still looking as hot as hell with sex written all over her, and he realized he just gave the okay for his friend to come to her house without even asking if she cared.  Besides, they only had a couple hours left before Cody got out of school and now their time alone was shot to pieces.

Oh well.  He couldn’t have very well said no to JC.  Not when they hadn’t seen each other in months.  Besides, he and Cassidy would have lots more alone time in the future.  That he was sure of.  In fact, if it was up to him, a babysitter would be ideal very soon.  He'd like to actually take her on a date.  That was something they'd never done and that was just wrong in more ways than one.

“Um…” The phone was still dangling loosely in his right hand.  “JC is coming by.   You haven’t met him yet but he’s one of the guys from the group.”

“Justin, I know who JC is.  I suck at knowing most names of musicians, but let’s say I did do a little bit of homework after we first met, as far as *NSYNC is concerned.”

For some reason that made him smile just a little bit.  “We should make that bedroom look not quite so obvious.  Or at least shut the door or something.”  It was kind of one of the first things to see when you walked inside the house.

Her head tilted curiously.  “Are you afraid he might realize we had sex?”

Now he felt like a goof.  But before he could form a response, the phone was ringing again.   “Did you want to get it?” he asked her.  It was her house.

“Go ahead.  I’m sure it’s for you.”

This time it was Trace.  He let Cassidy go as she rushed towards the room they’d consummated just fifteen minutes earlier.  The call took less than a minute.  It was only seconds later he was chasing after her.  “Hey,” he said, standing just inside the door way as she pulled the duvet off the king sized bed.  She turned expectantly, waiting for him to say more.  “I didn’t mean to sound bossy or anything.  Sorry if I came across that way.”

She shook her head.  “I was planning on straightening up in here anyway.”

Closing the distance between them, he pulled the heavy fabric out of her hands and dropped it.   Then he pulled her into his chest and hugged her slender frame.  “Sorry if I just gave away our alone time.”

Lightly she smirked.  “I already got what I wanted from you.  No big deal.”

His neck arched back, just enough to squint his eyes at her.  “Thanks.  A lot.”

Her grin was big and playful as she kissed him sweetly.  “I’m just kidding.   It’s fine, though.  Don’t worry.  Cody has school tomorrow too.”

Brushing his hand over the side of her head, he urged her closer for another kiss, letting his mouth linger against hers for more than he’d intended.  It was just too hard to pull away. 

“I better finish this up,” she said, once their connection broke.  “I wouldn’t want JC to think we were being naughty before he called.”

But instead of letting her get the best of him, he shot that playfulness right back at her. “I’ll probably end up telling him anyway,” he said, raising his brow animatedly.

She pushed a loud breath of air through her nose and went back to straightening up.   “I figured.”

“Of course you did.”  Lifting her ponytail, he placed one moist kiss to the back of her neck and left the room before she had a chance to turn around.  He wanted to remind her how much they’d both enjoyed each other just a short time before.   Although he doubted it was actually necessary.

© BrandyRae 2006