Justin was nervous returning to their room.  He didn’t quite know what to say to her.   Nothing that came to mind seemed to justify, with any good reason, why he hadn’t mentioned the fact that Macie was in the film he was promoting.  Honestly, the truth was, he just didn’t want to think about it—let alone deal with it.  He just wanted his evil, bitch-of-an-ex-wife to go away.  He was tired of dealing with the drama.

But could he tell Cassidy all that?  Would she believe him if he did?

Fact of the matter was, their scenes together weren’t that much.  There were no love scenes—thank God—or anything even close, which only made it even more pathetic that he had failed to mention anything about it.

With a sigh he stepped into the front room—empty, quiet and just how they’d left it.   Cassidy was nowhere to be seen.  He shuffled his feet a bit as he made way towards their bedroom.  He realized instantly that she was in the bathroom and that the shower was running.  Strutting towards it, he tried the handle to find it locked.   Softly he cursed under his breath.  This could not be good.

Cassidy needed to pull herself together.  She couldn’t believe she was crying over the whole situation, but she was.  The shower had seemed the safest place to go.  It had just been such a whirlwind week.  Finding out Justin had neglected to tell her that his ex-wife was in the hotel, to promote the movie they made together, was not how she wanted to top it off. 

She just didn’t understand why he hadn’t told her.  Surely he must have realized the chances of running into her were high.  Some kind of warning would have been nice!

Letting the hot water pound into the top of her head, droplets slid down her face, mixing with her tears as she tried so hard to get a grip on her emotions.  She wasn’t normally a crier, and she hated it when she turned into one.  Although, she did realize that crying to herself in the shower was better than loosing her temper and taking it out on Justin.  She didn’t want to be that girl anymore, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be this girl either.

Finally, she shut off the water, deciding it was time to face what was going on and quit hiding.   She took her time drying off, moisturizing and brushing her teeth.  Feeling like the tears had subsided somewhat, she wrapped up in one of the thick, white, complimentary, full-length bathrobes.

When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, hot steam following, she found Justin sitting on the edge of the bed, staring right at her.  From what she gathered by the look on his face, he’d been sitting in that spot, waiting, for as long as he’d been back.   She was guessing it had been more than a couple of minutes.  Then she found herself wondering if he noticed that she’d been crying.  She hated that she was so self conscious over something so silly.

After two seconds of eye contact, she felt herself tearing up again.  Who the hell was she trying to kid? Thinking she could actually keep her tears to herself?

His chin dropped, like he couldn’t look at her any longer, and his head was shaking as his hands smoothed into his hair.  “I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said softly, still looking down at the carpet.

By the time she perched herself on the bed beside him, she was full-on crying again.  It was a completely different emotion for her in regards to relationships.  Hurt instead of anger?  She didn’t know how to process it.  “I need complete honesty in a relationship,” she told him quietly, almost in a whisper.

“I know.”  He still didn’t look at her, but she wasn’t exactly looking at him either.  Instead she was beginning to make out a very subtle design in the mocha colored carpet.  “There’s nothing I can say to justify not telling you.   I’m sorry.”

What he was saying was true, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t want to hear some type of reasoning.  Wiping the dampness from her surely puffy eyes, she finally looked over at him.  Immediately he returned the gaze.  “You must’ve had a reason, though, right?”

His chin was her direction, but his eyes dropped down again, focusing more on the intricate-patterned cream, chocolate and gold duvet cover.  “I just didn’t want to deal with it.”

Of course she wanted to mention how much easier it would have been for her to deal with his ex if she’d have been prepared, but it seemed unnecessary.  Cassidy was sure he realized that already.  No one wanted to deal with any of the shit they were dealing with.  Did that mean it was a good idea to pretend it didn’t exist?  No.   But she doubted she actually needed to remind Justin of that.  She’d never been one to lecture.

Removing the towel that had been wrapped around her wet hair, she rubbed the soft cotton over her face until the evidence of her tears was gone.  Then she discarded it to the floor and brought a hand to his stubbled cheek.  “We really need a vacation,” she told him softly, studying the apologetic look in his eyes.

A gentle smirk fell from his lips, a tiny grin accompanying it.  “No fucking kidding.”

“I’m not mad at you,” she finally told him.  “I was, at first, but I know you weren’t deliberately trying to be deceitful.”  Everything she was saying was coming from the deepest place in her heart.  “With everything I’ve been through, I should have major trust issues, but I trust you—completely.”   Softly she grinned.  “Some might call me crazy, and maybe I am, but I know that I’m the only woman you want to be with right now.  I know what happened tonight has nothing to do with still wanting her.”

His eyes softened as he stared at her with caring blue eyes.  “I definitely don’t want to be with her and as far as you knowing that you’re the only woman I want to be with right now?  Well, I’d have to correct you and say that you’re the only woman I want to be with ever.”  Cassidy couldn’t help but smile at that.   His hand reached up to her head, pushing her damp hair back from her forehead.   “I’m sorry for not telling you.  It was stupid, I know.  And I know you haven’t asked, but just so you know, we’re hardly even in the movie together.  We weren’t, like, love interests or anything.  And as far as the promotions go?  We weren’t supposed to do anything together or even be anywhere near each other.  Obviously she purposely found out where we were so she could try and cause trouble.”

Cassidy let out a heavy breath of air.  “Was she this vindictive when you were married?”

Justin shook his head and made a “pshhh” sound.  “I don’t know,” he finally answered, his fingertips brushing down the side of her head again.  “I think I just overlooked it.”

Leaning in, she pressed a tender kiss to his lips—so warm and soft and smooth.  “Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

He nodded.  “I think I’m going to go take a shower, too, if you don’t mind.”

She nodded.  Of course she didn’t.

But before he got up, he closed the distance between them once more and pressed one kiss to the top of both her cheeks, just below her eyes.  “Don’t cry anymore,” he stated simply.  “I don’t like it.”  Then he got up and disappeared into the bathroom.

Rising to her feet, Cassidy let out a much needed breath.  She needed to decompress.   Her life was crazy.  If she actually stopped to think—which she was trying not to—things had been insane for the past six months, or longer.  Maybe a year even.  Were things ever going to settle down?

The way things were going, she didn’t think so.  Not anytime soon, anyway.

After slipping into a pair of black, calf-length sweat pants and a plain t-shirt, she ran a comb through her damp locks and pulled the mess back out of her face in a half pony/half bun.   She wasn’t going to worry about blow drying or styling.  She’d straighten before all the hoopla in the morning anyway.  Justin had invited her to watch him in action and she was looking quite forward to that.  Of course, she wouldn’t be able to give him her undivided attention.  Some of that would go to Cody, of course.  Lynn and Matt were going to be with their son when she wasn’t.   She’d love for Cody to be able to see his Daddy working, but there was absolutely no way they were going to subject him to the press.  Not when it wasn’t necessary.

Cassidy was afraid that very soon a nanny was definitely going to be essential.  But for now they had help and she was thankful for that.

Sighing, she propped up a couple of thick, fluffy pillows and grabbed the remote for the flat screen TV mounted on the wall across the ornately decorated room.  The thing had barely powered on when Justin appeared out of the steamy bathroom—one white towel wrapped around his waist, a second being used to dry his head and face.  He looked over at her as he draped the second towel around his neck.  “We never did eat.”

With all the excitement, she’d kind of forgot that.  “Should we order something?”

He nodded and slipped into a pair of long gray sweat shorts, walking both towels back into the bathroom and then re-emerging with his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.  He held up a finger—one minute—and then disappeared again.  Cassidy picked up the leather-bound room service book from the nightstand and began thumbing through.

A minute later when Justin came out of the bathroom, looking all clean and refreshed, he hopped onto the mattress, on his knees, right in front of her.  “I want real food,” he told her.  “Hand me my phone.”

She looked at him kind of funny and reached for his cell phone off the nightstand closest to her.  A few seconds later he was telling who she was guessing was Matt, that he wanted a center-cut filet, medium rare, and a baked potato from the 5 star restaurant in the hotel.  “Babe?”  She felt a little diva-ish, but it wasn’t like Justin’s new assistant wasn’t getting paid to be there.

“Um, the same, except salad instead of a potato.”

He repeated it into the phone and then added a “Cool.  Thanks, Matt.”   Justin slapped his phone shut and handed it back to her, immediately reading the look on her face.  “We’re paying him.  He should do something besides just sit in a free hotel room.”

It barely registered that he’d said we’re paying him instead of I’m paying him.

“I know.”

“You’ll get used to it,” he said, leaning in towards her.  Sweetly, he pressed one firm kiss to her lips.  “My life, that is,” he added as he pulled away.

“I don’t know,” she remarked teasingly.  But was she really teasing?   Maybe partly not.

“After this movie opens and I’m done with all this, then I’m supposed to get back in the studio.  Things will quiet down then.  They always do.”  He grinned that handsomely boyish grin he was so good at.  “I still want to take a little vacation first, though.”

It hit her then, how their lives had joined together in a way neither one of them had even realized.  Things were serious.  Things could hardly be any more serious.   And she was quite fine with that.

Finally he relaxed, twisting around and sitting on his rear, knees up as his bare feet slid across the silky bedspread.  He grabbed the remote that had been sitting somewhere between them and hit the menu button.  “Should we order a movie?”

But Cassidy had other things on her mind.  “Justin,” she voiced simply, turning his direction.

“Huh?”   He was scrolling through the selection on the TV rather than looking at her.

“In all this craziness, things are oddly normal between us.”

She caught his attention with that, a confused look spread throughout his handsome features.   He still hadn’t shaved and his stubble was almost a beard.  “Why wouldn’t they be?”

Smiling, she didn’t exactly answer what he was asking.  “We really haven’t been together for very long, but I feel ridiculously comfortable with you.  Like we’ve been together forever.”

“And you’re just now noticing that?”  He brought a hand up animatedly.   “And let me just add to that—that even though it feels like we’ve been together forever, it still feels exciting and new and not a minute goes by when I don’t think about how badly I want you—all the time.”

Her smile widened.  “Well, yes.”

“That goes for you too?”  he asked, his head tilted just slightly to one side.

“Definitely.”

“So where did this discussion come from?”

Cassidy shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Maybe it’s you being back to work and me feeling surprisingly okay with it all.  I mean, not that I thought I wouldn’t, but it’s all kind of crazy and still it feels really normal.”

“Well,” Justin sighed, touching a hand to her forearm, “not that I like to bring it up or anything, but I’m sure life wasn’t exactly normal for you before, being married to an NFL quarterback and all.  It couldn’t be that different.”

It was extremely different, but there were definitely similar aspects.  He was right about that.  “Well,” she said it this time, a little bit of oomph to her voice.   “You are absolutely wonderful and he was a complete jerk.  That makes it very different.”

His grin was the only acknowledgment of her compliment.  He moved on quickly instead.   “Okay, well let me just ask you, since you brought up my work and all.   Eventually I’m going to have to go on tour.  Do you think you and Cody will be able to go with me?  I mean, as much as possible?  I realize he’s going to have school and I totally understand if you don’t want him to miss going to a regular school.  I did for a big part of my life, but that’s beside the point…”   He was rambling and Cassidy found it absolutely adorable.

“Justin, I’m not opposed to home schooling him part of the time, but we can figure that out as it comes along.”

He nodded, one of those rare shy grins across his face.  “Sorry, just a thought that crossed my mind, that’s all.”

Leaning in, she pressed a tender kiss to the corner of his mouth.  As she started to pull away, to respond to his words, his hand caught the back of her neck as he continued the kiss, his tongue slipping past her lips.  Her eyes closed automatically and she realized in an instant that she needed to have him—again.  Without a second thought, both of her hands found the warm, sculpted feel of his shoulders as she strained her body to lean in even closer. 

Quickly he compensated for her efforts and was guiding her back the other way, his kiss consuming her needingly as he maneuvered his way in front of her until she was falling, the back of her head landing on the fluffed, down pillow.

“I love you so much,” she managed to tell him.  “I love that those kind of thoughts cross your mind.”

His moist lips smiling against her, he said, “How could they not?  You’re amazing.  I want you and Cody with me all the time.”

Cassidy’s hands found their way down his strong back, stopping just at the curve of his rear, his sweats loose and practically sliding right off, but instead resting halfway down his butt.   Damn, she loved the way his body felt against her touch.  Bending her left knee, his weight settled on her, his arousal more than apparent.  “You’re amazing,” she said breathily.  “You don’t even know how thankful I am that you saw us that day at the game."

She could still feel his smile as he nestled his face against her cheek, his soft stubble tickling her flesh.  He hummed, happy and content-like.  “Me too.”   Then he pressed a wet kiss to the tender spot just below her ear.  “How long’s it been since we called Matt?” His lips broke away just long enough to speak.

For some reason she found it difficult to answer when he was kissing her in such a way.   Her smile big, her breath caught short as his mouth skidded down the side of her neck.  “Ten minutes?” she finally answered, her voice ending with a giggle as one of his hands pressed into the flesh above her hip.  How he even managed to get a grip on her there she wasn’t sure, but it was a ticklish spot and he knew it.   And she loved that he knew those things about her.

“Plenty of time,” he remarked coolly as he skillfully slipped that hand around her waist and down the back of her sweats.  He gripped her flesh playfully, grinning wide as his mouth made way back to hers.  His darkened blue eyes searched her face before he kissed her once again.  “We needed this tonight.”

She felt herself smiling against him again.  “Sex?”

He stopped and looked in her the eye.  “The alone time.”

Cassidy nodded.  “Alone time for us usually means sex.”

His lips were on her again, soft and warm and then gently pulling on her bottom lip before parting.  “I can’t think of anything better to do when we’re alone.”   He was looking incredibly devilish, not to mention sexy, and somehow boyish all at the same time.  It was impossible to explain and completely irresistible.

With her arms wrapped loosely around his back, she reveled in the feel of his smooth skin against her palms.  “I can’t think of anyone else I ever want to be alone with.”  She didn’t break the eye contact they had for one second.

“Oooh,” he said, brushing his nose against hers.  “I like that.”

Smiling, Cassidy agreed.  “Me too.”

“Okay, how’s this,” he added, as if he was about to try and top what she’d said.   “I can’t imagine anyone ever making me feel the way I feel when I’m with you.”

“I—”

As she tried to respond, he out voiced her.  “I can’t imagine ever making love to anyone else but you.  I can’t imagine having a child with anyone but you.   I can’t imagine living a single day of my life without you in it.”

Lifting her head, she kissed him this time.  It was so sweet and pure.  She could happily imagine kissing him for the rest of her life.  “Me too,” she answered simply, smiling big.

She collapsed against the pillow again, their kiss not waning in the slightest.  “I like that a lot,” he finally said.  Cassidy giggled.  It was all she could do.

Seconds later when his cell phone starting buzzing on the dresser, she was still smiling.   Even as he broke away from her just enough to reach above her, his bare abdomen right above her face as he stretched to grab his phone from the bedside table.  Her palm smoothed across his taught stomach nearly causing him to chuckle his “hello,” but he recovered quickly, straightening and straddling her.  “Oh, hey mom.”   Cassidy listened intently at the realization it was Lynn.  “Okay.  I’ll be right there.”  Justin shut his phone and looked down at her.  “He’s awake and he wants us.”  He was already hopping up.  “I’m gonna go get him."

Cassidy nodded, sitting up and watching as Justin skipped out of the room, not bothering to put anything else on, not even his shoes.

It was five minutes later when father and son returned.  Justin marched Cody straight into their bedroom, Cody’s sleepy figured latched onto the bigger man.  The little boys arms clung around his Daddy’s neck.  Cody’s legs were hooked on Justin’s waist as he carried him in.  “Here we are,” Justin voiced, plopping Cody down beside Cassidy.

“Hi Mommy,” Cody fell against his mother’s side, hugging his arms around her.   Justin watched the interaction and his heart swelled.  He loved seeing them together.  He loved the family they’d become.  He’d never been so happy.

Climbing onto the bed, Justin settled in on the other side of his son, Cody in the middle of them both.  It was a great feeling and a great place to be.

“Did you have fun with Grandma Lynn?” Cassidy asked, running a hand over Cody’s curls as she so often did.

“Yeah.”   His answer drawn out and slow, it was obvious by his tone that he was still sleepy.   He had every right to be.  His life had changed dramatically.  Not to mention he hadn’t been sleeping too good the past few nights.  Justin hated to think why that was.

“Are you hungry, baby?” Cassidy asked.

“No.”

“Should we get your PJ’s on?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll get ‘em,” Justin volunteered.  He’d dropped Cody’s bag right inside the door.  Hopping up, he trotted into the main room.  Then returned with Cody’s dark blue backpack, pulling out the matching forest green pajama set of pants and a short sleeved shirt.  He’d barely handed them off to Cassidy when there was a loud knock on the door and Justin was jogging back again.  He knew it was the food.  It had to be.

He opened the door and sure enough, there stood Matt, two signature bags in his hands and a bottle tucked in the crook of his arm.  “The restaurant sent a complimentary bottle of wine,” he announced.

Justin shrugged.  “Okay.  Hey, can you bring it in and set it on the table in the bedroom?”

Matt shuffled inside and Justin shut the door, noticing that the woman he’d passed in the hall a few minutes before when he’d picked up Cody was still there.  She was talking on a cell phone, but it was still a little unusual.  Or maybe he was just being paranoid with all they’d been through lately.

Justin walked into the bedroom as Matt was taking the food out and setting it on the table.   Moving close to his new assistant, he spoke quietly.  “When you leave can you tell T that there’s a woman hanging out in the hallway?  I’ve seen her twice now.”

Cassidy was heading towards them, looking slightly curious.

“Okay,” Matt answered.

“Thanks, and we’ll see you at seven?”

The man nodded and left.

Cassidy looked at Justin, looked at the food and then looked back at Cody.  “You sure you’re not hungry, baby?” she asked him.

“No thanks, Mommy.”

Justin smirked quietly at the manner’s his son displayed.  Then he smiled contentedly at the sleepy look in his eyes.  It was such a sweet sight.  He was so in love with his life at the moment.  He couldn’t ask for anything more.

He and Cassidy sat at the table and ate while Cody stayed perched at the head of their big hotel bed, watching one of the 24 hour cartoon channels on TV.  Each time Justin looked over, his son seemed closer and closer to sleep.  Without thinking, he stood and dimmed the lights.  When he sat back down, Cassidy was grinning sappily at him.   “What?”

She shook her head.  “It’s just nice, that’s all.”

Now he was grinning sappily.  With a nod, he agreed, “Yeah, it is.”

By the time they were finished with their late dinner, Cody was sound asleep.  Justin carefully carried Cody into the next room, where Cassidy was turning down the bed, laid him down and kissed him softly on the head.  “Love you, son,” he whispered quietly, even though Cody was sound asleep.  Cassidy pulled the covers up and Cody snuggled up to his pillow automatically.  Justin watched as she kissed his forehead and backed away.  Without a thought he grabbed her hand and led her out, shutting the door between their rooms all but a crack.

“Tired?” Justin asked, releasing the hold he’d had on her.

“A little,” she answered, pulling her hair down from her head and letting it fall to her shoulders.  He found himself smiling again at the natural beauty she held.  She was gorgeous to him all the time, but he loved it when she was completely casual and relaxed.  Maybe he just loved that they could be that comfortable with each other.   Especially after dealing with the façade of his ex.  She’d always had an image to uphold, even with him.  He hadn’t realized how much he’d hated it then, but looking back he realized more and more how completely wrong he and Macie had been for each other.

Thank God he’d found Cassidy.  Thank God he was in a healthy relationship now.

She disappeared into the bathroom and he turned off the lights, making sure the alarm was set for 6:00.  He didn’t even want to think about the long day he had tomorrow, but at least he had his family there with him.  The most important people in his life were right by his side and that felt amazing.

A minute or two later she came out in this barely-there pajama shirt and inwardly he groaned, realizing they never had a chance to finish what they’d started earlier and knowing that his sleeping son was in the next room.  He eyed her curiously as he stepped past her and made way into the bathroom himself, where he splashed some cold water on his face and brushed his teeth.

She was in bed when he returned, snuggled up under the bedding, breaking sight from the TV to eye him sweetly.  He dropped his shorts next to the bed and crawled in beside her, not hesitating to get as close as possible and wrap every limb around her.  It caused instant giggles in her and that made him squeeze her even more.  “I love holding you,” he said softly, pressing his lips just in front of her ear.

Her body shifted as she turned to face him, kissing the tip of his nose.  “I like it too.”

“But is it bad that I want you so bad right now and Cody’s sleeping in the next room?”

She kissed him sweetly again, this time at the top of his cheek.  “Parent’s have sex with their kids in the next room all the time.”

“You’re right,” he said, smoothing a hand to her head.  Then he gently pushed her down on her back and climbed on top of her.  Playfully he attached her neck, chest and shoulders with kisses.  She was giggling uncontrollably and every second more he felt himself falling deeper and deeper in love.

He finally stopped and she took in a deep breath.  “We should probably try and be quiet though.  If he wakes up and comes in here it’d probably ruin the mood.”

“Probably,” he agreed just before tenderly kissing her the flesh below her jaw.  It wasn’t giggles coming from her now, it was more of a satisfied hum and it only urged him to continue.

“Justin…” His name fell from her lips, her voice weighted with arousal.  “You do everything right.”

He wanted to agree, but he couldn’t.  He rose up just enough to catch her eye.   “Not everything.  I fucked up pretty bad earlier.”

She smiled ruefully.  “I already forgot.”

Sweetly he kissed her lips.  “Good.  It won’t happen again.  Not like that.”
 

© BrandyRae 2007