Chapter 1

Ending up at the perfume counter at Nordstrom’s on a Monday night was not Nick’s idea of a good time.  He would rather be home with his feet up on his coffee table, leaning back on his brown Italian leather sofa with a beer in his hand and watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on his big screen TV.

But tomorrow was his girlfriend Jillian’s birthday and he didn’t have a gift for her, so here he was frantically looking for the perfect birthday present for her.  The problem was that he had no idea what to get her.  They had only been dating for two months and things being so new and still getting to know one another, he was still learning what she liked and didn’t like.  In fact, he probably wouldn’t have even remembered that it was her birthday tomorrow if she had not reminded him last night.

“Now, you’re coming over my house Friday night for the party, right?” She had said to him at his house while eating dinner on his dining room table.  Dinner consisted of take-out from Hoy’s Wok on Sunset Blvd.  Nick didn’t cook much and when he did, it wasn’t what you would call “gourmet” food.  It more like hamburgers or spaghetti.  Julia didn’t cook much either though so she couldn’t complain.  Usually after her busy days as an Assistant Director on a TV set, she didn’t get home until 8:00 or 9:00 at night and was too exhausted to think of anything, let alone cooking.

“What party?” Nick had asked foolishly.

Jillian put down her chopsticks and glared at him.  “You’re honestly going to tell me you didn’t remember my birthday party is tomorrow night?”

“Oh, yeah.  No, I remember, Jillian.  It’s cool.  I’ll be there.” Nick tried to cover his ass.

She rolled eyes, but picked up the chopsticks again.  “The caterers will be there at 4pm and the party starts at 7:00.  Can you come before that?”

“Sure, baby.”  He said and put a hand over hers reassuringly.  She seemed to be appeased by that so she smiled.

I don’t know what the hell to get her, Nick thought, scanning the rows of jewelry.  No, her last boyfriend had showered her with expensive diamonds, rubies and sapphires.  Besides, she bought enough jewelry for herself so it wasn’t a need.  He then sauntered over to the fragrance counter.

Busy scanning the various perfume bottles, trying to remember what fragrance she liked and if she even wore perfume, he finally picked up a tester bottle of Chanel No. 5.  As the spray evaporated into a fine mist into the air, he stuck his nose into the midst and took a sniff.

“Ew, no, I don’t think so.” He said under his breath.

“What was that?” A female voice interrupted him.

“Oh, nothing.” Nick said, putting the bottle back in place.

“It sounded like you didn’t like my perfume.” She said.

Nick looked up at her and she about took his breath away.  A tall voluptuous brunette stood behind the counter in front of him.  Her large breasts were swathed in a cranberry tight-fitting tank top with a matching suit jacket closing beneath them with one button.  Her long legs were just barely evident beneath a slinky black mid-length skirt, but he noticed them.  In fact, his eyes swept the length of her, starting at her face, then her breasts, thin waist, curvy hips down to her toes.  She was wearing black patent leather pumps with a spiky 3-inch heel.  Oy.  Spiky high heels t urned him on.

As his gaze swept back up to her face, he said, “Oh, hi.”

“Hi.” She smiled.

“Um, no, I was just saying that it’s not one of my favorite scents.” He cleared him throat, trying to shake the effect she was having on him.

She laughed.  A beautiful lyrical laugh, Nick thought.

“OK, so what can I help you with? Maybe we can find something you like better?”

“Uh, to tell you the truth, I don’t know.” Nick chuckled, rubbing his chin.

“Let me know guess.  It’s for your— girlfriend?” She was good at assessing people and he didn’t look the type who would have a wife.

“Yeah, how’d you guess?”

She laughed again.  “It’s one of the things I’m good at.”

I bet there are a lot of things you’re good at, Nick thought.

“So, what kind of scents does your girlfriend like? Calvin Klein? Christian Dior? Estee Lauder?”

Nick shook his head.  “I have no idea.  I’ll be honest with you.  I’ve only been dating this girl for two months so I don’t know a hell of a lot about her.”

She smiled.  She’d heard that before.  In fact, she’d heard it all, or more like seen it all.  Being a perceptive person, she easily picked up on the signals.  The men who were buying for their wives, mistresses, girlfriends and buying because they were either in the doghouse or wanted to prevent themselves from getting there.  Men who were trying to impress a woman or keep their mistress or who didn’t know what the hell to get their girlfriends.  Nick fell into the latter category.

“Well, tell me what she’s like.”

“OK… well, she pretty.”

“I figured that.”

“And she’s works on a TV show, so she works long hours…”

“I didn’t ask what she’s does, I asked what she’s like.”

“Oh, okay, well… She's nice, I guess.  She’s ambitious and outgoing and…” Nick was searching for the right adjectives and they weren’t coming easily.

This guy is definitely not in love, she thought.  He can’t even describe what his own girlfriend is like.

“OK, well, for a strong woman like it sounds like she is, I would recommend Boss Woman by Hugo Boss.” She picked up the tester bottle and spritzed it on her wrist and presented it to Nick to smell.

“Ooh, that’s nice.  Hugo Boss? I thought he only made men’s fragrances.”

She laughed at his naiveté.  “Nope, for both men and women.”

“Aw, well, it’s obvious I have a lot to learn about perfume.” Nick said.

No shit. She thought.  But he’s kind of cute.

“OK, well, I’ll buy that then.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to try some other fragrances?” She asked.

“No, I’m good.  I trust your opinion.  And if she doesn’t like it, I can just blame you.” He teased.

She laughed.  “Sure.”

“So, what size would you like? 1.7 or 3 ounces? And then there’s our gift sets, but you may not want to get that until you know for sure she likes the scent.”

He appreciated her candor.  “The 3 oz.  Can you gift wrap it?”

“No problem.”  A few minutes later, she had it rung up, gift wrapped it and handed him the package.

“Thanks for all your help.  You have no idea how you saved my life.  Now I can go watch my football game.”

She smiled.  “That’s what I’m here for.”

Nick nodded, took his package and walked away.  As he was walking towards the exit, he couldn’t get the image of her out of his mind.  Not only was she was stunning and stylishly dressed; there was something about her that seemed special, different.  Not like any other woman he had ever met, including Jillian.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he turned to walk back to the fragrance counter.

“Excuse me.”

She turned around.  “Yes?” Recognition dawned and she smiled at him.

“I know we just met and we don’t know each other and well, you know I obviously have a girlfriend, but…” He didn’t know how to put into words what he was feeling.  “But I just feel like I would like to get to know you better.  I mean, I know this sounds crazy, but there is something about you that… oh, forget it.” He said, exasperated.  He had blown it and he was sure she thought he was a loser.

She smiled and put her hand on top of his.  “Look, I’m flattered, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Nick’s hand tingled from her touch.  “Why not? Because I have a girlfriend or because you’re not interested?”

She chewed her bottom lip and looked at him.  He was cute.  Okay, he was more than cute, he was hot.  She wasn’t sure she would describe him as handsome, at least not in the classical sense, but he looked more like a rock star or musician.  His dark blonde hair was short and spiked at the top, his face tanned and chiseled, his smile infectious and his body fit and masculine enough to even affect her.  But she wasn’t supposed to date the customers.  Not only was she advised not to by management, she had done it once and swore she wouldn’t do it again.

“Uh, let’s just say, I don’t date my customers.”

“That’s taking the easy way out.  Seriously, I want to know.  Is it because of me or the fact I have a girlfriend? I’m curious.”

“Well, since you forced me to be honest, it’s because you have a girlfriend.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Not at the moment.”

His heart lurched. “So, are you saying if I didn’t have a girlfriend, you would go out with me?”

“No, I told you I don’t date my customers.”

“OK, let’s say that you did, would you go out with me then?”

She shifted her weight uncomfortably between one foot and the other.  “Uh…”

“Be honest now.” He smiled.

“I have to admit I’m curious about you, so I would probably go out with you at least once.”

“Only once?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Well, it depends how good that one date is.”

“Oh, believe me, it would be a damn good date.” He said confidently.

“Cocky, aren’t you?” She said.

“Yeah, I guess a little.” He admitted, chuckling.

“Hmm, I’m guessing your job puts you in a position where you’re used to getting what you want.”

He eyed her curiously.  “That’s very perceptive of you.”

“Yeah, well, I’m good at reading people.”

“OK, so what else do you think you know about me?”

“Hmm,” she studied him.  “I’d say you’re a musician, maybe a lead singer or drummer in a band?”

“Very good.  Well, I’m both, but I usually just stick to singing and a little guitar.”

“Nice.  Are you in a band?”

“Yes.”

“Famous?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.  Would I have heard of you?”

“It depends.  What kind of music do you listen to?”

“Oh, I don’t listen to a lot of music, but when I do, it’s blues, jazz, maybe some classical.”

Nick laughed.  “Well, no wonder you’ve never heard of my band.”

“What’s it called?”

“The Backstreet Boys.”

“It sounds vaguely familiar, but I don’t think I’ve heard any of your music.  Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not insulted.” He laughed.  “I kind of like the fact that you wouldn’t be going out with me because of who I am.”

“Who says I’m going out with you?”

“Well, aren’t you?” He smiled.

His smiled knocked her on her ass.  “There’s that cockiness again.”

He laughed.  “Sorry, I’ll try to be more humble.”

“OK, well, if you decide to break up with your girlfriend, I guess you can give me a call.” She couldn’t believe those words were coming out of her mouth.  This was not like her to be so impetuous.

“I’m Nick by the way.”  He heard out his hand to her.

“Chanelle.” She accepted it.

“Like the perfume?” He asked.

She nodded.  “Yeah, it’s my mom’s favorite perfume.”

“It’s a pretty name.”

“Thanks.”

Chanelle grabbed a Nordstrom’s business card and scribbled her name and number on the back of it.  To be safe, she wrote her cell phone number.  I can’t believe you’re doing this, Chanelle.  You shouldn’t be doing this.  The voice inside her said.

Nick took the card and looked at it.  Chanelle Damien.  And her phone number was scribbled beneath it.

“Hey, isn’t Chanel spelled like this?” He picked up the bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume and pointed to the label.

Chanelle laughed.  “Yeah, that’s how my parents spelled my name originally, but when I was about 14, I rebelled and added the extra “l” and “e” at the end.”

Nick laughed.  “I was somewhat of a rebel, too.”

“Oh, wait.  Isn’t that one of the songs off of your solo record five years ago?”

Nick looked at her, surprised.  “But I thought you hadn’t heard of me or my band.”

She laughed.  “I didn’t think I had, but now I remember that one of my girlfriends gave me that album for Christmas in 2002.  Now or Never, right? I recognize you from the cover.  I’m ashamed to say that I only listened to it once, but for some reason I remember that song.  I always liked it because I guess I could identify with it.”

Nick smiled.  She was impressing him more every minute.

“So, Chanelle, I am going to keep this card and don’t be surprised if I call you one of these days.”

I won’t hold my breath.  She thought.

“Alright, Nick.  I hope your girlfriend enjoys the perfume.” Or not.

Nick looked down at his package.  He had forgotten about Jillian.   He had forgotten about every other girl in his life up to this moment because Chanelle Damien was the new girl of his dreams…

Chapter 2

The rain was coming down in sheets on this cool November evening in 2006.  Jillian’s Malibu home overlooked a breathtaking view of the ocean and had more than enough room for herself and her two cats; seven rooms to be exact.  She was a successful television producer and was the daughter of a millionaire so she was set for life.  She had met Nick on Labor Day at a party.  He was drunk, she was drunk, and they both wanted sex, so the deed was done in the host’s spare bedroom against the wall.  Afterwards they decided they kind of liked each other so they started dating soon after.

Nick liked Jillian but he didn’t love her.  She was a strong, independent woman and she let him be himself to a point.  She could be a little bossy at times but he knew where to draw the line.  He didn’t see himself with her in the long run, but the sex was good so why throw away a good thing?  He knew he would eventually end it but hadn’t been in any big hurry, that is until he met Chanelle four days ago.

Nick was a busy man these days.  He was in the studio almost every day with AJ, Brian and Howie recording a new album plus there was always someplace to go, something to do, people to see.  Events, charities, parties, photo shoots, meetings, etc.  But ever since Monday night all he could think about was the beautiful brunette who traded clever banter with him and made his heart swell, as well as another part of his anatomy.

Images of her crept into his thoughts at the strangest times.  He could be in the middle of watching a movie or TV show and something or someone would remind him of her, getting into his car and he thought about what it would be like to have her sitting next to him, brushing his teeth and he thought about her brilliant smile.  Try as he might, he couldn’t get the woman named after a perfume out of his head.

It was Friday evening and Nick had just finished getting ready for Jillian’s party.  Grabbing his wristwatch off his dresser, he glanced down at the time.  Oh shit, I’m going to be late.  He went to his closet to pull out a jacket and something fell out onto the floor.  He picked it up.  It was Chanelle’s business card.  Turning it in his fingers, he stared at the bold print:

Nordstrom

Chanelle Damien

Fragrance Advisor

South Bay Galleria

1815 Hawthorne Boulevard

Redondo Beach, CA  90278

(310) 371-7546

He remembered now that he had almost gone to the Glendale Galleria instead of the South Bay Galleria but for some reason he hadn’t.  Fate or circumstance? He didn’t know, but he was happy to have met her.  Turning the card over, he stared at her cell phone number and considered calling her. 

“If you decide to break up with your girlfriend, I guess you can give me a call.” Her words echoed in his head.  Now isn’t the time, Nick.  Your girlfriend is waiting for you.  Pocketing the card, he grabbed his keys off the counter and closed and locked the door behind him.

“Thank God, you’re here, Nick, you’re late.” Jillian scolded but when Nick gave her a kiss and a smile, she seemed to forgive him.

“Guess what I’m wearing?” She asked.

Nick laughed.  “No panties?”

“You wish! No, I’m wearing the perfume you gave me, see.” She leaned in so he could smell her neck.

“Umm, nice.” He smiled and kissed her neck.  He had given her the perfume at the restaurant last Tuesday night on her birthday.  He honestly didn’t think it was enough to give her, but being a rich woman who could buy anything for herself, it was all he could think of.  Luckily, she loved it so it scored points for him.

“Later, you’ll get to smell the other places I sprayed the perfume, too.” She smiled at him and winked.  Somehow Chanelle’s face replaced hers and his penis stiffened beneath his jeans.  Casually moving his hand downward to adjust himself, he smiled and then went to grab a beer out of the refrigerator.  It was just after 7:00 so a few people were busy mingling in the foyer and living room.  By 10:00 pm, the place would be crawling with people from celebrities to other people in the “industry” and a few friends of Jillian’s.  No friends of his were coming that he knew of.  He didn’t expect to see any of his bandmates or his best friend.  This was her deal and she hadn’t even consulted with him on the guest list.  He didn’t care.  He was planning to get extremely drunk as soon as possible and hoped the evening would pass in a blur.

He hung up his jacket revealing a white long-sleeved cotton button-down shirt open at the collar and tucked into a pair of tight black jeans.  His black lace-up converse sneakers squeaked a little as he walked through the living room into the backyard, beer in hand.  Sliding a pair of black Armani sunglasses onto his nose, he perused the crowd mingling outside.  There was no one he was particularly interested in conversing with, but he thought he would make an effort for Jillian’s sake.

“Hey Nick, how’s it going?” Stuart Nichols, the director of Jillian’s TV show, “Manic Middleton” greeted him.  Nick smiled and carried on a conversation with him for a few minutes.  Ugh.  This was going to be a long night…

After schmoozing with a few people outside, Nick went inside to check out the food.  As he surveyed the buffet table, he decided the caterers had done a great job.  In addition to various kinds of mouth-watering food, a beautiful white tablecloth draped rectangular table was adorned with bouquets of fresh flowers and a lovely ice sculpture of a mermaid.  Nick smiled.  Jillian loved mermaids.  She had quite a collection of them in the upstairs curio cabinet, not to mention every movie, book or article every printed on mermaids, or at least it seemed that way to Nick.  It was a bit over-the-top in his opinion, but he tried not to say much.  It worked out better that way for him.

Nick sampled a little bit of everything and marveled at how delicious the food was.  When he was finished, he walked over to the trashcan to throw away his plate.

“So, did you like the food?” A familiar voice said behind him.  Nick whirled to see Chanelle standing there smiling at him.  She was wearing a beautiful black blouse buttoned down the front, but open at the top to reveal a hint of cleavage and a tight black skirt, stockings and those killer spiky pumps he loved so much again.

“Chanelle… hi.  Yeah, it was delicious.  What are you doing here?” He asked confused.

She flashed him a brilliant smile.  “I’m one of the caterers at this party.”

“No shit?  Aren’t you a little multi-tasker.” Nick leaned against the side of the staircase, staring into her lovely brown eyes.

Chanelle laughed.  “Yeah, well, I only do this part-time on the weekends for special events like parties and weddings, things like that.”

“Sweet.  Well, from what I’ve witnessed, you’re very good at both of your jobs.” His smile warmed her to the soles of her feet.

“Thanks, but I was considering maybe adding another job to my resume.  Like maybe lead singer in a band? What do you think, do the Backstreet Boys have any openings?” She joked.

Nick laughed.  “Uh, well, we just lost a member, but I don’t think the rest of guys would go for it.”

“Aw, too bad.  I guess I’ll just have to stick with what I’m doing already.” She smiled.

Nick stared at the enchanting woman opposite him.  He liked her sarcastic sense of humor because it was much like his own.  “Which sounds like a lot.  But hey, if you’re hell bent on singing, then go for it.  I can always use the entertainment.” He teased, cocking his head to the side.

“Uh, no, you definitely don’t want to hear me sing.” She laughed, then added, “So, did Jillian like the perfume?”

“Yeah, she did.  Thanks again for your help.” I guess she knows Jillian is my girlfriend, he thought, and for some reason that bothered him.  It was starting to bother him that he was dating Jillian and not Chanelle…

“You’re welcome.” The attraction between them was palpable.  So, I guess I won’t be getting a phone call any time soon.  She wanted to say.  Jillian Harrison was rich, successful and beautiful.  How could she compete with that triple threat?

Ever since last Monday night, Chanelle had thought about Nick Carter a lot.  More than she cared to admit to herself.  There was something about the way he carried himself, about the way he smiled and how it touched every part of his face, especially his eyes, the way his jeans hugged his legs and other areas just right…

She had scolded herself for fantasizing about a frickin’ rock star.  Her and a rock star?! What a laugh.  Her last boyfriend was a caterer like her at the Sugarplum Catering Company and the one before that worked at Nordstrom in the shoe department.  She had sworn never to date her customers ever since a tall, dark and very married man (unbeknownst to her) named Tony Ballash swept her off her feet three years ago.  After a whirlwind courtship that left Chanelle wondering if he could be “the one”, his wife showed up at her fragrance counter and gave her an ultimatum.  Either she leave her husband alone or she would call the manager and get her fired.  No, problem, Chanelle had said, you can have him. 

That relationship left her with nothing but hurt and distrust for the opposite sex for an entire year.  Then deciding all men weren’t scum, she accepted when Paul (shoe department guy) asked her out.  They had been flirting with one another for two months, so it wasn’t a shock when he asked her to the Knicks game one day after work.  Paul was nice, but he was her rebound relationship that started out sizzling hot, but after three months, it fizzled.  They decided to remain friends and they had.  Next came Dylan (catering guy), who asked her out every day for a week until she finally accepted.  Their first date was spent at a restaurant in Hollywood critiquing the food.  Dylan wanted to own his own restaurant someday so he was on the prowl for ideas and tips.  Chanelle enjoyed the nine-month ride with him—the sex was certainly enjoyable—but when it came right down to it, she wasn’t in love with him so it was time to call it quits.  The timing was perfect because he got a job offer in New York to work as a manager at one of their fine dining restaurants soon afterwards.  So, with barely a goodbye, I’ll miss you, he was gone.  Another one bit the dust.

Her cynical outlook on the opposite sex had finally shifted a little, causing her to be cautious, but also on the lookout for the man that would make her feel the way Tony had.  He had been the only one to come close to making a dent in her heart, which was sad since she had just turned 30 years old.  It had been a year since she had been in a relationship.  A year since she had had sex, since she had been kissed or touched or felt needed by a man.  Oh, sure, she got asked out all the time.  Men lusted after her, this she knew.  Men had pursued her at both of her jobs, some politely, some not so politely, but her answer was always no because she saw no future with them.  She didn’t feel the potential for something real, so why bother.

Nick had been the only one to make her feel a tug at her heartstrings, have an inkling that there could be something real there.  Her heart fluttered at the sight of him, she shook when she thought about him, and she got wet when she thought about kissing him.  But like Tony, he was attached, unattainable.  But at least this time, she knew up front he was unavailable.

***

Coming home from work on Monday night, she had kicked off her shoes and rubbed her sore, tired feet.  She stared at her laptop and signed on to the Internet.  She typed in the name Nick Carter into her search engine and a bunch of websites popped up.  The first one was Wikipedia and the second one was IMDB.  Several images of him stared out at her which gave her a thrill.  Her curiosity getting the better of her, she clicked on the Wikipedia link and began reading about his life.

She found out his real name, when and where he was born, who his family was and how the Backstreet Boys formed.  Continuing to read, she found out just how popular BSB had become in the 1990s and that in 1999 Nick was ranked #1 on the list of “Hottest Under 21” by Teen Scene magazine and named “The Biggest Teen Idol” by Teen People magazine.  In 2000, he was named on of People Magazine’s  “50 Most Beautiful People in the World”.  Wow, but that’s certainly no surprise since the man is hot, she thought.

She read that in 2002, his Now or Never album was released.  She smiled when she remembered their conversation about both being rebels.  In that same year, he was named "The Sexiest Man in the World" in a CosmoGirl Magazine poll conducted by its readers.  Lord, Carter, you certainly have had your share of attention, haven’t you? It was no wonder he had appeared to cocky to her.   It had a reason to be that way.

Next Chanelle read about Nick’s ex-girlfriends and cringed at the name “Paris Hilton”.  What was he thinking? She thought.  She had heard much about that girl and hadn’t been impressed.  She cringed again when she saw the name Jillian Harrison as “his current girlfriend”.  Jillian Harrison… why did that name seem familiar to her?

Clicking on the IMDB link, she discovered all the TV shows and movies he had done.  There were seven listed in acting, 60 listed in TV show appearances and four in House of Carters appearances.  Chanelle sighed and signed off.

She had just met a man that was very prominent in the celebrity world.  Did she want to get involved with him? What are you talking about, Chanelle? He still has a damn girlfriend.  Trudging up the stairs to her bedroom, she flipped on the television and watched the 10 o’clock news before drifting off to a sleep full of dreams of “what ifs” with Nick Carter.

***

“Chanelle, I…” Nick began.  There was so much he wanted to say to her but didn’t know where to start.

“Nick! There you are! Come on, everyone is going to sing me Happy Birthday.” Jillian tugged on his arm.

“Oh, okay…” He said.  “See ya later?” He said to Chanelle.

She shrugged and walked away, sighing.  It’s not gonna happen, Chanelle, just deal with it and move on.  She walked over to the ice sculpture to make sure it wouldn’t melt like her heart was right now…

“Thanks so much for coming!” Jillian gushed as the last guest left her house at 1am.  Nick was drunk and tired and all he wanted to do was find a warm bed and pass out, but Jillian had other ideas.  “Come on, baby, let’s go upstairs and have some fun.”

“I don’t know how good I’ll be to you.” Nick said, knowing he had hit his limit.  After having to endure singing and eating and mingling all night, his beer was his only solace.  Except, of course, for the lovely woman he had spoken with earlier.  But after their last conversation, he never saw her again since Jillian had kept a short leash on him.

“Oh, don’t worry, you’ll be good.” She said and pulled him upstairs to her bedroom.  Jillian’s bedroom was like a lion’s den or a jungle lair.  It was adorned in animal and jungle prints; a dark brown canopy draped over the bed provided a tent-like atmosphere, there were bamboo end tables, pictures of wildcats and jaguars painted on her walls and a leopard skin comforter and rug.  Nick didn’t feel comfortable in her room, he felt like he was in the jungle where something was going to pounce on him.  And at this particular moment, that something was Jillian.  She stripped down to her chocolate brown bra and g-string suggestively dancing for Nick.  Nick watched her, trying to stay awake, his head spinning him into an alcoholic-induced coma.  He fell onto his back on the bed.

“Nicky.” She whined.

“Sorry, babe, but I told you I had too much to drink.” He closed his eyes, hoping to slip into sweet oblivion.

“Well, maybe this will wake you up.” She said, her hand on his zipper.

Chanelle and the rest of the catering crew had just finished cleaning and packing up for the night, throwing away the last napkin and paper plate.  She was exhausted mentally and physically and was more than ready to call it a night.  She just had to empty her full bladder and then she could hit the road.  Arriving at the downstairs bathroom, the door was locked and she could hear the sound of someone peeing so she moved on.  Since her bladder wouldn’t wait, she walked upstairs in search of another one.  Seeing the door open to the restroom down the hall, she hurriedly went inside and shut the door.  She relieved herself and then got up to wash her hands.  Just as she was about to turn the water on, she heard,

“Jillian—oh God, Jillian!” Nick?

She walked to the other side of the restroom where the door adjoined Jillian’s bedroom and pushed it open slowly.  Peering around the other side, she was greeted with Jillian’s head bobbing up and down on Nick’s penis while he was in the throws of an orgasm.

Holy shit! Nick was coming and she was going.  She did not want to witness this.  In a hurry to get out of there, she accidentally tripped on the floor rug and fell, causing her head to hit the hard tile floor.  “Ow!” She yelled, clutching her head in pain.

“What was that?!” Jillian raised her head.

Nick was just coming down from his wild ride.  “What? I didn’t hear anything.”

“There was a noise in the bathroom.”  She said.  “Go find out what’s going on.”

Nick groggily pulled up his jeans and boxers, stood up, fastening and zipping at the same time and stumbled to the bathroom.  Peering around the corner, he saw Chanelle sprawled on the floor.  She was lying on her side clutching her head in pain.

“Chanelle? Are you alright?” He rushed to her side.

“Yeah, I just stupidly tripped on the rug and fell.” She said blushing three shades of red. “I’ll be okay.” She tried to sit up but felt a little woozy and laid back onto the floor.

“Whoa.  Maybe you shouldn’t move.” He said, concerned.

“Yeah, I guess I need a minute.”

“Nick? What’s going on—oh! Are you okay?” Jillian appeared behind Nick in a short silky robe.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Chanelle once again tried to sit up but this time Nick reached out to grab her arms and helped them both up to a standing position.

“How do you feel?” He asked.

“Like my head feels like it’s going to explode, but I’ll live.” She smiled weakly at him, acutely aware that Jillian was staring at them.

“Are you one of the caterers?” Jillian asked.

“Yes, hi, Jillian.  I’m Chanelle Damien.  It’s so nice to meet you.  I’m just sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”

“Yeah, me, too.  What were doing in my bathroom?”

“Uh…” Chanelle felt more stupid by the minute.

“Uh, Jillian, I’m going to take Chanelle home to make sure she’s okay.  I don’t think she should drive.  Don’t you agree?” He glared at her, challenging her to disagree with him.

“Yes, that’s probably a good idea.  But I’ll wait up for you.” She reluctantly acquiesced.

“I have an early day tomorrow so I’m just going to go home afterwards.  I’ll call you tomorrow though.”  He gave her a quick kiss on the lips.  “Great party.”

Jillian watched as her boyfriend escorted one of her caterers down the stairs and out the door.  Some birthday.

Chapter 3

“So, where to?” Nick asked once they were in his car.  Thankfully, the rain had stopped but there was still a chill in the air.

A car honked and Chanelle turned to wave at her co-workers.  They were all returning in vans they had arrived in with the words “Sugarplum Catering Company” printed in large cursive writing on the side.  When they saw Chanelle walking out of the house carrying an ice pack on her head, they were sufficiently worried.  She assured them she was fine, but that Nick was going to drive her home.

“Waverly Drive in Venice Beach.” Chanelle said as she held the makeshift compress to the side of her head, trying to will the pain away.

“Does your head hurt a lot?” Nick turned to her before starting the car.

“It’s throbbing, yes.”

“Hospital?”

“No.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you have a concussion.”

“I don’t think so.  What I really want to do is go home and lie down.”

“OK.” He started the car and pulled out into the street.

“Thanks for the compress though.  It really helps.”

Nick had grabbed some ice out of the freezer and wrapped them in paper towel before they had left.  He had also downed a mug of strong coffee and splashed water on his face to make sure he was completely sober to drive.

“You’re welcome.  I just feel bad.”

“And I just feel embarrassed.” She said.

“Why should you feel embarrassed? If anyone should feel embarrassed, it’s me.” He said, a pale shade of red creeping from his toes to the top of his head when he thought about what she had probably heard and possibly witnessed.

Chanelle sat there silently not knowing to say.  Should she tell him what she had seen or just stay quiet? It was an awkward moment and the first one they had shared since they had met a few days ago.

“I love Venice Beach by the way.  I went surfing there a lot last summer.” Nick changed the subject.

“You surf? So do I.”

“You do? I don’t run into many chicks, er, I mean, women who do.”

Chanelle laughed.  “Well, I took lessons for the first time last August so I’m not any good.  Ow.  Oh, I think I’m going to have to refrain from talking, it hurts to move.”

“Chanelle, I’ll feel a lot better if you get checked out by a doctor.  I’m going to take you to the emergency room.”

She opened her mouth to object but closed it having a feeling that it was no use to argue.

“Alright.  There’s a hospital near my house.”

Nick got the address from her and entered the info into his OnStar navigation system.

It was 2:15 in the morning and the emergency room at the Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital was only a third full.  After a doctor examined Chanelle’s skull and discovered a bump, he ordered x-rays to be done.  After three x-rays, it was determined the Chanelle did not have a concussion and that she could go home.  Thank God, Chanelle and Nick thought simultaneously. 

It was 3:00 am by the time Nick pulled into Chanelle’s driveway. 

“Stay.”  Nick said to her and in a flash, he was opening the car door for her.

“Thanks.” She smiled at him as he took her hand and helped her to her feet. 

Arriving at her front door, Chanelle held up her keys and said, “Do you want to come in?”

“Yeah, but just to make sure you’re okay.”

Nick followed Chanelle into a small, but lovely older cottage decorated in simple muted blue and beige hues.  It was a far cry from Jillian’s jungle room and lavishly decorated mansion and he liked it.

“Very nice.  Do you live here alone?” He asked.

“Yes.  Do you want anything to drink?”

“No, thanks, I’m good.”

“Let me just throw this away…” Referring to her fake compress, which was now a limp paper towel.

“No, stay.” He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to face him.  The towel slipped from her fingers to the floor and they just stood there for a moment in her foyer, staring at each other.

Nick could stare at her all night.  Her hair was a beautiful mess, her face flushed, her body– well, it was a killer body, the kind that was made for making love and that’s exactly what he wanted to do right now.

Chanelle stared at the man opposite her and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of desire.  His dark blonde locks framed his handsome face, the bottom strands curling just above his collar, his broad chest apparent through his tight shirt, his jeans straining against his… oh, God, she swallowed. She was a goner.

“Thanks for everything, Nick.” She finally got out.

“You’re very welcome, Chanelle.” Nick took a step towards her, bringing him inches from her face.  She stood at her full 5’7 inches to his 6’1 and she stared at his full sensual lips.  She could feel his breath on her face and her heart was beating a mile a minute.

“I…” She began but Nick’s lips cut her off, searing desire coursing through his body.  His hands cupped her face, imparting the kiss deeper and caressing her tongue with his own.  Then he grasped her shoulders and pulled her tight against him.  A low moan growled in his throat when her thigh pressed against his rock hard penis.

“Nick, I… we… can’t do this.” Chanelle pulled away, putting a hand over her heart as if to will it to stop beating so fiercely.

“Why not?” He cocked an eyebrow; staring at her lips and how swollen they looked from his assault.  He wanted to kiss them again, over and over.

“Because of Jillian.”

Nick shot her a dark look.

“Yes, now you remember that you have a girlfriend.”

“I didn’t forget, I mean, I guess I wanted to forget.” He admitted.

“Obviously.” She crossed her arms under her breasts and leaned against the hard wood of the archway leading to her living room.  “I told you I wouldn’t go out with you until you broke up with her.”

“Well, technically, we aren’t going out.” Came his smart-ass remark.

“You really are a dog, aren’t you?”

“Chanelle, I was kidding.  I would like to go out with you.” I’d like to do more than that right now…

“So…?”

“So, I’ll break up with Jillian and then take you out.  I was going to do it eventually anyway.”

“But the sex was so good, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, right?”

Nick laughed.  “You make me sound so shallow.  I didn’t stay with her just for that reason.”

“But it was a big part of it, right?”

Nick cocked his head and looked at her.  “Well, aren’t you the little psychic.  How do you know so much about me or think you know so much about me?”

“I told you I’m good at reading people, remember? Plus if the sexual encounter I witnessed tonight was any indication of what treatment you have received in the past, then I’m not surprised you wouldn’t want to give that up.”

Nick smiled sheepishly.  “Well, tonight was a special occasion.” He was still a little embarrassed that she had seen him come at the hands (or mouth) of another woman.  He would rather it had been her doing the giving or receiving.  Either way, he was sure it would be hot.

“Oh, because it was Jillian’s birthday.”

“No, I mean that I don’t usually get a ‘gift’ like that from her.  Tonight she knew I was too drunk and tired to pleasure her, so she decided to ‘wake me up’ so speak.” He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with her.

“I see.” But she didn’t.  Why wouldn’t a girlfriend of Nick’s want to pleasure her man as much as possible?  She suspected he was the type to give a woman more than enough pleasure, so what gives?

“You do? I wish I did.” He sighed.  He never really understood her reasons and it had always frustrated him.

“Nick, I’m sorry.” And she really was.  If it were up to her…

“Just how sorry are you?” He took a step towards her.  “Did you want to make up for her lack in that department?” He grabbed her hand and placed it on his pulsating hard-on.

Chanelle flushed red and pulled her hand away as if she had touched fire.  “You are not a single man.”

Nick sighed and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up on end.  He was going home with blue balls tonight.

“So, what, come see you when I am?” He asked.

“Yes.” Yes, yes, yes!

“Are you sure you want to wait that long?” He leaned forward to kiss her again, but Chanelle put her hand on his chest to stop him.

“No… I mean, yes!” She stuttered.  He made her flustered, weak at the knees, her heart beating like a damn drum and her body more sexually turned on than it had been in months.  Her head told her no, but her heart was telling her principals to go to hell and jump the man.

“Alright.  Well, then I guess I’ll call you later.” He reached for her hand and shook it.  “Goodnight or should I say good morning, Ms. Damien.” He said formally.  “I hope you don’t get a big headache tomorrow.”

I have a big headache now and his name is Nick Carter, she thought.

She watched him open the door, walk out and heard the rev of the BMW and the sound of it driving down the street.  Hmm, maybe a little too fast? Maybe he was pissed at her, but she didn’t care.  She was not getting involved with an attached man, sexually or otherwise.  She was an adult now and had learned from her past mistakes.  Or least she hoped she had.

Sighing, Chanelle threw her house keys on the dish sitting on her credenza and walked into her bedroom.  She unbuttoned her blouse and discarded it on chair in the corner.  Her skirt soon followed.  It was almost 4 am now, but she was wide-awake and wired.  Her head, however, began throbbing again.  It had stopped for awhile since she had taken the Extra Strength Tylenol they had given her at the hospital.  They gave her some samples, so she fumbled through her purse to retrieve them.  Downing a few pills with some water, she went to her dresser drawer and pulled out a nightgown.  It was one of her favorites, a short pale yellow silk nighty with spaghetti-straps.  It was what was referred to as a “baby doll”.  Discarding her bra, she pulled it over her head.

Wandering into the kitchen to get some water, Chanelle took a few sips and then walked into her spare bedroom.  In the middle of the room stood a big brass bed adorned with a blue, green and ivory quilt.  Against one wall stood a row of bookcases that held every book she owned.  A CD player rested on the middle shelf at the end of the row, along with all of her CDs.  She had quite a collection.  From BB King to Mozart to Enya.  Even a few pop rock artists were thrown in for good measure.  She remembered her conversation with Nick about not knowing who the Backstreet Boys were and she still didn’t know.  Hmm, she would have to remedy that someday.  She scanned the rows and something caught her eye.  A black CD with the words, “Nick Carter Now or Never” printed on the side.  Oh my God, I had no idea I still owned this, she thought.

Pulling the CD from its place, she stared at the cover.  Nick’s incredibly young face stared back at her.  Looking all hot and sexy leaning back against a truck.  He was wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers with a look of cockiness that she had accused him of having when they first met, or confidence as he had called it.  Gorgeous blonde spiked hair; brilliant blue eyes and then there were those lips.  They were pursed, pouty and oh, so sexy as if he was ready to kiss at all times.  Chills shot through her as she remembered those luscious lips were pressed passionately against her own just minutes ago.  He kissed like a man should:  with a passion, a drive, a determination, with a need to make the woman he was kissing feel like she was the only woman in the world.  She had felt that way; she just couldn’t let herself give into it when there was another woman already in his life.

Her eyes strayed to the “CD with bonus DVD Limited Edition” print.  Oh, yeah, she had the import so there was an extra CD.  Opening the case, she by-passed the music CD for the interview and went back to her bedroom.  She inserted the DVD into her DVD player.

The music for Nick’s song, “My Confession” played and a list of two interviews and a recording session in Stockholm flashed on the screen.  Chanelle selected the first interview, “Nick at the Beach” and sat back to view her possible future boyfriend.

Damn, he looks young she thought.  It made her feel old.  Remember, this was four years ago, Chanelle. She told herself.  She watched as Nick was interviewed at the beach where she knew he felt most at home.  The questions were hokey, but Nick was adorable.  She found herself falling for him even more by the end of it.

Holy Crap! It was 5:00 am.  I have to get to bed! She thought and turned off the TV.  It was no surprise when Chanelle fell into a dream-filled sleep about Nick.  She and Nick were walking on the beach and then suddenly two reporters stopped them and stuck microphones in their faces.  One reporter was asking Nick about his album even though it had been released four years ago and at the same time, the other reporter was asking her what it was like to sleep with a superstar.  Chanelle woke up thinking that she wished she knew the answer to that.

Chapter 4

Nick woke with sunlight streaming on his face.  After leaving Chanelle’s place this morning, he drove the 25 miles to his house in Hollywood Hills and crashed on his bed as soon he walked in the door.

Shit! What time is it? He thought, glancing over at the clock on his nightstand.  Noon? It was noon! He was supposed to meet his brother Aaron for lunch at  11:30.  Groaning, he got out of bed and picked up his cell phone.  Rubbing his eyes with his free hand, he glanced at the display.  He had four voice mail messages.  Damn, I forgot I turned off my cell last night, he thought. 

Retrieving his voice mail messages, he frowned when he heard the familiar voice of Jillian. 

Voicemail Message No. 1: “Nick, honey, I was just checking to see if you got Chanelle home okay and if she’s alright.  I was really worried about her.  Call me when you get this, okay?”  That call came in at 3:05 am.  Around the time he was kissing Chanelle…

Voicemail Message No. 2:  “Nicky, baby, you’re probably home by now, but I just thought I would check to see if you got home okay.  For some reason your answering machine at home isn’t picking up.  Anyway, call me.  Jillian.” That one came in at 4:45 am.

Voicemail Message No. 3:  “Nick, okay, so I’m guessing you are sleeping, at least I hope you are, but you really need to call me.” 6:30 am.

He deleted all three of those messages.  What the hell was her problem? She was getting on his nerves lately and he was now ready to end it with her. For the next message, Nick braced himself for another Jillian distress call, but it was Aaron.  “Hey, bro, what gives, man? I’m sitting here at The Ivy waiting for you.  Call me.”

Nick dialed Aaron back and then jumped in the shower.

On her way to the restaurant, his mind wandered to Chanelle.  She had wanted him last night or morning rather, just as much as he wanted her, but she had resisted.  He was actually impressed.  There were few women who would have.  In fact, he couldn’t think of any who had in the past.  Most wanted him whether they were attached or not.  Chanelle certainly was a rare find.

“Hey, bro.  Sorry, I’m late.” Nick hugged Aaron in the restaurant.

“No problem.  I’ve already ordered though.  Do you want your usual?” Aaron asked and Nick nodded.

“So, what’s up?” Nick asked, smiling at his little brother.  Aaron was eight years younger than Nick and Nick was definitely the mature one out of the two.

“Not much.  What about you? Were you late ‘cause you were out with some hot chick? Oh, yeah, you’re seeing that Jillian chick now, right?”

Nick wondered how much he should divulge to Aaron.  He wasn’t the best keeper of secrets and he didn’t want him shooting his mouth off to not only the world, but to the rest of his family.  He didn’t need shit from them or anybody.

“Uh, well, yeah, I am dating this girl named Jillian but I thinkin’ about breaking it off with her soon.”

“Hmm.  What gives?”

“We’re just not clicking, that’s all.  I did met someone new though.”

“Sweet.  You are a playa.  Do tell.” Aaron’s eyes lit up.

Nick sighed.  He decided to tell him.  “Well, her name is Chanelle and she works at the fragrance counter at Nordstroms.”

“Chanelle, like the perfume?”

“Yeah.  I asked her about that, too, when we met.  I guess her mom loves the perfume.  And she sells it, too.” Nick laughed.

“Sweet.” Nick shook his head.  Her brother used that word way too much.

“So, is she a hottie?” Aaron asked.

“She’s beautiful.  Long, brown hair, gorgeous brown eyes and a killer body.”

“Sweet.”

“I’m gonna kill you if you say that word one more time.” Nick warned.

Aaron laughed.  “Okay, okay.  I’ll stop.  So, is she into you? Have you gone out?”

“Well, I accidentally ran into her at—you’re not going to believe this—Jillian’s birthday party last night.  She works as a caterer on the weekends and she was one of the caterers at her party.  Wild, huh?”

“For real? Oh my God, Nick, that’s whack.”

“Yeah, it was weird at first, but we talked a little bit.  I drove her home, but she won’t have anything to do with me until I break up with Jillian.”  Nick decided to leave out the part about the blowjob, the hospital and the kiss back at her house.

“Wow, a good girl, huh? You don’t run into too many of those.”

“No, I don’t.” Nick laughed.  “I swear, there’s something about this girl, Aaron.  I think she might be the one.”

“Whoa, dude, I can’t believe you’re talking like that after just meeting her.”

“I know, I know.  It’s so unlike me.”

The rest of the lunch went smoothly and they parted around 2:00.  Nick decided to drive over to Jillian’s house to find out with the big emergency was.  Sighing as he walked up the walkway to her house, he was dreading their confrontation.

“Nick, hi! God, I was so worried!” Jillian flung her arms around him. 

Nick pulled away.  “Jillian, I’m okay.  Why did you need to get a hold of me so badly this morning?”

“Well, at first, I just wanted to make sure you and Chanelle were okay, but then I… I started bleeding a lot and I thought maybe I was having a miscarriage.  I was freaking out.”

“What?! Are you okay?” Suddenly he was concerned.  Holy shit, was she pregnant? He thought.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  I wasn’t pregnant and it wasn’t a miscarriage.  I was just bleeding a lot from my period I guess.”

Nick breathed a sign of relief.  That was the last thing he need right now.  “Oh, thank God.” He said.

“I know.  Thanks for your concern.  So, how is Chanelle?”

“She’s fine.  I took her to a hospital near her house and the doctor said she didn’t have concussion.”

“Thank God.” Jillian said.

“And then I just took her home, left and crashed at my house.” There was no way in hell he was telling her about the kiss… “Sorry, I guess I had my cell turned off.”

“That’s okay.  So, are you hungry, do you want some lunch?”

“No, I just came from eating lunch with Aaron.  Jillian, I really need to talk to you about something.” He said.  And it was something he had been dreading all day…

“Oh, okay, let’s go sit down.”

They sat on the couch, facing each other.  Her dark blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was wearing a t-shirt and cut off jean shorts.  She curled her feet underneath her.

“By the way, thanks for coming last night.  That party was great.” She said.

Shit, did she have to make this so fucking hard?! Nick thought.  Giving her a fake smile he nodded and said, “Yeah, it was fun.  And thanks for my gift.”

“Aw, it was my pleasure.  But too bad we didn’t get to do anything else…” She smiled at him with a glint in her eye, her hand moving towards his groin.  Nick grabbed it just in time and said in stern voice, “Jillian, not now.”

“Oh.” She looked deflated and he felt like shit. 

Just get it over with, Carter.  Rip off the damn band-aid—fast.

“Jillian, I don’t know how to say this, but… God, I feel terrible, but I…”

“What Nick? You can tell me.”

“I want to break up.”

She looked like he had slapped her.  Her mouth dropped open and her face went pale.

“What? Why?”

“I… I don’t love you and I just think we should end it now.”  He couldn’t think of anything else to say.  He certainly wasn’t going to say it was because he was falling for someone else…

“Well, I don’t love you either, but that could happen in time.  It’s not like I’m asking for a commitment like marriage.  I know you don’t want to get married and I don’t either, at least not for awhile.  I just thought we were having a good time.  Why would you want to ruin that? Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless there was something else.  Like maybe Chanelle?”

Oh crap.  This was exactly what he wanted to avoid.  He didn’t want to involve Chanelle in any way, shape or form.

Nick swallowed and prepared to lie.  “No, that’s not it.  I just… I mean, we’re in the middle of recording our new album and will be going on tour in awhile and I just think it’s better if we part now.”

That didn’t even sound convincing to himself. 

“Oh, okay, whatever, Nick.  I’m not going to beg you to stay with me.  If you want to leave, then leave.” She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted.

If she was using that as some kind of reverse psychology, then it wasn’t working.  He wouldn’t be guilted into not breaking up with her.  He was ready to move on, plain and simple.  Nick sighed and got up.

“I’m sorry.”  He said and started to leave.

“Wait! How about making love one last time?” She asked.  It was obviously the act of a desperate woman trying to hold onto her man.

Nick was not tempted by her offer.  For one thing, he didn’t trust her.  Maybe she would try to get pregnant or pretend she was or try to use it to keep him longer.  He was beginning to see her true colors and they were not his favorites.  Besides, he wanted to be faithful to Chanelle since she was the one he wanted to be with.

“I’m sorry.  I have to go.  Take care of yourself, Jillian.”  Make a break for it, Nick.  He thought.  Just get out and be gone.  He was thankful he didn’t have anything at her house.  At least that he could think of.  It wouldn’t be of much value to him anyway even if he did.

Jillian watched helplessly as her now ex-boyfriend walked out of the room and out of her house.  Tears of hopelessness stained her cheeks and she wondered what she could do to get him back.

Nick couldn’t wait to see Chanelle.  He tried to call her cell, but he kept getting her voice mail.  She must have it turned off.  He sighed.  He didn’t know whether to go to her house or the mall, but all he knew was that he had to talk to her and fast.  He couldn’t wait to take her into his arms, hold her and kiss her and… make sweet passionate love to her.  All day and all night if they could.

Nick decided to call Nordstrom and see if she was working.  He wanted to surprise her, so he didn’t ask to be transferred to her department, instead he asked for the operator and asked her if she could find out if Chanelle Damien was working.  He was informed that she began work at 4:00 that day.  Nick looked at his watch.  It was almost 3:30 now so he would get there just as she was starting her work day.   It was perfect and he couldn’t wait to see her.

Like a schoolboy with his first crush, Nick parked his car in the parking lot at 3:55 and took the stairs to the entrance two at a time.  Practically gliding through Nordstroms’ front doors, every step he took towards her, his heart beat frantically in his ears.

Nick was a few feet away from her counter when he stopped dead in his tracks.  There was Chanelle standing there with a good-looking dark-haired man.  They were laughing and conversing happily and then Nick watched in horror as he leaned over to give her a kiss.  It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was a kiss nonetheless.  Then the man walked away.

Filled with anger and hurt, Nick took the last few steps until he was standing right in front them.

“Nick! Hi! What are you doing here?” Chanelle asked, rattled.  She hoped he hadn’t witnessed the kiss…

“Hello, Chanelle.  Oh, I just came by to tell you that I broke up with Jillian so we can be together now, but it looks like maybe I’m too late.” 

“Oh, God, Nick.  This isn’t…” Chanelle began, but he wasn’t going to stick around to be humiliated, so he turned and walked off.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Nick thought.  Tears stung his eyes and he felt like a man scorned.  Why the hell am I crying? You’re such a wuss, Carter… he scolded himself.

“Nick, wait! Please, wait!” He heard Chanelle pleading with him.  He turned around to face her.

“Nick, that was George.  He works in the men’s department here and today was his last day.  I was just saying goodbye.” She pleaded her case, praying he would believe her.

Nick was relieved, but felt stupid that he had overreacted.

“Oh.”

“Do you have some free time today?” She asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Wait here.   I’ll be right back.”

She was back in a minute and said, “Let’s go.”

“What’s going on?” He looked puzzled.

“I just called in sick..  I’ll meet you at my house in 20 minutes.  Do you remember how to get there?”

Nick nodded, smiling.  She looked beautiful as ever and he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms again.  Twenty minutes seemed like an eternity right now…

Chapter 5

“Do you want to take it fast or slow?” Chanelle asked Nick once they got in the bedroom.

Nick looked at her standing next to the bed and thought he had never seen a woman look so incredibly sexy and beautiful at the same time.  And he had seen a lot of women during the course of his career.  Many naked, many not, but Chanelle… well, she was a cut above those women.  She was special.

Chanelle was wearing a deep red ¾ length sleeve stretchy hug-every-curve type of dress.  The neckline was so wide that it barely clung to her shoulders revealing a modest amount cleavage and hugging her full breasts perfectly, then molding to her small waist where it met a matching belt.  It then fell in soft waves of fabric just above her knees.  She looked like she could spin around and her dress would fly up like a dancer’s or like Kelly LeBrock’s in The Woman in Red which was pretty much every guy’s fantasy.  He wondered if she wore a matching pair of panties underneath.  Well, he wouldn’t have to wonder much longer…

His eyes swept the length of her, getting more turned on with every detail: the way her light brown hair fell in long, soft tendrils around her face, the way her eyes twinkled at him and her lips looked like they ached to be kissed, the way she held herself with an air of confidence and sexuality, the way her breasts seemed to beckon to him and her long legs seemed to go on forever.  But he sucked in his breath when he saw she was wearing those ever-so-sexy spiky pumps.

“My God, woman, you are going to kill me.” He finally said.

And Chanelle laughed.  Her laugh was music to his ears.  She made him feel alive; more alive than he had felt in a long time; since way before Jillian, since maybe never.  Not just sexually turned on, although he was—God, was he ever—but turned on by her entire being.  Wanting to hold on to her and never let go—ever.

Chanelle was enjoying Nick’s intense perusal of her body, how he seemed to be taking in every curve, every nuance, every detail as if he wanted to somehow memorize it all.  Did he know that with every sweep of his eye, it was as if a spark of electricity ran through her body? With every glint of lust (and did she see more than that?) in his eyes, her heart pumped more blood to all of her extremities, especially her sexual organs?

She took the time to do some gazing of her own and what she saw did not surprise her.  She had been attracted to this man since the first day she saw him last Monday night.  He exuded confidence and ruggedness, but more than that, a raw, naked lust.  He was a genuine testosterone-driven man.  Male through and through and there was no mistaking it.  He was the kind of man a woman wants to throw caution to the winds and say, “let’s go find a motel—now”.  His dark blonde hair tousled, his brilliant blue eyes shining, his full, soft, begging-to-be-kissed-over-and-over lips, not to mention his lean, hard, strong body was enough to make any woman swoon.  Chanelle was no dummy.  Once she read about his long career with the Backstreet Boys, she knew he had most certainly had his share of woman over the years.  And he could probably have anyone he wanted and yet he wanted her.  It was enough to take a woman’s breath away and hers was already gone.

Even wearing a lightweight blue pullover sweater over a pair of faded blue jeans, the man looked good.  She suspected he could make anything he wore look good though.  Like a magnet, her eyes were drawn downward to “his package”.  It looked like he was as turned on as she was…

Suddenly, Nick was in standing right in front of her in two short strides.

“Oh, God, Chanelle… my head says go fast, but my heart says go slow…” His breathing was rough and labored.

“I know…” She swallowed and then their lips were devouring one another’s, white-hot heat pressing; gently at first and then increasingly more demanding.  Nick framed her face with his hands and Chanelle grasped the strong muscles in his back.  Their bodies in perfect alignment as if they were meant to fit together.

“I… can’t…” Nick said against her lips.  “I can’t go slow… I want you so badly…”

“Me, too…” She breathed.

He pushed Chanelle back on the bed, kissing her like a man ravenous for her lips, his hands molding the curves of her body until she was writhing in sweet ecstasy.

When he pulled away to look into her eyes, she asked, “Is it really over with Jillian?”

“Yes, sweetness, it is.” He rasped, choked up with emotion and desire for her.

“Nick.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s been about a year since I’ve done this, so be gentle.” She said sheepishly.

Nick looked at her incredulously.  His first thought was how could a woman with that face and body be immune to sexual advances that he was sure men had made within the past year?  Why would she be holding back? Had she been hurt? Everyone had been hurt, but to what extent she was, he wasn’t sure.  The thought of some man hurting her twisted in his gut like a nasty vine, squeezing the breath out of him.

His second thought was to laugh.  How could he go slow, be gentle when all he wanted to do was rip her clothes off and ram his rock hard penis into her.  Thrust inside her again and again until they were both breathless and coming like there was no tomorrow.

But he could use restraint if he had to.  Be gentle.  Don’t fuck her brains out, Carter,  just make slow, passionate love to her… the voice inside his head said.

Chanelle watched his face display a myriad of different emotions.  Shock, disbelief, humor, doubt, anger and then lust once again.  It was like watching a movie play on his face.  He was an open book right now and she didn’t want to put it down.

Nick’s mouth ascended on hers again and this time she flung her arms around him.  They rolled around on her bed, kissing and touching one another.  She longed to touch his bare chest, so she pulled his sweater over his head.  Her hands were met with strong, muscled skin, hot to the touch, and sprinkled with soft hairs that tickled her fingers.  She looked down at his shoulders and traced his tattoos with her fingers.  She was in awe of them, fascinated with their lines and origins.

“Someday you’ll have to tell me about these.” She said.

“Not now…” Came his hoarse reply.  His fingers were tangled in her soft brown mass of curls and his lips were on her neck, caressing her soft flesh causing her to arch in pleasure.  She felt tingles from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.  Nick yanked at her neckline, the fabric pliable in his fingers as he pulled in down to her waist in one swift motion.  Her red lace bra dipped low enough to reveal her generous cleavage.  A low moan escaped his throat as his lips grazed the top of breasts, tasting their sweetness.  Pulling away the fabric, his lips traveled to the hardened bud of her swollen nipple, rolling its tautness in his mouth, his tongue teasing it. 

“Oh, Nick…” She moaned.

“Do you like that?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Yes…” she whispered back.

He tasted the sweetness of her other breast then went to work on the buckle of her belt which was in the way of him moving downward.  Giving up the fight, “Fuck it”, he swore under his breath and reached down and grabbed the bottom of her dress and pulled it straight up.  She was wearing matching red panties, he thought.  The skimpiest of panties: all the better to pull aside to taste her.  His tongue sought her swollen clit, licking and sucking until Chanelle’s breath caught in her chest and she felt the rumblings of an orgasm overtake her.  Oh, God, oh God! She thought.  She lost control of her body as it was taken over by wave after wave of orgasms. 

Lying back on the bed, spent and sated, Chanelle tried to get her bearings.  That was fucking incredible!

“Did you like that?” Nick’s smiling face appeared next to hers and she nodded, still shaking from the intense pleasure.

Nick laughed.  “So did I.”

Chanelle shot straight up to kiss him passionately, not giving a damn where his mouth had been and snaked her hand down his pants.  She grabbed a hold of his stiff, extremely hard shaft and rubbed it causing it to pulsate in her hand.

“Not too hard, baby.” Nick flinched.  She eased up, forgetting how sensitive men’s sexual organs could be at times.  She just wanted to caress it, massage it and take it into her mouth and love it.  Her fingers flew to his button fly and undid his jeans.  With both hands, she pulled his pants and underwear off in one motion.  They lay on a heap on the floor.

As she was about to give him head, Nick said, “Wait.  Be gentle, sweetheart or you could get more than you bargained for.”

But Chanelle didn’t care, she wanted to taste to him; to feel him pulsating and shuddering into her mouth; feel him being the recipient of the intense pleasure he had just given her…

“Nick, I want you to come.” Her mouth enveloped his immense maleness, his dick sliding in and out of her wet lips.  Nick’s head arched back as he grabbed the side of her head in his hands.  The jig was up as he slammed his member in and out of her mouth and let the exquisite feel of her lips, mouth and tongue cause his climax to hit him like a ton of bricks.  Her name escaped his lips in a low moan and she took all his liquid and swallowed it.

“Holy shit! Well, you definitely haven’t forgotten how to do that!” Nick fell back on the bed, exhausted but happy.  Chanelle lay next to him smiling.  It made her happy to pleasure him.

Nick turned to look at her and smiled.  Damn, if she wasn’t the most beautiful he had ever seen.  He had thought that before with her clothes on, but naked, she was ever more so.  Getting hard again and ready to make love, he turned to her and took her in his arms.  “I want to make love to you, Chanelle.  And I promise to go slow.” The words were pure music to her ears as he moved over her to mount her.

Just then her phone rang.  Christ! They both thought.  Nick and Chanelle’s eyes met in panic, unsure what to do.  Of course, the phone rang again and again until her answering machine kicked on.

“Hi.  Yeah, it’s me.  Yeah, leave a message.”  Beep!

Cute message, Nick thought.

“Chan, it’s me, Lex.  Girl, I need your help.  Where are you? I called your work and they said you called in sick.  Are you okay? Ty left me today and took my guitar.” Sobs “I guess, I should have seen this coming, but I didn’t and…” sobbing again. “I really need you.” Click.

Chanelle sat straight up and Nick soon joined her.

“What’s up? Who was that?” Nick asked, his hard dick deflating.

“My… my best friend, Alexa.” Chanelle said, clearly shaken up.

“Do you want to call her back?” Nick asked.

“Nick, I’m sorry, but I guess I should.  This guy she was seeing is a real asshole and if he took her guitar, well… that guitar cost her $1,000.  She saved up a whole year to buy it.  That’s what she does, she sings and plays guitar at this lounge.  It’s her job, her livelihood, I…”

“Say no more.  You should call her.”  Nick swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled his pants and underwear on, buttoning up.  Chanelle looked at him sadly and reluctantly pulled up the bodice of her dress, smoothing down the skirt.

“I’m sorry, Nick.” She looked down.

Nick reached over and pulled her chin up with two fingers.  “Don’t be sorry.  Your friend needs you.  If my best friend or any of the boys called me needing my help, I would be there in a heartbeat.” She suspected that were true although it didn’t make her feel any better.

“Can you wait until I call her and at least find out what’s going on?”

Nick nodded.  “Yeah, I’m just going to go outside and get some air.”  The truth was he was going to smoke a cigarette.

“Hey, Lex, I’m here.  Are you okay?”

“Oh, you are there.  What’s going on? Are you sick?”

“No, I just called in sick, but I’m not.”

“What? You never call in sick! What’s going on? Spencer is going to be pissed.”

“I don’t give a damn what Spencer thinks.  Anyway, enough about me.  Do you need me to come over?”

A sigh on the other end.  “Yeah.  Do you mind?”

“So, Nick…” Nick turned around after stubbing out his cigarette.  The corners of Chanelle’s mouth curved down.  “So, I guess I’m going over to Alexa’s house.  I’m going to try to get her guitar back.”

“Do you need some help?”

“No.  I’ll be fine, thanks.  But, what I was wondering is if you are free tonight to go out?”

Nick cocked his head as he stared at her.  “Hmm, I seem to remember that someone had a strict no dating customers rule.”

Chanelle frowned at him.  Smart ass.  “We’ve gone a little beyond that, don’t you think?” And to that he chuckled.  “And besides, it’s my rule and I can change it if I want.”

“So, it’s not a store policy or anything?” He continued to tease her, enjoying the show.  Her hair was messed, her face flushed and she was looking like a woman who had just been made love to although she hadn’t been—yet.

“I’m sure Spencer would disapprove, but I don’t care.  I’m a grown woman and can make my own decisions and I’m asking you out tonight.”

He looked puzzled.  “Who’s Spencer?”

Damn.  She let it slip.  She hadn’t wanted to go into that just yet.

She sighed.  “He’s… he’s my father.”

Chapter 6

“What? And you call him Spencer?” Nick asked.

“Yeah, well, not always, but I’m just used to it since I work with him.”

“At Nordstroms?”

“Yeah, he’s the Executive Vice President of the Cosmetics Division.”

“Dayum.  Your dad is your boss?”

Chanelle nodded.

“How is that working out?”

“Sometimes good, sometimes bad.  We have a love/hate relationship.  Look, Nick, I would love to chat with you about this, but I better go before Alexa drowns herself.”

Nick didn’t know if she were kidding or serious, but he figured he better let her go.

“Tonight then.  What time?”

“How about 7:30?  We can have dinner.” Chanelle said, looking at her watch.  That gave her a little over two hours to try to avert the crisis with her friend.

“Great.  I’ll make reservations at The Ivy or Koi.”

“No.”

“No?”

“You know what, I have to dress up five days a week for my job, I would love to just wear a hoodie and comfortable pants and go somewhere like McDonald’s with you.”

Nick was amazed and impressed.

“Sounds good to me.”

“No, I have a better idea.  What about the Tommy Burger in Hollywood?  I love their food.”

“So do I.  Cool.  Should I pick you up here?”

“Yeah.”

“See ya then.” He bent to kiss her, still turned on and wanting more of her body.

Chanelle let his kiss wash over her, enjoying the return of the tingles.  “To be continued.” She laughed and pulled away.  “Nick?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for being so understanding.  I had a… I mean… it was really good.” She blushed.

Nick laughed at her stumble to put words to what they had shared.  “You’re very welcome.”

Having Alexa Mae Bainbridge as a best friend meant that there was never a dull moment.  But sometimes Chanelle liked dull.

Alexa had wavy black hair that fell to her shoulders, mesmerizing green eyes, was 28 going on 18 years old, 5’4, thin; too thin some would say, gregarious and troubled.  She grew up in LA with a father who was an alcoholic and a mother who was a prostitute which was probably why their daughter had self-esteem and relationships issues.  She always picked bad boys, usually musicians, which turned into bad break-ups and a bad crying spree.  The guy was looking for a great piece of ass and she was looking for the security that she never got from her parents.  And then it ended and she was devastated once again.

Ty McNeil was no different from the others, except that this time he stole more than her heart, he stole one of her prize possessions, her guitar.

Chanelle sighed as held her sobbing friend.

She met Alexa over three years ago at the Riverview Community Bank where Alexa was working.  It was an odd place for the wild child musician to be employed since it was a decidedly serious atmosphere and she definitely was not, but it was on a temporary position until she moved on to her next big “gig”.  She had always loved math and figures and was very good at it.  Being a teller was a “no brainer” for her.

Chanelle had seen her every other Friday (her payday) for six months and they had always joked around and talked easily around one another.  They both felt a camaraderie, a kinship between them, but never acted on it until the day after she broke up with—or his wife made her rather—Tony Ballash.  Crushed and humiliated, she walked into the bank just before closing and asked Alexa if she wanted to get “shit-faced”.  Alexa had laughed and nodded excitedly.  “Hell, yes, girlfriend.  It looks like you could use a few.” 

After that night where they had way too many beers, which graduated to shots, they had formed an unbreakable bond; they were not only friends, but long-lasting, never-to-be-separated best friends.  Alexa helped Chanelle get over Tony and then helped her gain her confidence back to date Paul and then Dylan and Chanelle helped Alexa feel better about herself and try to pick more sensible men.  Unfortunately, she didn’t always listen to that advice since this was the third unhappily ending relationship within a year.  So, then she was there for her, of course, to pick of the pieces of her broken heart.  Would the girl never learn?

“Sweetheart, why do you do this to yourself? Why do you always fall for the same guy over and over?” Chanelle asked.

“Because I’m a hopeless idiot.” Alexa sobbed.

“No, you’re not.  You just need to stop dating for awhile, especially musicians.” Chanelle handed her yet another tissue.

Alexa dabbed her eyes.  “Yeah, I know you’re right.  It’s just that I meet so many guys at work, they flirt with me and I’m gone.  I convince myself that I can make it work this time.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.”  She hit her head with the palm of her hand.

Chanelle smiled.  “You’ll learn one of these days.  Even if I have to keep drilling it into that pretty little head of yours.”

“Keep drilling it, maybe one day it will stick.” Alexa gave her a weak smile.

“So, Lex, where’s the asshole now?” Chanelle stood up.  Somebody had to take charge of the situation with Ty and the stolen guitar.

Alexa dried her eyes with her 10th Kleenex and blew her nose.  “I…I don’t know.  Wait, I think he’s at work.”

“Where’s that?”

“D&L Records.  But Chan, you can’t…”

“Just watch me.”  Chanelle grabbed her purse and Alexa followed behind her like a lost puppy.

“So, Ty, I’m going to ask you nicely.  Where is Alexa’s guitar?” Chanelle stood in front of Ty at the customer checkout counter in the  record store.  Her eyes bore into his, daring him to cross her. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  I don’t have her fucking guitar.” Of course he wasn’t going to cooperate.  He was an asshole musician with an ego the size of the store.

Chanelle stared at the 5’9 scrawny, tattooed, pierced, sniveling idiot, put both hands on the counter and leaned towards him.  “Look, dickwad, I don’t believe you.  I know you took that guitar.  Now, either you give it back right now or I’ll tell your boss that you have been selling drugs here.”  Thank God Alexa had given her that juicy little tidbit or she wouldn’t have had anything to threaten him with.

Suddenly Ty’s eyes grew wide and his mouth opened in surprise.  “Shut up, not so loud.  Okay, okay.  I’ll go get it.” He whispered.  Well, that wasn’t so hard after all.  She had expected him to put up more of a fight.

A minute later Chanelle opened the car door and handed her friend the guitar.  The look on her face was priceless.

“So, Chanelle, I have a question for you.” Nick took a bite of a hamburger and grabbed a napkin to wipe off the grease and condiments that smeared his face.

“Shoot.”

“What where you doing in Jillian’s bathroom last night? Inquiring minds want to know.” He raised his eyebrows as he grinned at her.

Chanelle giggled and told him.  “So, I wasn’t there to spy on you guys.  You can rest easy.”

Nick smiled and nodded.  The thought of what she had seen and heard still embarrassed him.  Changing the subject quickly, he said,

“So, tell me about your parents.  I know you work with your dad.  That must be weird.”

“Yeah, it’s a trip.” She groaned and took a sip of her Diet Coke.  “Spencer Damien can be a controlling, domineering prick sometimes, but he’s my dad and I love him.  He and my mom divorced when I was 14.  My mom is cool.  She lives in San Diego.”

“So do you see her much?”

Chanelle shook her head.  “Not as much as I’d like.”

“Did she remarry?”

She shook her head again.  “Sadly, no.”

“Siblings?”

“Nope.  I’m an only child.”

“Wow.  Sometimes I wish I knew what that was like.” Nick laughed.

Chanelle stared at him.  She had read a little bit about his siblings but didn’t really know much about them.

“You have a younger brother and three sisters, is that right?”

Nick looked surprised.  “Yeah, very good.  You’ve been reading about me I see.”

Chanelle smiled.  “Yeah, I googled you.”

Nick smiled.  “Oh, yeah and what dirty secrets did you find out about me?” He really didn’t want to know since he had a few that he wasn’t proud of.

Chanelle laughed. “Well, I didn’t dig that deep.  I just read Wikipedia and IMDB.  There were some interesting tidbits there, Mr. Carter.”

Nick chuckled.  “Yeah, like what?”

“Like ‘50 Most Beautiful People in the World’ and ‘The Sexiest Man in the World’.  You are a heartbreaker, aren’t you?” She raised her eyebrow.

Nick laughed.  “It’s only a title.”

Chanelle looked at him.  She could swear he was blushing.  “A well deserved title.”

Nick smiled gratefully.  “Thanks.” 

“So, tell me about your friend, Alexa, is it? What was the big emergency?” Nick asked, finishing his hamburger and sipping on his soda.

“Oh, well that.  When you have a few hours, I’ll tell you about my best friend.  But the long and short of it is that she picks the wrong men so she ends up with these assholes, usually musicians—no offense.”

Nick chuckled.  “None taken.”

“But these are punk rock musicians.  The ones with the spiked hair, the multiple piercings, tattooed up the ying yang and have the stereotypical asshole attitude.  They are only using her for sex and she thinks they could be “the one”.  It sad because she’s just looking for them to fill the void in her life.  She had a pretty fucked up childhood.”

“Wow, that sucks.” Nick thought, thinking of his own “fucked up” childhood.

“Yeah, it does.  She’s 28 going on 18 and for past three years I’ve been trying to help her become a better person.  I think I’m succeeding and then she’s back to her old ways with the next guy.  It’s frustrating.”

“You can’t save her, Chanelle.  She has to be the one to do that.  Me and the guys learned that with AJ.” Nick said.

Chanelle had read about AJ’s stint in rehab, too.  She had perused some more websites before she left for work today and found out quite a bit about the Backstreet Boys and their personal lives.

“Yeah, I was reading about that today.  That must have been really hard for him and you guys to deal with.”

“Yeah, it’s wasn’t fun, but we all got through it thankfully and we’re all stronger because of it.”

“That’s great.  I’m an optimist so I see that happening with Alexa, too.  She made me see that I needed to get back on the dating wagon after I got chewed up and spit out three years ago.”

Nick looked at her wondering about that, but he didn’t know if it was too soon to ask.

“Do you want to talk about that?”

“Nah, not tonight.  Let’s keep to the lighthearted stuff.”

Nick smiled.  That was fine with him.  “So, what happened with the guitar situation?”

Chanelle was flattered that he was so interested.  She recounted to him exactly what happened at the record store earlier that day.

“No shit? You are a bad-ass, Chanelle.” Nick guffawed.  He was impressed with her ability to get what she wanted.

“Well, I knew that was the only way it was gonna work.  In the three years I’ve been dealing with Lex’s boyfriends, I’ve become pretty familiar with the way they are.”

“It sounds like it.” They were done with their meal and Nick watched as Chanelle, pulled her legs underneath her.  Her long shiny hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was wearing a navy blue pull over fleece sweatshirt.  It was unzipped at the neckline revealing her lightly tanned skin and the top of her round breasts.  Nick remembered what her breasts looked and felt like and he felt a tightness in his groin. 

“How’s your head? It seems like you’ve healed quickly.” Nick asked.

Chanelle’s hand moved to her head to massage the slight bump.  “It still kind of smarts, but it healed faster than I expected.  Of course, the Ibuprofen I’ve been taking every few hours doesn’t hurt.”

“You’ve been taking your medicine like a good girl.”

Chanelle raised an eyebrow.  “So, Doctor, would you like to take me home and examine me? I think I’m in need of a thorough examination from head to toe.”

“Hmm.  I don’t know.  Something like that may take hours.” Nick grinned, playing along.

“I have all night and I don’t work tomorrow.  How about you?”

“If I did have plans, they are broken now.” They both stood up and Nick took her hand and led her to her car.  His body was tingling with anticipation of holding her again.  He couldn’t get her home soon enough.

_Chapter 7

“Oh shit!” Chanelle exclaimed as she walked out of the bathroom.

It had been a long drive home since both of them had been eager to get in the privacy of a home to finally consummate their union.

As Chanelle tried to open her front door, Nick was holding her from behind, kissing her neck. 

“Nick, can’t you wait?” She giggled.

“No, I can’t.  I want you—now.” His insistence lit a fire through her body.  Ditto, she thought.

Bursting through the door, they embraced, kissing and fondling as Nick backed her through the entryway and into her bedroom.  Throwing her on the bed, he was hoping that there would be no interruptions this time.  His body was screaming to have her, but his head was telling him it was too soon, not to blow it.  He had done that before and he didn’t want to screw things up, especially with her.

Suddenly, Chanelle sat up.  “Uh, Nick, I’ll be right back.”  He watched as she walked to the bathroom and closed the door.

He lay on the bed and ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm his beating heart and blood pumping through his extremely engorged organ.

“What’s wrong?” Nick asked her, genuinely worried.

Her face was pale and she looked upset.

“Oh, Nick, I just got my damn period.” She said.

Nick couldn’t help himself and burst out laughing.

“Why the hell are you laughing? This isn’t funny.” She frowned.

“No, you’re right, it’s not.  It’s just that I thought something really bad had happened.” He smiled at her.

“Well, it means no sex, so how do you interpret it, smart ass?” She stood there with her hands on her hips, lips pursed, determined attitude.

Nick couldn’t be more smitten.  He didn’t know if it was because she felt comfortable enough to be so honest with him or the fact that she was truly disappointed that they wouldn’t be having sex.  It was both, he decided.

“Come here.” He said softly.  He took her in his arms and held her tightly.  Damn, if she didn’t feel good in his arms…

“Aren’t you disappointed?” She pulled away and looked into his eyes intently and it only made him want her more.

“Yeah, but there’s nothing we can do about it.  I’m sure we can think of something to do.”  He grinned, winking at her.

Chanelle sighed and moved away from his grasp.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“What’s going through the pretty little head of yours?” His hand brushed the top of her head and entangled in her luxurious curls.  The movement sent chills through Chanelle’s body.  His every touch electrified her.

“I… I just think that maybe this is a sign.” She said.

“For what?” He frowned, not liking where this was going.

“That maybe we shouldn’t have sex.  At least not for awhile.”

What?! He thought, his brain in a fog.

“I mean… I really like you, Nick, and I don’t want sex to screw up what we have or what we could have.  Does that make sense?” She sighed again.  It wasn’t even making sense to her.  Since when she did become all philosophical and well, chaste? Since she started to fall for Nick Carter…

“Uh…” He began, not knowing quite what to say.  A minute ago he had thought the same thing except that he didn’t know how long he could keep his hands off of her.  The woman was beautiful, stunning and too damn sexy.  He would have to take cold showers whenever they were together.

“Forget it.  What am I saying? I’m reading too much into this.” She stood up, turning her back to him, trying not to cry.

Nick was quick to jump up and reassure her.  “No, not at all.  I really like you, too, Chanelle.  I was kind of thinking maybe we should wait, too.”

She spun around to face him.  “You did not!”

Nick smiled.  “I know it sounds ridiculous coming from a guy, but I did.  I don’t want to screw things up either and sex… well, sex can screw things up.  I should know.”

Yeah, I bet you know all about it.  She thought. 

“Do you really expect me to believe that if I hadn’t run off to the bathroom, you would have stopped us before we had sex?”

Nick grinned.  “That’s what I’d like to think, but the road we were going down was so damn good, I don’t know.”

“I appreciate your honesty.”  She laughed.  “You score points for that.”

“Oh, so, you’re scoring me now, huh? How am I doing?” His eyes twinkled at her.

“Hmm.  Let’s see.  Ten points for a good first impression, negative 10 for not calling me, plus 10 for fun flirtatious conversation at the party, I guess I won’t deduct points for your little escapade with Jillian that I witnessed since you two were still together—“ She smiled when she saw Nick blush.  “Plus 10 for driving me to the hospital and taking care of me, negative 10 for trying to make out with me and possibly screw me on Friday night when you still had a girlfriend, plus 10 for breaking up with your girlfriend the next day and pursuing me and 10 on top of that for a great orgasm and…”

“Oh, so, I’m up 10.  That’s good.” He teased.

“Yeah, except laughing at me cost you all your points.” She smiled.

Nick grabbed her and fell on top of her on the bed, tickling her. 

“No, no, no! Don’t… you can’t…” she tried to catch her breath in between giggles.

“Oh, yes, I can!” He laughed, continuing his assault until he swooped in for a deep kiss, sucking the breath from their bodies.

“Excuse me, is Spencer Damien available?”

The receptionist looked up.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I don’t.  But I think he will be very interested to hear what I have to say.  It’s regarding his daughter.”

“So, Miss Harrison, what is it that you have to say to me? Alice told me that it had something to do with Chanelle?” Spencer Damien was a very tall man, 6’5, fit—he jogged three miles every other day—had salt and pepper hair with a strong jaw and bright blue eyes.  He was distinguished, handsome and charming but underneath the attractive façade lay a cunning, intelligent entrepreneur and astute man that wouldn’t take crap from anybody.

He sized up Jillian Harrison immediately as being a smart, capable and confident woman who was used to getting her own way.  She was probably a rich daddy’s girl who was spoiled and impetuous, most likely a successful career woman who had had her share of men and heartbreak.  She looked to be a woman on a mission and he was curious to know exactly what that mission was.

“Well, Mr. Damien…” Jillian began, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.

“Spencer, please.”

“Spencer.  It’s like this.  I’m not going to beat around the bush.  Your daughter, Chanelle flirted with my boyfriend, Nick while she was working here, crashed my birthday party and pretended to fall and hurt herself so Nick would take her to the hospital and they could be alone.  And now she’s come between us.  We were going to get married until Nick broke it off with me just because he’s enamored with her.  And all it is is just a physical relationship.”

She knew just the right words to say to make a father’s stomach turn.

Spencer appeared calm, but inside he was seething.  He knew that Jillian was fabricating the truth.  He was just as good at reading people as his daughter was, but he also knew that there must be some grain of truth to it or she wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.  Chanelle, what are you thinking getting mixed up with another woman’s man and flirting with him here when you know it’s frowned upon? He would definitely be having words with her soon, very soon.

“Well, those are some harsh accusations.  But even if they’re true, what do you expect me to do about it?”

Jillian’s cold brown eyes met Spencer’s adamant blue ones as they each battled to take the upper hand.  It appeared that at the moment Jillian was losing.

“Well, I just thought that you might want to know what your daughter has been up to, that’s all.”

You’re just hurt and want to take your revenge out on Chanelle, Spencer thought.  He had her number.

“Well, I appreciate your concern.  Is there anything else?” He wasn’t about to let her win.

Seeing that she was losing the battle, she played her trump card.

“Oh, did I mention that my ex-boyfriend, Chanelle’s new boyfriend is Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys? He’s a major celebrity who is currently making an album and will be touring all over the country soon.  I wonder how she will handle going on tour with him and dealing with all the wild parties and stalker fans.”

Thud.  And there it was.  The last shoe dropped and she had got him.  She watched his face change from calm and confident to angry and confused.  Most strong, successful men who kept their daughters on a short leash, or at least tried to, wouldn’t want their child, albeit their only child getting mixed up with a rock star and that kind of a lifestyle.

“Well, I better let you get back to work.  I know you’re busy.  It was nice to meet you, Spencer.” She stood up and shook his hand.  His grip was a little too tight and his lips were pursed as he said, “Yes, it was.  Thanks for coming in.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure.”  An evil smile poised on her lips.  Her work here was done.

Nick walked out of the restroom to the sound of a familiar voice.  He groaned when he saw that Chanelle was watching his Now or Never interview DVD.

“So, Nick, tell me what you were thinking when the interviewer was asking you all these questions?” She was sitting barefoot on the couch, her hands were hugging her legs to her body, grinning up at him.

“Oh, God.  No, I don’t want to watch this.” He tried to grab the remote from her but she darted away, laughing.

“So, Nick, what was the flavor of your very first ice cream cone?”

“Bitch.” He laughed, still trying to get the remote.  Chanelle screamed and dodged him again.

“Nick, what color are you boxer shorts? Or do you go commando? Inquiring minds want to know!” She further teased him.

“That’s it!” He said and pounced on her, tickling her again, until she surrendered the remote.

“Aha! Got it!” He clicked stop on the player.

“Aw, you’re no fun.” She wiped the tears away from her eyes, red from laughing so hard.

“Seriously, though, that had to be weird to sit there and answer all those stupid questions.”

“It wasn’t that bad.  It comes with the job.” He shrugged. 

She looked at him, realizing that a lot of things did come with his job.  Would it be worth it? But Nick was nuzzling her ear and kissing her neck assuring her that it most definitely was.

“Nickolas…” She warned.

“What? There’s no harm in this.” 

“Uh huh.” She said, but it felt so good, she wasn’t going to stop him.  Nick placed sweet kisses all over her face, neck and then made his way down to her cleavage, spreading searing hot kisses over her titillated flesh.  Her nipples sprang to attention and longed for his mouth to close over them.

“Nick…” She whispered but it was barely a protest.  This time she wouldn’t stop him.  This time she would let him go as far as he dared, period or firm resolve to wait be damned.  She wanted this man like no other and she had to have him at all costs.  But the harsh rapping on her front door assured her that there were other plans in store for her…