Part I: Attraction CHAPTER 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick Carter steered the SUV through the snow. They finally found the company lodge. Brian and his girlfriend, Jennifer, were in the back seat. When they saw the lodge, they yelled excitedly. As soon as Nick parked, Brian threw open the door and jumped out. "Ah! Freedom at last! It's scary! I almost forgot what this felt like!" he cried. He turned around and helped Jennifer out of the large vehicle. Kevin pulled up beside them in a vehicle similar to the one Nick had driven. Kevin and his wife, Kristin, and AJ and his fiancee, Amanda, piled out of the other vehicle. AJ ran over to the rest of the group. "Guys listen!" he exclaimed. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and listened. "Yo AJ! Dude, I don't hear a thing," Nick said, leaning against the car. "Exactly! It's absolutely silent out here! No one's screaming 'Nick I wanna have your baby,' or 'AJ be my bad boy.' This is frightening!" AJ exclaimed. Everyone laughed at AJ's latest discovery. "Well, let's go in the lodge and get some hot cocoa. I'll bet it's the best. We can go hiking around the mountain. Then we can go on up the mountain, to the cabin," Kristin suggested. Everyone seemed to agree. But when the group started for the large cabin, Jennifer pulled Brian back. Nick stopped also. "Brian, I don't really feel like walking around out here. I don't feel up to it. I kinda want to go on up to the cabin," she said. Brian looked to everyone ahead of them. "Well, honey, if that's what you want. But I kinda wanted to get some cocoa. You know I love it," he said. Jen sighed. Nick happened to overhear the convo. "Well, Brian, if you want, I could take her on up to the cabin. You can stay down here and ride up with Kevin. Besides, you know snow isn't really my thing. I'm kinda tired from all that driving too," Nick said. They'd flown into Denver, Colorado earlier that morning, then rented some cars for the two and a half hour drive to Aspen. Brian looked back to his girlfriend. "Is that alright with you?" he asked her. "Sure. If you're sure you want to stay down here?" she asked. She was sorta hurt that he was letting his best friend take care of her, rather than do it himself. "Only if Nick promises to take good care of you," Brian said, looking toward Nick. "Oh, you know it. I wouldn't dare hurt your precious treasure," Nick said, sarcastically. He walked around to his side of the car, as Brian opened the door for his girlfriend. Nick got in and couldnt' help but watch as Brian gave his girlfriend the proper 'good-bye'. They swapped spit for about half a minute as Nick watched in envy. He'd always denied it to anyone, but Nick had about the biggest crush of his life, on Jennifer. Who wouldn't? She was always too cute for words. She had short, brown hair, which normally resembled silken feathers. She had sharp green eyes. They were the best feature of her face. She was short, but Nick had never minded short girls. He found them to be somewhat vulnerable, and he felt protective over them. Her whole body was in perfect proportion. Suddenly, Jen's voice broke him of his daydream. He snapped to attention to notice Brian had gone inside, and Jennifer was looking at him expectantly. "Well, are we going to the cabin, or not?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips. Nick nodded silently. He stuck the key in the ignition, threw the gears into reverse, and pulled out of the parking space. About ten minutes into the drive, Jen dared to look over in Nick's direction. When she did, she was surprised to find herself attracted to the guy beside her. One hand was on the wheel, while the other elbow was propped against the window sill, his fingers playing with his lips. He was staring intently at the snowy road in front of him. He was wearing a pair of jeans with a Tommy Hilfiger jacket. Jen jerked her attention away from him before he caught her staring at him with hunger. She silently scolded herself for thinking such bad thoughts. She had a boyfriend. A boyfriend she was on the brink of getting engaged to. She had a feeling Brian was getting ready for the big 'M' word. She shook her head discreetly. Suddenly, Nick spoke. "So, Jen, how are you and Brian?" he asked. "Fine, I guess," she said. "You guess?" he asked, a little increduously. "Yeah, why?" she asked. "Well, for a girl that's been with a guy she loves for almost three years, I would have thought you would be more enthusiastic when talking about your relationship," Nick said. Ready to change the subject, Jen fired her own question at Nick. "Well, how's what's-her-name? Lyndsey, wasn't it?" she asked. Nick was silent for a moment. "Uh, we broke up," he said quietly. Jen immediately knew it was a fresh wound. She was sorry for bringing it up. "Oh, I'm sorry Nick. Brian didn't tell me," she said. Nick shook his head. "Brian doesn't know. I haven't told anybody," he said. Jen noticed he didn't say anything, but he felt like he had more to say. Curiosity filled her, but she didn't dare pressure him to talk. Instead, he let it out on his own. "I came home from tour and found her with another guy...in my house...in my bed. She'd been screwing him since I'd left," he said softly. Again, he was staring intently at the road, as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. "What a slut," Jen said, without thinking. Nick quickly glanced out the window beside him, then back to the road. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." "No. It's the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts. She just used me. I let my guard down and let her into my world. It was my mistake. I'm the one to blame," he said. Jen detected a glassy look in his eyes. "It's not your fault she used you. You can't be perfect all the time, Nick," Jen said, turning around in her seat. Partly because her butt was hurting from all the traveling, and partly because she was now in a very interesting conversation with Nick. "Ya know, I've always envied Brian. You and him have the perfect relationship. I'd give my right arm to have your relationship," he said, looking at her. "It's not all perfect. Mostly just a put-on. We have our share of problems. Like today, when I decided not to go the lodge, I figured Brian would bring me up here so we could be alone. My faith was shot down when you had to bring me. I used to think 'Oh, he's just a guy. They need a little guidance in the thoughtfullness department.' But lately, it's almost like we've just fizzled out. Like we don't have the spark anymore. I sometimes wonder if he still loves me," she said. The next words that came out of Nick's mouth, were the most painful ones to say. "No. I know for a fact that Brian loves you with all of his heart and soul." And so do I. Jen looked at Nick. She wondered what kind of boyfriend he'd make. Not that she was looking for one. She'd already been graced with Brian Thomas Littrell. Nick would, no doubt, be a caring and thoughtful guy to date. Not that Brian wasn't. But she still worried that maybe their candle was running too low. She also thought that maybe he was going to propose to her on this trip. That alone scared her to death. What would she say if he did? She doubted she'd be able to marry him. But she also didn't want to hurt him. She really cared for him, but felt their lively relationship was coming to an end. It took them forty-five minutes to reach the top of the mountain and the cabin from the lower lodge. When Nick parked as close to the door as he could, Jen opened the door and climbed out onto the heavy snow on the ground. Nick walked over to the large front door, and pulled out the key. Letting them in, Jen was captured at the sophisticated beauty of the light brown wood that made the cabin. "Wow, this place looks great. It's so beautiful," she said. Nick nodded in agreement. "Well, I'll start getting your's and Brian's stuff out of the car. You can go upstairs and pick out a bedroom," he said. "Okay," she replied. Nick watched her make her way over to the stairs, then turned around to unload their luggage. By the time they were settled in, Nick noticed it had begun to snow lightly. The scenery outside the cabin was beautiful. The light snow contrasted perfectly with the dark green of the forest that surrounded them. Nick had begun to work on getting a fire started when Jen came back downstairs. She had changed into navy blue cotton work-out pants and a heavy sweatshirt he thought he recognized as Brian's. "Cold?" Nick asked sarcastically. "J,just a l,l,little," she shivered. Nick had to smile. "Well, I'm working on it, okay? I was never in boy scouts," he said. It was silent for a few minutes as Jen watched Nick try to start a fire. He heard a small giggle behind him and turned around to see her trying to mask her large smile. "Are you laughing at me? Are you laughing at me? You think it's funny that I can't make a fire? Well, let's see how funny you think it is when you freeze your butt off till Brian gets up here," he said, getting up and starting to walk away. "Nick, no! I'm not laughing at you. Please come back," she cried, trying her hardest not to crack a smile. Nick stopped walking and turned around to look at her with an amused expression. "So, you're saying you want me to 'try' to build a fire?" he asked. She tried not to smile. She didn't trust her voice so she just nodded. He sighed and sat back down in front of the fire place. He struggled for a few more minutes with the small task at hand. About five minutes later, he heard her amused giggle behind him again. He jerked around to see her sprawled out on the couch, laughing so hard she could hardly breath. "You still think it's funny? Huh?" he cried. He was on top of her within seconds. His hands immediately went to her sides and he started tickling. She squirmed beneath him. The friction of her movements, did things to him that he certainly couldn't control. He felt himself reacting dangerously to her body. When he suddenly stopped tickling her, she looked up. He was no longer laughing with her. He carried a very serious look on his face. It looked dangerously desirable. Suddenly, she realized why he was so serious. Or rather, she 'felt' why. She quickly sat up, pushing him off her. They both sat there in an awkward silence. Nick ran his hands through his hair. He stood up for a moment. "I'll be right back," he said. She could hear him go into the bathroom and she knew why he was going in there. Their harmless game had caused them to have a glimpse into what could be 'Nick and Jennifer'. When he came out a few minutes later, there was that awkward silence again. Nick was the first to break it. "I'm sorry," was all he said. Jen shook her head. "No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have made a big fuss over it. But it was kinda funny," she said, a smile breaking out onto her face again. "What was so funny?" he asked. Jen slowly got up and walked over to the fireplace. She reached the switch and flipped it on. A blazing fire automatically roared up. "It's kinda hard to start a fire with fake logs," she said, smiling. Nick's face grew a nice shade of red. Like any normal guy, he played it off. "I knew that. I was just seeing how long it would take you to figure that out," he said. She shook her head and walked toward the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat? It's been about four hours since lunch. I'm starved," she said. "Let's just see what we've go shall we?" he asked and followed her into the kitchen. The awkward incident left behind in the living room. Chapter 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick and Jennifer fixed chicken noddle soup, one of the non-parishables they brought with them. After they'd eaten, it was rolling around 6:00 p.m.. It had grown quite dark outside. Secretly, Jen was worried about Brian and the rest of them. They should have been back by now. While the conversation between her and Nick was no longer awkward, there was obviously attraction there somewhere. And Jen was afraid that if the others didn't show up soon, things with her and Nick might get farther. Not that she'd really mind. She'd had a crush on Nick before her and Brian had gotten serious. But over time, Brian had filled that gap. The only worry she had about getting with Nick was that Brian would be hurt and Nick would, again, feel used by a girl. It grew darker and darker and the worry set in more and more. Jen and Nick just sat around in the den, by the fire. Nick found a deck of cards and they played 'Go Fish' about three dozen times. When the phone rang, both of them jumped a mile. Nick jumped up and grabbed it. Jen crossed her fingers that it was Brian or Kevin. "Hello?" Nick asked. "Nick, it's Brian. Man, I got some bad news," he said. "What is it?" Nick asked, trying not to sound panicked and scare Jen. "Well, there's a big snow storm moving in. It's already dumped a ton of snow down here and it should be moving in on you and Jen now," Bri said. Nick walked over to the large window in the front of the cabin, and sure enough, the white stuff was blowing around frantically. "How's Jennifer?" Brian asked. Nick broke out of his daydream. He hated snow. "Uh, she's fine," Nick said, thinking back to their moment about two hours ago. He couldn't let Brian ever find out about that. And he figured their secret was safe with Jen. But by the time everyone else showed up, probably the next day, he didn't know how many secrets they would end up sharing. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted her. As he was looking, in a trance, at her back, Brian's voice woke him up. "Yo Nick! Are you there?" Brian asked. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "What were you saying?" "Where were you? I was saying, it could be a couple days before this snow moves out. Which means, you and Jen could be stuck up there by yourselves for a couple days," Brian said. Nick felt a tingle go up his spine. This news was both good and bad. He didn't know if he wanted something to happen between him and Jen. But at the same time, a certain part of his body was telling him to go for her. "So, Nick. Do you think you have everything you'll need to stay warm and everything? Cause, ya know, I'm kinda worried about Jennifer. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to her," Brian said. The last words struck Nick's heart like a dagger. He closed his eyes and guilt immediately filled him from what had happened a little while ago. "Yeah, Bri. I know. I promise to take good care of her," Nick said. And he intended to keep that promise. About an hour after Nick and Brian hung up, Nick and Jen were still playing cards. Finally, after Jen won the last game, Nick threw his cards down. With a large sigh, he threw his head back against the back of the couch. "I'm tired of this game. Let's do something else," he said. "Like what?" Jen asked. "I don't know. But I'm tired of playing 'Go Fish'. Besides, you win a whole lot more than I do," he said. "Yeah, I'm getting you back for all those times you brutally killed me at 'Mario Karts'," she smiled. Nick groaned. "Come on. One more game! I promise. Just this one game and we never have to play again," she coaxed. Nick picked his head up lazily and looked at her. "Alright," he said. They dealed the cards again and right as they started playing, the whole cabin went black. Nick heard Jen's frightened yelp from across the small coffee table between them. "Nick? Where are you?" her small voice called. "I'm right here Jen. Don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine," he said. When their eyes became adjusted to the small light from the fireplace, they found each other. Without thinking, Jen ran into Nick's arms. He instinctively comforted and protected her. His arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. "What happened?" she asked. Nick could feel her small body trembling in his grip. "Most likely the storm outside. The power lines are probably covered in ice," he said. "I'm scared. I don't like the dark," she said. She seemed so fragile and small in Nick's arms. He tightened his grip around her. They were soon aware of the intimate embrace they were now in. Nick looked down at her lips and felt the ache at the pit of his belly. He wanted to kiss her so badly. He was about to go for it when Brian's words rang in his ears. "Cause, ya know, I'm kinda worried about Jennifer. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to her." Nick jumped back from her, completely cutting any contact with her. He heard her gasp. There was absolute silence between them. Nick could tell Jen was confused about their actions, but he decided to brush it off for now. "We need to get some flashlights and candles. Oh, and when you get a flashlight, go see if you can find some warm blankets. It's gonna get really cold tonight," he said. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm petrified of the dark. I don't mean to sound clingy, but I really don't like the dark," she said. Nick nodded first, then realized she probably couldn't see him. "I don't really like it either. But if we don't talk about the fact that it's pitch black dark, I'll be fine," he said. He found her hand and led her across the room. They went into the kitchen and found a couple flashlights. From there, they went back into the den and lit about five candles around the room. Then, Nick had to practically drag Jen up the stairs to a closet at the end of the hallway. She had been ranting about it being too dark and something hiding in the closet. Nick so appreciated the comments, because, he too, was not too fond of the darkness either. In the 'spooky' closet, they found about four wool blankets. Nick pulled them out and handed them to Jen. When they got everything they needed, Nick set out a place for them in front of the fireplace. He got together some pillows and made a nice comfy makeshift bed for them. At the time, he didn't think about sleeping with her. The only thing he was thinking about was keeping warm through the night. He knew it would get bitterly cold if he wasn't careful. They both layed on the floor in front of the toasty fire and bundled up in the blankets. After about twenty minutes of silence, Jen spoke up. "Nick, I'm freezing," she said. Nick hesitated for a moment, but decided to go ahead. He scooted over and wrapped his long arms around Jen's small form. Then he slid his long legs around her feet. He grabbed another blanket and threw it over them. "There. That better?" he asked. He'd hoped the body heat between them would help. "Yeah, a little," she said. Nick noticed she was, again, shaking. "Is it gonna get much colder?" "Probably not. Here, I'll turn up the heat on the fireplace. I don't think it's up all the way," he said. He reluctantly left the warmth of the blanket to turn up the fire. It blazed higher and both of them could feel the heat. Nick went back over to the blanket and Jen and climbed back in with her. "That's a lot better," she said. A few minutes later, Nick noticed she had stopped shivering. "You tired?" he asked into the silence. "Nope. I slept on the plane. You?" she asked. "Not really. Just kinda bored," he said. "We can always talk. We had a good conversation going in the truck," she said. "Alright," Nick said. "What kind of conversation would you like to have?" "Let's play 20 questions," she said. "Okay. You go first," he said. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked. "I thought so, but nope. It wasn't true. What's your favorite place to visit?" "Spain. Who's your biggest musical idol?" she asked. "Steve Perry, Journey. Who's your biggest musical idol?" he asked back. "Brian McKnight. How many serious relationships have you had?" she asked. "Not that I keep count, but about four," he said. He hesitated a second before asking his question. It was kinda personal, but he had to know if there was anything between them. "Do you love Brian?" He could tell the question shocked her. She didn't answer right away. "I hate to say it, but if I ever was, I think it's died now. So, right now, no. But don't tell him," she said. For the most part, the questions were pretty harmless. But as both Jen and Nick became more aware of their closeness, the questions took some wild turns. "Are you a virgin?" Jen asked. "No. How far have you and another guy gotten?" he asked. "All the way. Why didn't you just ask me if I was a virgin?" she asked. "Didn't feel like it. Next question. Have you ever..." Jen interrupted him. "Hey, it's not your turn!" she cried. "Yes, it is. You asked why I didn't ask you if you were a virgin. That was your last question. So, that makes it my turn," he said, smiling smugly. She let out a frustrated groan and plopped back down beside him. "Anyways, like I was saying. Have you ever cheated on Brian?" "No," she said. They both knew there was deeper meaning behind the question. The next question was going to take them places they weren't sure they wanted to go. "Have you ever wanted to kiss me?" she asked. "Yes. Have you ever wanted me to make love to you?" he asked. Their lips were rapidly getting closer together. Jen managed to mumble a 'yes' before their lips touched. Chapter 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick's hot mouth seemed to melt against hers. His tongue gently lined her bottom lip and asked for entrance. Fireworks went off in his head as she opened her mouth and granted him access. Access that, up until now, only Brian had had. Brian. Nick quickly pulled away from the temptation Jen brought upon him. He was shaking and his heart was pounding inside his chest. His body was obviously reacted to her own. "Nick, what's wrong?" Jen asked, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Jen. I can't do this. What about Brian?" he asked. In the dim light, he saw Jen shake her head. "Brian and I are over, whether he knows it or not. I'm not worried about him. Nick, don't you get it? You and I...stuck in this huge cabin...no electricity...by ourselves. Fate is helping us out, here. We have to take advantage of it. It's not a coincidence that we got stuck up here. We were meant to be up here like this," she said. "Brian's my best friend. I can't hurt him like this," he said. "I care about him too. If we do this, if you want, he never has to know," she said. Nick seemed to ponder the thought. He looked up into her eyes and seemed to get lost all over again. "You have something Brian doesn't. I don't know what it is, but...it's such a strong feeling. Brian's great and all, but I'm just so attracted to you," she admitted. Nick leaned over and kissed her softly. "I want you so bad," he said. "You can have me Nick," she whispered seductively. Nick looked at her for a minute. He surprised Jen when he stood up and grabbed a flashlight. She watched as he walked out of the dark room, and into the kitchen. She could see him lighting candles in the darker room. She stood up and walked in behind him. "Nick, what's the problem?" she asked. Nick didn't answer right away. "I just...I just don't know," he said. "I don't understand. Enlighten me, please," she cried. She was getting highly pissed. Nick quickly spun around and within two strides, was standing right in front of her. "I'm scared that if I make love to you tonight, I won't be able to walk away from you so easily," he said in one fast breath. "You make me feel alive. I just don't want to become too close to you. I don't know if I'll be able to let you go back to Brian when our time is over." Jen looked up into his worried eyes. She reached up and touched his soft face. "If we share tonight together, I doubt I'll go back to Brian," she said. She reached up on her tippy-toes and pressed her lips to his. Nick allowed himself to feel her even though his head was screaming for her to stop. His hands, which weren't following his brain's directions, started roaming her hips. He heard her moan inside his mouth. He couldn't take anymore of this torture. Either they were going to make love, or he was going upstairs. He knew the ball was in his court. He broke away from her lips and tried to catch his breath. "Are you sure about this? Brian will never know?" he asked. "I promise Nick. I don't want him to find out any more than you do," she said. Their lips met again and Nick grabbed her again. This time, their kisses never stopped. They slowly started to make their way back out to their makeshift bed, never breaking the kiss. Nick finally picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. He'd been too patient, waited too long for this. He gently layed her on the blankets, then pulled his shirt over his head. Jen's hands automatically went for his chest. Her hands ran all the way up his chest and grabbed his face. She brought him down to her own lips. His hands ran up her shirt and found her breasts. She moaned in his mouth again. Her sounds of pleasure were turning him on more than he could handle. If his jeans didn't come off soon, he was sure he'd explode. He grabbed Jen's arms and pulled her into a sitting position. He helped her remove her shirt, then bra. Her breasts fell out, exposed completely for him. She pushed him back and straddled his hips. She could tell by the look on his face, that his lower half was under pressure. She slid back down his legs and started to work on his jeans. He reached behind him and grabbed a leg of the coffee table for support. Jen slowly began to pull his jeans down. "Please Jen. Just take them off," Nick groaned. "Relax Nick. We've got all night," she whispered, leaning down to kiss his chest. Nick smiled at the thought. A few minutes later, Nick had had all he could take. Pushing all thoughts of doubt out of his mind, he sat up and ridded them of their clothes, then fell between her legs. And forgot his loyalty to his best friend. Jennifer had never known loving to be like this. Brian wasn't very carefree when it came to them making love. With Nick, it seemed like a time to do what you felt. The fire that used to ignite in her stomach with Brian, she realized, was now just ashes. She felt that fire again. Only with Nick, it was ten times as hot. After they both climaxed, Nick fell down beside her, trying to regain a normal breathing pattern. Jen noticed he didn't say anything for a few minutes. It worried her. "You're sorry we did this aren't you?" she asked, looking at his beautiful face, laying beside her. His eyes were closed. "No, of course not. I'm just worried about Brian. He trusted me, with you," Nick stated. They faced each other and their lips were a mere inches from each other. "It's not your fault Nick. You can't help who you fall in love with. It's just a matter of fate. I didn't try to get you up here to seduce you. This just happened," she said. "But Brian's my best friend, Jennifer. And I just slept with his girlfriend," he said. Jen could tell he had something else to say. "And I think I enjoyed it too much." Nick smiled. He pulled his hand from under the blanket and tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. "After this trip, where do we go?" she asked, not ever wanting her time with him to end. "I don't know," he said, kissing her forehead. "I love you," she said. "I love you too," he said. Jennifer woke up the next morning, feeling absolutely content. She glanced out the window and noted the storm was still raging outside. She stretched underneath the blanket and reached behind her for Nick. When all she felt was cold blanket, she flipped over. Where could he be? She sat up holding the blanket up to her chest. "Nick?' she called. Suddenly she heard some rustling on the stairs. Nick bounded down the stairs in jeans in no shirt. The waistband of his boxer-briefs told her he was wearing Calvin Klein underwear. And the wet hair on the top of his head told her he'd just gotten out of the shower. He sat down beside her and kissed her. "Good morning," he murmured against her lips. "A very good morning. Although, it would have been better if you'd been laying with me," she said, pointing her finger onto his chest. He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry. I thought maybe you'd sleep longer. I was hoping I could shower before you woke up," he said. "Try again," she said. "Well, if you're mad at me, maybe I should try to repay you," he said slyly. He raised up to his knees and guided her to undo the jeans he'd so recently put on. She quickly removed them and they continued the pleasure they'd shared the night before. For the next day and a half, Nick and Jen made do with what they had in the cabin. They were still without power, but Nick had found some generators in the back of the cabin, so he'd turned those on. It wasn't the best power source, but it kept them warm. During the day, they layed around the cabin and did nothing. At night, the cabin would get really hot, not temperature wise. Nick and Jen made love every night; never just once either. Nick showed Jen how to feel loved and how to love another. Not only was it physical attraction, but learning also. Nick felt himself falling harder for her. Everytime they shared an intimate moment, he fell deeper. He'd never felt this strongly for anyone. Jen made him feel things he'd never felt before. But the more he thought about what would happen when everyone came back, the worse he felt. Though he wanted to deny it, he didn't want Jen to go back to Brian. If he'd had his wish, she'd be his forever. But sometimes we don't get what we want. Chapter 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two days after they were first stranded, the storm moved out and Brian and the rest of the gang came on up to the cabin. Jen and Nick were sitting in silence in the den, waiting for their friends. For the first time, they were uncomfortable with each other. They didn't know whatelse to say. Finally, Nick stated his peace. "I want you to go back to Brian," he said softly. Jen, who was seated on the opposite couch, looked at him, surprised. "But I thought..." she started, then trailed off. "I want you. If I could have it my way, I'd make you mine and never let go. But the fact is you're Brian's girlfriend. And he loves you very much. Don't break something so great. I can't," he said. There was silence again. "I don't want to, Nick," she said. She jumped up to run over to him. She sat in his lap and pressed her lips to his. Nick kept a watch out for the rest of the group. He kissed her back, then pushed her away. "Please, Jen. We both enjoyed this. It was great. But, it's over....for now," he said with a slight smile. "What do you mean 'for now'?" she asked shyly. "Well, we may be over now, but you never know what the future brings. I have a feeling we'll do this again," he said. "You really think?" she asked. Nick nodded with a small smile playing on his lips. "I love you, but you really belong with Brian. He can take good care of you," he said, kissing her forehead. "But what if I love you and not Brian?" she asked. Nick sighed and looked away. "This is hard enough without you complicating it. I don't want to do this either, but it's the right thing," he said. Jen looked down and nodded. "Hey." He tilted her chin up and gave her a feather light kiss. "I love you Nick," she said. "I love you too," he said. Suddenly, something caught Nick's eye. He looked out and saw Kevin's Suburban coming up the drive. He took a shaky breath. His only fear now was whether or not Brian would read his eyes. "Come on." He took Jen's hand and helped her up. He held it to the door. They stopped before opening it. After checking that no one could see, Nick leaned down and kissed Jen one more time. Then he dropped her hand and opened the door. Brian jumped out of the SUV and ran for Jen. He picked her up and swung her around. "Oh, baby. I was so worried about you up here," he said. Nick walked up behind them. "What Rok? Didn't you trust me to take good care of her? I told you I would," Nick said. Brian gave him a funny look, but shrugged it off. Nick walked off to help Kevin unload the new luggage. As he lifted a suitcase, he happened the glance at Brian and Jen. They were kissing passionately. He thought back to the first night they had been together. Things had seemed too perfect then. He knew deep in his heart that him and Jen would be together some day, some way. Later that night, everyone gathered in front of the fire in the den. So far, Nick and Jen hadn't spoken a word to each other. Other than stolen glances and small eye contact, there had been no communication. Watching Jen with Brian hurt more than anything. He'd never known jealousy to be like this. His heart was on fire. When they all settled down that evening in front of the fire, Jen sat in Brian's lap. They had been all cuddly since he'd arrived. It was making Nick sick to his stomach. After the love they'd shared just a few hours before, and it seemed like it had all been a dream. Nick glanced up to them and caught Jen's stare right before Brian put his lips to her neck. That was it. Nick had to get out of there for a minute. Suddenly it felt like the room was closing in on him. He quickly stood up with his mug of hot cocoa. "Excuse me. I need some air," he said. He could tell Jen was watching him as he stepped out onto the balcony. He took in about five big gulps of the cold air. It hurt his lungs but not as bad as it hurt to watch Jen and Brian. After a couple minutes, the door behind him opened. He knew it was her. "Are you okay?" she asked. She stayed behind him for a second. "Yeah, I'll be fine," he said. He was leaning on the rail, looking out at the white, frozen wilderness. She walked up beside him and leaning on the rail, facing the other direction, toward the cabin. "I know it's difficult..." she started but didn't finish. Nick snorted. "It would be easier if I had someone to forget you by," he said. "At least you have Brian." "Forget me by? Is that what you think is going on? The only reason I'm acting like this is because you told me to. And I don't want Brian finding out about us," she said. "What are you doing out here anyways? Wouldn't it be a little suspicious?" he asked, short sarcascism. "He went to the bathroom. Besides, he wouldn't suspect anything," she said. "Oh no, he wouldn't. We just spent three days by ourselves, snowed in, in a cabin with nothing to do. Why would he think we did anything?" he asked, this time with full sarcasm. "You're jealous," she stated. Nick looked down at his feet and shook his head. "I'm not jealous. How could I be jealous of something that we never had?" he lied. "You are jealous. Admit it, Nick," she said. He was silent for a minute and she knew the truth. "Alright, I'm jealous. I'm so jealous it's making me sick to watch you two," he said, his temper flaring. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Nick scoffed. "Don't be. Just go on into your boyfriend. I'm sure he's dying to sleep with you," he said, the sarcasm showing through, yet, again. "You asshole," she muttered and turned away to walk back into the cabin. He wanted to ask her to come back, but his pride wouldn't let him. When he heard the door close, his heart fell. "Shit," he muttered. He knew he'd just lost her completely. They left the cabin the following Saturday. Again, Nick drove with Brian and Jen. He tried not to watch the couple in the rearview mirror. But his eyes kept deceiving him. His baby blues would involuntarily check them out as they whispered to each other and kissed. Him and Jen hadn't spoken to each other since the balcony four days before. He didn't know for sure if Brian was thinking about proposing to her. But if he did, Nick knew she'd say yes because of their fight. And that scared him. He knew what he'd said was wrong, but he was so frustrated by the whole situation. He was beginning to think that maybe they never should have slept together. It was horrible for him to think, but the more he thought about it, the more he figured it was true. After the seven hour flight from Denver to Orlando, Nick got in his Durango and prepared to drive to Apollo Beach. He tried not to think about Jen. As he was driving out of the airport parking lot, Brian stepped out in front of him. He slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting him. He quickly rolled down his window to his best friend. "Rok, man, what the hell are you trying to do? I almost ran you over," Nick cried. "I wanted to talk to you about Jen for a second. She seems sort of distant. When I got to the cabin, it seemed like something was different about her. Did something happen to her while I was gone?" Brian asked. Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. His temperature rose about ten degrees. He was about to lie to his best friend. "Not that I know of. She seemed alright to me," he said. He realized his last statement could be taken one of many ways. "Alright. I'll just talk to her then. Thanks man," Brian said and backed away from the car. Nick waved one last time and drove off. He tried to breath again. That had been so nerve-wrecking. He almost told him the truth. But he had to keep it together for Jen. Maybe she didn't want Nick after all. Maybe after Brian returned she had realized she still loved him. The thought plagued Nick all the way home. Part II: The Right Kind of Love Chapter 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick slowly woke up and opened his eyes. He scratched his head and looked at his watch. It was 1:54 a.m.. That meant he'd only been sleeping about an hour and a half. The bus hit a bump on the highway and Nick whacked his head on the bunk above him. He whispered a few curse words. He noticed his mouth was dry, so he decided to get up for a soda. He threw open his blue curtain and jumped down, quietly, onto the floor. Walking into the kitchen area, he went over to the small fridge. He grabbed a Pepsi and sat down at the table. When he had downed most of his drink, he got up and started back to his bunk. As he was about to hoist himself onto his high bunk, he heard a curtain on the oppsite side open. Two shaved legs stuck out and before Nick could say anything, Jen came tumbling down on top of him. He threw his arms out and caught her before she hit the floor. She looked up in surprise. "Hi," Nick whispered. She didn't say anything. She was still shocked over what had taken place. Without answering him, she jumped out of his arms and walked towards the kitchen. Nick watched her from behind, then decided to follow her. "Are you still mad at me?" he whispered. She turned around to look at him with wide eyes. "Over what?" she asked. "Aspen," he replied, a lot quieter than before. She let out a short laugh. "Nick, that was a year ago. Get over it," she said, smiling. She walked over to the fridge and retrieved a tomato and a jar of mayonnaise. "What if I don't want to get over it?" he asked, grabbing her arm gently. She pulled herself from his grasp. Suddenly her eyes looked cold. "It's over Nick. I love Brian," she said. "I thought you didn't love Brian," he said. "I've had a year to get over it. And so have you. It's in the past. Keep it there," she said, grabbing a knife to put mayonnaise on her bread. "After what we shared those three nights..." He trailed off. "Forget it Nick. Please, just let it go," she said. "You can't mean that," he said. She didn't look up at him. He reached down and titled her chin up to look at him. "Please tell me you don't mean that." "I can't say that Nick," she said sadly. He'd never know it, but her heart was shattering inside her chest. Nick dropped his hand and nodded silently. "I'm going back to bed," he said softly. He turned around and walked back to the bunks. Jen tried not to let the tears fall down her cheeks. Since Aspen, Nick and Jen barely spoke to each other. Nick knew he'd royaly screwed them over. He'd been out of line that day, but he never got close enough to Jen to apologize. He figured they were both scared of what might happen if they got too close. Would there be a repeat of Aspen? Where would Brian end up in all this? Nick figured Jen was right. It was in the past and it should stay there. But if he agreed with her so much, why did he constantly think about her? She obviously didn't think about him. She wanted to put it past them. The next evening they were at the hotel. They didn't have a concert, so Nick went down to Brian's room. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He was surprised when Jen opened it, her hair wet and dripping down the front of her white tank top. She didn't have a bra on and Nick could see straight through her shirt. She obviously hadn't noticed. "Nick. What are you doing here?" she asked. "I came to talk to Bri. Is he here?" Nick asked. "He's in the shower. Uh...come on in," she said, standing aside and letting him pass through the threshold. She watched Nick's butt (and a mighty fine butt it is, too! LOL) as he walked in front of her. He walked out into the living area of the suite. When he sat on the couch, Jen sat beside him. "So, how have you been?" he asked, trying to make small talk. "Okay. You?" she returned. "Fine, I guess," he replied. "You guess?" she asked. "I'd probably be better if we could get together again," he admitted. He wanted to smack himself for saying that. After what she'd said the night before, it was clear what her intentions were. She wanted everything in the past. Nick watched as she blushed and looked away from him. At least she hadn't slapped him. "I told you last night Nick. What happened, happened. But that was a year ago," she said. "I don't care if it was five years ago. I still want you. I still dream about you at night. I still feel close to you in a way. Please tell me you feel the same way," he said. She looked back at him to stare into his eyes. It took all her willpower not to break down and admit she felt the same way. "I don't feel anything Nick. We're over," she said. "I just don't understand how you can say that after the intimacies we shared. You have to admit, we got really close those few days," he said. "Alright I admit it. We were really close and intimate. But I can't live in the past. You're just going to have to understand that," she said. "I've tried to, but I love you too much to forget you," he said. At those words, she jumped up off the couch. "I'll go see if Brian's out of the shower," she said and walked towards the bedroom. Nick put his head in his hands and tried not to break down. He wondered whether or not he should just leave. He was about to get up and walk out when Brian walked in toweling his wet hair. "Sup man?" Bri asked. "Oh, hey Frick," Nick said. "Yeah, Jen said you wanted to talk to me," he said. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go grab some grub with me," Nick said. "Yeah sure. Let me get dressed," Bri said and went back into the bedroom. Nick could barely see the huge bed he knew Bri and Jen were sharing. He also knew it was the same bed they'd probably make love in later on that night. He marveled at how lucky his best friend was. He caught a glimpse of Jen getting into bed. Her and Brian were quietly arguing about something. Jen was obviously trying to convince her boyfriend of something. Finally they stopped and Brian walked out. "You ready to go?" Nick asked. "Yep. Let's go. I'm starved," Bri said and gestured for the door. Jen lay in bed with Brian asleep beside her. For what seemed like the billionth time, she'd gone to bed by herself, then faked sleep when Brian came in. She layed in the darkness as her boyfriend snored through his sleep. Looking up at the ceiling, she thought about Nick. She felt horrible for turning him away. Especially when she felt the same way he did. It all would have been fine if Brian hadn't gotten suspicious after Aspen. Now he was extremely possessive. He always emptied his heart to her. Always told her how much she meant to him and how he'd die if they ever split up. Basically all he was doing was crushing the wrench even deeper in her heart. All the things he'd said would have made any girl die of flattery and love. Jen would have felt that way if only she'd loved Brian as much as he loved her. But she cared deeply for him. She just didn't love him the way he loved her. She couldn't bare to see him hurt over anything she did. She wanted Nick with every bone in her body. She often wondered whether or not it had been a good idea for them to sleep together. But she had treasured those memories. She wondered what Nick was doing. A wave of impulse swept through her suddenly. She looked over at Brian who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Quietly, she crept out of the bed and grabbed some jeans and a shirt. She made her way out of the suite as quietly as she could and made her way down to Nick's room. Nick was laying on the bed, watching a late night movie. He wasn't interested in the flick, because he was thinking more about Jen. How could she just forget everything like it never happened? How could she be that hurtful to him? But he had to think about Brian too. He was his best friend. His 'Frick'. How would he feel if anything else came of this? He was so deep in thought, that he barely heard the knocks on his door. He jumped off the bed and made his way out to the door. He was all but shocked to find Jen standing there, looking apprehensive. "Jen. What are you doing down here?" he asked, trying to hold back his temper. "We need to talk," she said, playing with her fingers. Nick took a deep breath and let it out. He casually looked down the hall. Jen noticed his only attire was a white undershirt and a pair of shorts. He obviously wasn't in a hurry to speak with her. She could understand that after what she'd said. "What, after you blew me off like I was nothing?" he asked, a hurtful look in his eye and he slowly brought his eyes to hers. "That's what we need to talk about. Please let me in," she said. Nick looked at her for a short second, then opened the door wider. She ducked and walked under his arm. He closed the door and followed her out into the living area. All the suites were exactly the same. This time, they didn't sit down. "Shoot," Nick said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm tired." "Well, here goes. I owe you an apology. But there's a reason for the way I've been treating you," she said. "Whoa, I can't wait to here this one," he said, sarcastically. His right arm was propping him up on the back of the plush couch. "In the past year, Brian's gotten suspicious. I think he suspects that something happened between us. All the sudden, he acts like I'm a precious item that he can't let go of . He constantly tells me that he loves me and that he doesn't know what he'd do if anything ever happened to us. I don't want to hurt him. You're right. I don't love him. But I don't know what to do about him," she said. "So what are you trying to tell me? That I have to tell you all that crap too, just to keep you with me?" Nick cried. "No, that's not what I'm saying!" Jen cried, getting highly frustrated at Nick's actions. "Well then, what the hell are you saying?!" Nick shouted. "I'm saying that I love you and that I feel the same way you do!" she cried with equal force as Nick. They both stopped and looked at each other. Before Jen knew anything, Nick's lips attacked hers. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He backed them into a bar stool. She quickly pulled his shirt over his head and threw it across the room. Suddenly, Nick pulled away. "Where's Brian?" Nick asked. "Asleep. He had a headache so he took some medicine. He's out like a light," she said, out of breath from Nick's kisses. They continued with their actions. Jen's body felt good to Nick. It seemed like forever since he'd felt her. He pulled her t-shirt off and sucked on her chest and collarbone. "Oh, Nick," she moaned. He slid his hands under her butt and pushed her into his crotch. She could feel how hard he was getting. He picked her up and she locked her ankles around his waist. He carried them into the bedroom and they fell onto the bed. The rest of their clothes were discarded, and they fell into the sheer pleasure of making love. Nick relished the feeling of her silky confines around him. They tried to stay quiet because AJ was next door and would no doubt hear every moan and scream. He'd want to know who his little bro had screwed the night before. Nick could always try to lie but he was never good at it. Jen and Nick made love three times that night. First on the bed, second in the hot tub, and third on the couch in the living area. They layed in bed for about an hour after the last time. At about 4 a.m., Jen got up and got dressed. Nick layed in bed and watched her beautiful body. Jen looked back at him and she pulled her jeans on. "What?" she asked, smiling. "You're beautiful," he said. Jen stared at him. He was completely naked, but his better parts were covered by the satin sheets. His nice chest was laying across the only pillow left on the bed. "Come here." She walked over to sit on the bed with him. He sat up and kissed her passionately. When they pulled apart, he tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Her hair had gotten much longer since Aspen. It was now down to the middle of her back. He traced her jaw bone to her lips. "Do you really have to go?" he asked. "I don't want Brian to wake up and miss me," she said sadly. "Can I ask you something?" he said, running his index finger down her chest and to her bra covered breasts. "Sure," she replied. "Why don't you break up with Brian? I could understand if you were married to him, but going out with someone isn't exactly committment. Especially when you know you're in love with his best friend. And I don't want that bullshit answer you gave me earlier. Just because he tells you he loves you and all doesn't mean anything. There's got to be another reason," Nick said softly. "I always thought I'd get married to Brian. Everyday I wonder if he'll just up and pop the question. I don't know if he's got the ring or not. I don't know if he's planning anything. I don't want to hurt him," she said. "But you don't love him," Nick said, more firmly that he'd anticipated. "I know that," she said. "You just have to see where I'm coming from." Neither of them said anything for a while. Nick just looked down in his lap. His next question nearly broke her heart. "Am I just a fling then? Just someone you screw for the hell of it? Are you really in love with Brian and just want someone who's a good fuck? Do you actually love me?" Nick asked. "You are not a fling Nick. If that's what this was, tonight wouldn't have happened. It all would have ended in Aspen. And yes I do love you. I just can't bring myself to break up with Brian. And what are we gonna do when him and I are over? I mean, you can't just walk up and announce to him that we're a couple. He'll know something happened," she said. "But it won't matter then. It won't be his business because you won't be his girlfriend anymore. You'll be mine," Nick said, stroking her soft face. "I love you." "I love you too," she replied, smiling. "You better go," he said, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "I know," she said. She got up and threw her shirt on. Nick grabbed his underwear and put them back on. He walked her to the door and kissed her one more time before he opened it to let her out. He watched her walk down the hall to her and Brian's room. Before she disappeared, she blew him a kiss and smiled. He smiled back and closed his own door. Chapter 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick walked into his own house and heard the scramble of his dogs running on the hardwood floors. A second later, he saw them scurry around the corner towards him. "Hey guys. You didn't get into any trouble while Daddy was out did you?" he asked, crouching down to them. Houston walked up to him and started licking his face. "You guys sure did miss me. I was only gone an hour." Houston continued to lick his face, clean. "Alright, alright. I know what you guys want. Come on." He whistled and they followed him into the kitchen. He sat down his grocery bags and walked over to the dog food cabinet. He pulled out three doggie treats and fed them to his friends. He put up the groceries and walked back into the den. The red light was flashing on his answering machine. He pushed the 'play' button and listened. The voice told him there were two messages. His mom was the first. She told him that she wanted him to come visit his family in California. He snorted down a laugh. He clearly remembered the last time he'd visited them. He'd just gotten off tour and wasn't in the mood to see them. He just wanted some quiet time to himself. Just him and his three best friends. When his mom's message was over, and the second one began, he was surprised to hear Jen's voice. "Nick, it's Jen. Look, I really need to talk to you. It's important. Meet me at the park near College Avenue at 3:00 this afternoon. Love you! Bye," she said. Nick figured Brian hadn't been in the room because of her profession of love to him. On a lower note, he was worried. Jen sounded none too thrilled about whatever it was she had to talk to him about. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 2:38 p.m.. Depending on traffic, it could take him all of the twenty minutes. He grabbed his keys again and walked out the door. Jen sat on the green bench by the lake in the park. The entire premises was a dark green color. Everything seemed to radiat summer. She just wished she was in as good a mood as everything around her seemed to be. Something in front of her caught her eye and she looked up to see Nick striding towards her. Butterflies began to flutter throughout her stomach. Her nerves were on end. She didn't know how she was going to tell him this. She knew it would most likely hurt both of them. "Hi. Thanks for coming," she said, smiling. Nick sat beside her. He looked a little apprehensive. "Is it okay for me to kiss you?" he asked. He didn't know if Brian was around. "Actually, I don't think so," she said. "Is Brian here?" he asked, a confused look on his face. "No," she said. "Well, then what's the matter?" he asked. "Nick, I have to tell you something. I don't want to say this, but I have to," she said. Her words almost gave Nick a stomach ulcer. His heart was pounding. "Are you pregnant?" he asked. Jen's eyes grew wide with surprise. "What?!" she cried. "Relax. All the times we've...made love...we've never used protection," he said. "No, I'm not pregnant," she said. "Well, then what is it?" he asked, trying to hide his impatience. "Nick...I don't know how to say this..." Nick interrupted her. "Just say it Jen!" he cried. "Brian asked me to marry him," she said softly. Nick didn't say anything for a second. He let the news sink in. "What did you say?" he asked. "I told him I'd have to think about it," she said. "What do you have to think about?" Nick asked. "Us," she replied. "Oh yeah, I'm sure Brian would be real glad to hear about that one. 'Yeah, I probably need to talk with my lover and see what he thinks about it,'" Nick said. Jen's anger fumed and she reached over to bring her hand across Nick's face, hard. The stinging sensation ran through his face and he knew he'd crossed the line, yet, again. He put his hand to his hot face. "You jerk! I invited you here so I could hear what you thought. I wanted you to tell me that you loved me and to do whatever I chose to do. It's my life, after all. Maybe if you'd said that, I would have told Brian no. But since it's obvious that you don't care, I better say yes or I'll lose another guy I love, all in one day," she said, fighting off the tears. Nick watched her turn away and walk in the other direction of the park. He cursed himself under his breath as he watched her disappear behind the shrubs. He stood up and made his way to his Durango. He didn't feel like going home. Instead he drove up to Tampa Bay. He found an almost deserted beach and sat down to think. He couldn't believe he'd said that. That had been way over the line that time. But he couldn't help himself. The whole situation seemed to have gotten ridiculous. Yet, at the same time, he wanted her more than anything. He just couldn't understand why she kept running back to Brian. It didn't make sense to him. If she loved him as much as she said she did, why did Brian keep popping up in the picture? And now they were getting married. It was all over for Nick, now. He'd never have her again, and that was something he'd have to get over. When he walked in his house two hours later, the red light was blinking on the answering machine. Instinctively, he knew exactly who it was. Slowly, he walked over and pressed the button. Verifying his instinct, Brian's ecstatic voice came over the speaker. "Jen and I are getting married! She said yes, dude! Well, I was hoping you were home! But, oh well! I'll catch you later! I can't believe I asked her!" Brian cried. Nick pushed the delete button and made his way upstairs. He stripped his clothes off and jumped in the hot tub. His mind was swirling over his newfound thoughts. Where did Jen and him go now? Or was there a Jen and him? As he thought about it, tears brimmed in his eyes, and for, only the third time in his life, he cried over a broken heart. The next week, Nick decided he needed someone new. Someone to help him get over Jen. On Saturday night, he went to Howie's club in Orlando. He went in and Howie met him at the bar. They ordered some drinks and talked over the loud music for a while. "So, what's the real reason you're here Nicky? Club's aren't your thing," D said. "I just need to...," he stopped when he realized he almost told Howie about him and Jen. "Well, I need to find somebody, if you know what I mean." "What? You mean, THE Nick Carter needs to find a woman? After all the little twelve year-olds that run after you, you couldn't find one that suited you?" Howie asked sarcastically. The guys always liked to run it in the ground about him being THE Nick Carter. "Howie, seriously," Nick said. "Alright, come on. I can introduce you to some people," D said and led Nick to a table in the corner. John, Pollyanna, Claudia, and two girls Nick didn't know were seated around the table, talking. Polly was the first to speak. "Hey, stranger. Long time no see Nick," she said, standing to give him a hug. "Same here Polly. I heard your career is going good," Nick said. "Well, it's going, put it that way," she said. "Well, Nick. You know John and Claudia. These two girls over here are Laila and Stacey. They're friends of Claudia's," he said, introducing Nick to the two girls. Laila was the one who caught Nick's eye. He shook hands with both girls and sat down beside Laila. "Hi. You're one of Howie's band members, right?" she asked. "Yeah, that's me," he said. "Hey, do you wanna dance?" "Sure," she replied. Nick took her hand and led her to the dance floor. A fast song was playing and Laila started grinding against him. Nick closed his eyes and pretended Jen wasn't the one he was thinking about. As wrong as he knew it was, he imagined it was Jen he was dancing with. Suddenly, Laila's voice broke over the music. "Who is she?" she asked. "Who?" he asked, feigning innocence. "The girl you're thinking about," she said, smiling. Nick felt himself blush. He was glad it was dark in there. "Nobody," he said, shrugging. "She must be important to you. What happened?" she asked, still dancing with him. "She's getting married to someone else," he said. He didn't know why he was telling her this. He hadn't known her for more than 10 minutes. "You've got me interested. Start from the beginning," she said. "If I do, I have to have absolute confidence that you will not tell a soul. Not Claudia, not Howie, not your other friend. What was her name?" he asked. "Stacey," she said. "So, spill the beans. I promise not to tell a soul. You have my word." "Well, she was going out with my best friend and her and I got snowed in, in a cabin in Colorado about a year ago. We sort of...ya know...got really close then. We slept together. Anyways, about a month ago, we spent the night together again. A few days ago, she announced that her and my best friend were getting married," he said. "So she cheated on her boyfriend and your best friend? Does Brian know?" she asked, smiling. Nick looked up at her. She knew who he was talking about the whole time. She pretended to zip her mouth closed and throw away the key. "No, Brian doesn't know. At least, I hope he doesn't. See, we had a fight when she told me they were getting married. I said some things I shouldn't have," he said. "Well, if, by any chance, he does know, you better leave now," she said. "Why?" Nick asked. "Because they just walked in the door," she replied. Nick turned around and sure enough, Brian was walking in, holding his fiancee's hand. Brian shook some guys hand as they entered and Jen looked around the place. She was wearing a black dress and her hair was pulled back into an interesting ensemble. He didn't want a confrontation with either of them. He turned back around to face Laila. "I really hate to break this up. But I have to go. Why don't you ask Howie for my phone number?" he asked. "Okay. See ya around," she said and Nick quickly made himself scarce. He waited until Brian and Jen walked over to Howie's table before he slipped out the door without being noticed. He made his way to his Durango and jumped in. He quickly left the club and went home. Chapter 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jen and Brian walked over to Howie's table and started chatting. Jen was extremely bored all the sudden. She hadn't wanted to come, but Brian had dragged her out of the house. Suddenly, Howie's voice startled her. "Hey Brian, Nick's around here somewhere," he said. Some girl Jen didn't know, spoke up then. "Actually, you just missed him. He just left," she said. Howie looked at her quizically. She had just come to sit back down at the table. "Where did he go?" D asked, confused. "He didn't feel too good. He told me to ask you for his phone number," Laila said, stealing a short glance at Jen's shocked face. Laila wasn't trying to hurt her, but she knew what Nick had been trying to do. She hoped that maybe Jen would see how available Nick was now that she was out of the picture, then break off the engagement. It didn't seem to be working. Jen just pulled Brian away for a dance. Laila sighed. She'd have to talk to Nick soon to find out what he might have up his sleeve. Just looking at Jen, you could tell she was not happy with Brian and she surely didn't want to marry him. Laila just wanted to keep everyone from getting hurt. Two days later, Laila called Nick. Howie had given her his phone number before she'd left the club that night. Nick was playing his N64 when the phone rang. He paused the game and got up to get the phone. "Hello?" he answered. "Nick? It's Laila. From the club the other night," she said. "Oh yeah. Hi," he said, walking back over to sit in front of the television. "Well, I was just wondering if we could get together tonight. Not for anything romantic. Not like a date or anything. We just need to talk," she said. Nick ran a hand through his blond hair and sighed. "Uh, sure. Alright. Um...why don't you just come over here in about an hour and we can get some take-out. Do you like chinese?" he asked. "Oh, yes. Especially shrimp fried rice," she said, slyly. "Shrimp fried rice. Got it. Anything else?" he asked. "Eggrolls, maybe?" "No eggrolls for me. So, I'll see you in about an hour?" she asked. "See ya then," he said and they hung up. Nick ordered the food and waited for someone to arrive. The food arrived about ten minutes before Laila. When the doorbell rang for the second time, he knew it had to be Laila. He walked to the door and opened it. He almost stopped breathing when he saw Jen standing on the other side of the door. "Jen? What are you doing here?" he asked. "Can I come in?" she asked. "Yeah, sure," he said. He stepped aside and let her in. "Well, first off, I wanted to apologize about the other day. I should have just told Brian no. But I said yes and now I don't know what to do. I want out of the engagement, but I don't know..." another female voice interrupted her. Laila walked in the front door. "Nick? I'm here. Sorry I'm late, but I almost..." Laila stopped when she saw Jen sitting on the couch. It was silent for a minute. No one knew what to say. Finally, Laila broke it. "I'll just be in the kitchen." Jen stood up abruptly. "No, I was just leaving," she said and started for the door. Nick gave Laila a 'just a second' look. She nodded and went on into the kitchen. Jen walked quickly out the door and to her car. "Jen, wait up!" Nick cried. "No, I don't want to interrupt your date," she said. This infuriated Nick. He grabbed her arm and turned her around to look at him. "You're mad at me? How can you be mad at me? You're the one getting married!" he cried. He reached up and started rubbing his temples. "No, I'm not going to get upset again. We're not going to fight." Jen tried not to cry in front of him. "Do you want to talk? Cause we can. Laila is just a friend. It's purely platonic. I could stay out here all night if you want," Nick said, gesturing with his arms open wide. "I'm just scared Nick. I'm scared to marry Brian. I don't know if I can. I want to, but I don't know if I love him enough," she said. "I thought you knew you didn't love him," he said, leaning against her Mercedes. "I do love him. I just don't know if it's the same way he loves me," she said. Nick didn't want to ask the next question that was on his mind, but he knew he had to. "What about me?" he asked. "I don't know," she said softly, looking at the ground. "The 'I don't know' like I still want you but I know I can't have you, or the 'I don't know' like we can't see each other anymore?" Nick asked. "I don't know. I still don't know if I can marry Brian. If I can't, then maybe sometime in the future we can be together. We would just have to wait for Brian to get over me," she said. "Is that definite yet? Or are you still thinking about, actually, marrying a guy you know you don't love? You have to tell him sometime Jen," Nick stressed. "I know. I just don't know when. Oh, I'm so confused," she said, grabbing her head. "Alright, I'm sorry," Nick said, grabbing her up in his arms. She buried her head in his warm chest. He kissed her forehead and pulled away. "Where's Brian anyway?" "He went up to Lexington for the weekend. That's where he's decided we're getting married," she said. "You didn't go with him?" Nick asked "I faked illness and told him to go on," she said. "Why would you do a thing like that?" Nick asked slyly. "I wanted to see you," she said. Nick moaned quietly. "Let's go inside," he said huskily. He quickly led her into his house and closed the door. Suddenly another female voice interrupted them. "Nick?" Laila asked, holding her chopsticks. "Oh, Laila. I'm sorry, I forgot..." Laila stopped him. "It's okay. I really should be going anyways. I'll just take my rice with me. You two have a good night," she said, smiling, as she walked out the door. As soon as she was gone, Nick took Jen's hand again. "Come on. I wanna show you something," he whispered. He led her through the den and the kitchen, and out to the back deck that led to the beach. He led her down the stairs and to the moist, cold sand. They walked out towards the edge of the water. The sun was just barely setting. There was barely any light left. "Oh, Nick. It's beautiful," she said softly. "Yeah. Beautiful enough to make love," he whispered into her ear. His warm breath made her shiver with anxiety. "I'll be right back. Don't move." He turned around and ran back to the house. About three minutes later, he walked up beside her. She watched as he layed out a large, red blanket. He kneeled on it and opened his arms to her. She layed down under him and he layed over, on top of her. Their lips met again, and a low heat formed in Jen's stomach. At that point, she realized she'd never felt the fire with Brian, that she felt with Nick. His soft hands roamed under her shirt and slid under her bra to find her tender breast. He sat her up long enough to pull her shirt off. When he layed her back down, he reached behind his back and grabbed the ends of his white t-shirt. He pulled it up his back and over his head. He tossed it over with her shirt. Then he layed back down and started a trail of hot kisses from her lips, down her neck, across her collarbone and to her bra clad breasts. He slid his hand under her back and found the bra clasp. After he undid it, she pulled it down her arms and tossed it with the rest of the discarded clothes. From the moment Nick's hot mouth touched her breasts, Jen couldn't think of anything but her love for him and the pleasure only he could give. She raised her arms and held Nick's head in place. Tiny tingles ran up her spine and made her quiver from pleasure and excitement. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she started giggling. Nick picked his head up and looked at her. "What's so funny?" he asked. "I'm sorry. It just tickles," she said, trying not to smile. Nick leaned up and kissed her hard, pushing his tongue into her mouth for a brief moment. He moved his attention back to his previous actions. For a few minutes, he sucked, licked, nipped, and nibbled on her breasts. When he decided he was done, he fell back onto his knees. He grabbed her arms and pulled her into the same position, facing him. He suggestively put her hands on his zipper. She decided to tease him a bit. "What do you want me to do Nicky?" she asked. He threw his head back and closed his eyes. "You know what to do," he said. Figuring he wasn't in the mood to be teased, she took his zipper and pulled it down. She grabbed the sides of the garment and pulled them down his hips. He helped her pull them from his body. He reached down and help her remove her own jeans. Jen looked down and noticed how crowded Nick's lower half was. "Do you want me to remove your remaining clothing Nick?" she asked, smiling. "It would be greatly appreciated," he whispered, pleasure in his voice. She reached down and pulled the blue boxer-briefs off his body. As soon as the cool ocean breeze hit his erect member, Nick gasped loudly. He pulled Jen's silky panties off her body and tossed them over. He layed down beside her and traced her jawbone. "I love you so much. I keep thinking this could be the last time we're together," he whispered wistfully. "It's not. I love you too," she smiled. He leaned down and captured her lips again. He rolled over on top of her and gently eased himself into the private world they now called their own. With only the gentle sound of the waves crashing against each other, Nick and Jen made love to each other. No worries, no stresses, no problems. Everything seemed peachy-keen. The couple didn't think of anything but the pleasures they were giving and taking. They made love all night long. After the third time, Nick collapsed beside her, completely out of energy. All he wanted to do was lay there with her in his arms and for the sun to never come up and bring with it, the new worries of the day. "I'm exhausted Nick," she said lazily. "So am I. I guess you have that effect on me," he snickered. "Yeah, I turn you on," she said. They layed there, his arm thrown lazily over her rib-cage, their legs so entwined it was nearly impossible to tell who's was who's. Nick fell asleep shortly after as Jen's ran her nails up and down the arm that was laying across her body. She too fell asleep, shortly after. She dreamed of the perfect life with Nick. A time when she didn't have to worry about media backlash or the fact that, technically, they weren't 'together'. The only thing that stood in their way, was Brian. Part III: Do I Say 'I Do'? Chapter 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian and Jen decided to marry in June. It was now April. Jen still didn't know about her feelings toward her soon-to-be husband. But she knew if she didn't figure this whole mess out soon, she was going to be royaly screwed. She knew Nick was tired of waiting on her to break if off with Brian, and Brian would be crushed if she waited till the last minute to call off the wedding. She had no idea what to do. Her and Nick hadn't seen each other since last month, when they had the night to themselves on the beach behind Nick's house. Nick continued to see Laila, but only as a friend. His heart belonged to Jen, and Laila understood that. She tried to help Nick whenever she could. One morning, Nick woke up completely agitated and lonely. When Laila came over that afternoon, she noticed Nick's disposition. "Who pee'd in your cornflakes this morning?" she asked. "Nobody," he barked. She gave him a questioning stare. "I'll just come back later," she said and started for the door. "Laila, wait! I'm sorry," he said. "I just had a really good dream about Jen last night and I woke up this morning and it pissed me off that it was only a dream. I just want to see her." "Maybe you can," Laila said, giving him a strange look. "How? Her and Brian are busy planning the wedding," Nick said. "Jen's a model, right?" Laila asked. "She used to be one," Nick stated. Laila stared into space for a second, thinking. "Whatever you're thinking, don't. It won't work Laila." "No, I think I've got a good idea...." Jen was brushing her teeth when the phone rang. She quickly rinsed her mouth out and ran for the phone in her and Brian's bedroom. She grabbed the phone and answered the ringing contraption. "Hello?" "Is this Jennifer Elliott?" a woman asked. "Yes it is," Jen replied. "I'm with the European Models Management Association. Your name was given to me from Elite and we're having a convention in France next week that we'd like you to attend. All expenses are paid for. That includes airfare, food, and a nice hotel suite near the Champs-Elysees. Should I put your name down?" the woman asked. "Um...where is this again?" Jen asked, rubbing her temples. She needed to go, but Brian would be pissed about her leaving. "It's in Paris, France," the woman stated. "How long is the convention?" Jen asked. "It runs from next Monday to Thursday," the woman replied. Jen thought for a moment. Screw Brian. "Yeah, put me down," Jen said. They finished the negotiations and hung up. This was Jen's break. After three years, Jen was back to modeling. When Stacey hung up the phone, Laila and Nick looked at her expectantly. "Well?" Nick asked excitedly. "She fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker," Stacey announced. "Yes. I better go get packed. I want to get there before she does so I can fix everything just right for her," Nick said with a big smile on his face. When he left the room, Stacey turned to Laila. "He really does love her doesn't he?" she asked. "Yes, he does. If only fate would point in their favor," Laila stated, sighing. When Jen told Brian about the convention, he was none-too-thrilled. But after she explained it as a strategic career move, he sided with her and told her he was happy about it. She immediately started packing. On that Saturday afternoon, Brian drove her to the airport. The convention didn't start until Monday but she wanted to have Sunday to sight-see some of Paris. Brian kissed her and told her to be careful. As her flight was called, Brian told her he loved her and to have fun. She waved one last time and boarded the plane. Nick swiped the card key through the security lock and pushed the suite door open. He flipped on the lights and the room was illuminated. When he'd made reservations, he'd asked for the largest, most luxurious room they had. But since he was in Europe, all the rooms were a tad bit smaller than American hotel rooms. He stuck the card in his pocket and made his way to the spacious bedroom. A king sized bed lay next to the wall. He sat his suitcase on it and walked back into the living room. He walked over to the window and opened the curtain. He watched the ant size people walk the streets of the city, 25 stories below him. That was one thing Brian and Nick didn't have in common. Brian was petrified if he was more than five feet off the ground. He detested heights. Nick found it thrilling. He walked away from the window and looked at his watch. Jen's flight wouldn't come in for another six hours. Stacey had gotten Jen a plane ticket in her name. There was no reason for Jen to think this was anything more than what she'd been told on the phone. Nick decided a short nap would be helpful. He went into the bedroom and crashed onto the bed. Five minutes later, he was dead to the world. Jen trudged off the plane with the rest of the 130 passengers on board. She went through customs, got her luggage, and made her way out of the huge airport. Catching a Mercedes taxi (yes, they have Mercedes Benz's as taxis over there!), she went to the hotel. When the taxi pulled up at her hotel, she got her luggage and climbed out. She checked her watch. It was only 7:30 a.m.. She went up to the desk clerk in the lobby and waited while the older woman talked on the phone. When she hung up, she spoke to Jen. "Yes, can I help you?" the woman asked. "I'm supposed to have reservations here please," Jen replied. "And your name dear?" the clerk asked. "Jennifer Elliott." The woman looked up at her. A smile crossed her face. "So, you're Ms. Elliott," the woman stated, looking pleased. "Your room is waiting on you. You're in 2614. That's on the top floor. It's the penthouse suite," the woman snickered. Jen's eyes widened. Shrugging her shoulders, then grabbed her luggage and strode over to the elevator. Suddenly someone grabbed her hand. "May I help you Ms.?" a bellboy asked. "Please. Thank you," Jen stated. Her and the bellboy rode up to the her floor. When the bell chimed, signaling the top floor, Jen and the bellboy, whose name tag said 'Charles', walked out. "You're in 2614?" the bellboy asked, walking ahead of her. "Yes, that's right," Jen answered. She thought she saw a sneaky gleam in his eye when she'd replied. What was it with this hotel and the penthouse? Charles walked up to the double doors that had the gold numbers '2614'. He opened the door and sat Jen's bags down, just inside the door. "Let the front desk know if you need anything. Is there anything I can get you presently?" he asked. "No thanks," Jen said. She tipped the young boy and closed the double doors. What an exhausting day! So much for sight-seeing today. She was dead tired. As she was picking up her bags, she noticed a green backpack sitting by the sofa. She froze in her tracks. A bomb? Did the front desk accidently mistake her room number with someone else's? She though momentarily about going and getting Charles before he got on the elevator but decided against it. He was probably gone already anyway. She sat the rest of her bags down and wandered through the living area. The double doors to the bedroom were closed. As she got closer to them, she noticed red rose petals scattered on the floor leading to the bedroom. Now she knew she was in the wrong room. She'd only been to Europe a few times, and she knew they put mints on your pillows. But rose petals? She'd never heard of that. "Is someone here?" she asked. No one answered. Taking a deep breath, she opened the double doors quickly. She almost screamed when she saw Nick laying across the huge bed, clad in only a pair of silk boxers. "Surprise!" he said. Her eyes widened. Slowly a smile came to her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Nick climbed off the bed and came over to embrace her lovingly. "I thought I'd surprise you. Are you surprised?" he asked, tilting her chin up. "Very. How did you know about the convention?" she asked. Suddenly, a guilty look crossed his face. "There is no convention. It was all just a plan to get you to come. I knew you wouldn't leave Brian just to come see me," Nick stated. "How do you know that? I might have. You didn't have to lie to me," she said, faking anger. "Hey don't get mad at me! It wasn't my idea. You can thank Laila for this. I just agreed to go along with it," he said, throwing his hands up in defense. "I'm just kidding. I'm glad you did it. I didn't have to lie to Brian. And I had a good excuse for leaving," she said. "Yep," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. "So, how long do we have here in the city of love? You know, I can always tell Brian that the convention is gonna run over because they had problems getting it together. I'll bet we can stay here all week," she said, walking around the huge room. "I don't know about that. He might get suspicious," he said, following her. She turned around and let him gather her up in his arms. "Why would he? We're getting married in two months. Why would I have a reason to cheat on him? Besides, don't you want me Nicky?" she asked, shyly. A smile slowly crept to her face. Nick groaned. "That's a pretty dumb question, don't you think?" he asked, his eyes closed. Jen could feel his hardness against her stomach. "Come here. I wanna give you something." He opened his eyes and led her into the bathroom. She wasn't expecting anything much, so when he handed her a pink plastic container, she wasn't surprised. "I know we haven't used protection that often, and I'm usually a very strong advocate of safe sex, but when we're together, the idea of pregnancy is the last thing on my mind. I'm gonna use a condom tonight, but tomorrow, when the pill has taken effect, I'm not going to use one. I wanna feel you like you're supposed to be felt. But I don't know what's going to partake in the next few days. Probably a lot of gourmet food, a lot of walking, and a lot of making love. The last thing you need is to be pregnant with someone else's baby when you get married," he said, holding her face in his hand. She placed her's over his and smiled lovingly. "I really wouldn't mind getting pregnant with you. It might give me the escape I need from Brian. But if you want me to take these pills, I will. Neither one of us are really ready for a child. I mean look at me. I'd be a real great mother. I'm sleeping with my boyfriend's best friend...and I know I love him more than my boyfriend," she said, tears brimming in her eyes. Nick caressed her cheeks as a few tears escaped. "Hey, it's all going to work out. I promise," he said, rubbing his thumb over her lips. He quickly replaced his thumb with his wet lips. "I can't believe I'm in Paris," she said softly. "You've never been here?" Nick asked, surprised. "No. I've been to Germany and Sweden, but never France," she said. "Well, then let's go," he said, taking her hand and leading her back into the bedroom. Nick threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. It was colder in France than in America. He grabbed a baseball cap for incognito and Jen put on her brown leather jacket. Nick and Jen went down the elevator to the parking garage in the basement. Nick led her over to a black Mercedes Benz with tinted windows. "You have a car?" she asked. "Not a lot of people drive in Paris. All I had to do was tell them my name and they asked if I needed anything. Let's see. They asked about a car, a bottle of wine, a mini-bar, and a bunch of other junk. I only took the car and the mini-bar," Nick smiled. He pressed the alarm button on the remote and the car beeped. He walked around and opened the door for her. "Thank you," she said, popping him a kiss. "You're welcome my Princess," he joked. He closed her door and walked around to his side. "Where to ma'am?" he asked. "I don't know. You've been here before. I haven't," she stated. Nick thought for a moment. She watched as he licked his lips and stared at the steering wheel. "Well, we can't hit the Louvre today. It takes at least a week to go through the whole place. But we can go to the Champs-Elysees. It's right down the street. It's a straight shot. You can see the Arc de Triomphe, ride down the Champs-Elysees, and see the Louvre. How does that sound?" he asked, taking her hand. "It sounds great," she said, smiling. "Alright," he said. He pulled out of the garage and pulled out onto the crowded streets. There were bicyclists everywhere. "What's with the bicycles?" she asked, pointing out the dark window. "Natives of France just don't drive. They don't see the point. It takes longer to drive than it does to ride your bike. It's like in New York, for example. You know those idiots who ride their bikes through the traffic? It's the same concept," he said. "Oh," she said, nodding her head. A few minutes later, Jen saw a huge monument towering over everything else. "What's that?" she asked. "That's the Arc de Triomphe," Nick replied. He pulled over and parked on the side of the street. They got out and Nick took her hand. The cool breeze whipped through her hair and tossed her self-made curls around. She put her arm around Nick's waist and he hugged her tight. Everything seemed perfect at that moment. They were together. The only person who stood in their way was nearly 3000 miles away. "It's huge," she said. They crossed the right side of the road and stood in the middle of the street, on the middle walk. "It's gorgeous," he said. Nick walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smelled and felt so good, Nick could have taken her right there in the middle of the street. "I feel so wonderful here with you," she whispered. "I do too," he said. "I love you and we're in the 'City of Love'." "I love you too," she smiled. "Come on," he said. He grabbed her hand again and pulled her across the street. They started walking down the sidewalk. "Why did you do this, Nick?" she asked, curiously. "Because I love you and I wanted to have you without having to worry about where Brian was and whether or not he would find out. Plus, I didn't want you to worry about him. While we're together let's not think about him," Nick said, stopping to hold her face. They looked deep into each other's eyes. At that exact moment, she knew she'd never marry Brian. It would be impossible for her to stay true to him for the rest of her life when she was so in love with Nick. "Let's just pretend it's just you and me. Like there's nobody else. Like we're just two people who love each other," she said. Love seemed to be gushing from the both of them. "Okay," Nick agreed. For the rest of the day, they walked around Paris. Later that afternoon, after a lot of walking, lunch in a quaint little cafe, and lots of little kisses, they returned to their car and drove back to the hotel. They took a shower together and relaxed. Jen was working on her laptop when Nick came into the bedroom. "Do you want to go to dinner tonight or save it for another night?" he asked, sitting behind her. He pulled her hair back and started placing soft kisses on her neck. She moaned and threw her head back. "Let's just order something from downstairs and make love all night," she whispered. "No argument from me," he stated. He reached across the bed and grabbed the phone. He ordered them dinner and hung up. Jen was still working when he got off. "Would you put that thing away? Remember? Just me and you?" he asked, taking her hands in his own so she couldn't type anymore. He saved her work quickly and shut down the small computer. Then he layed down beside her and started kissing her softly. His kissed ignited a fire deep inside her. She wanted him so badly. "I want you," she moaned. Nick picked his head up. "Hold that thought honey. Our food will be here soon," he said, his voice still husky. They held a heated makeout session under there was a knock at their door. Nick got up and went to get it. Chapter 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick and Jen layed in bed, flirting, kissing, and feeding each other. Jen had Nick's order in her lap and Nick had Jen's order in his. Nick picked up a piece of the chicken and fed it to her. He placed it in her mouth and pulled the fork back. "How is it?" Nick asked. "Great. How's yours?" she asked, as she repeated the process with him. He had ordered a steak with a baked potato. "Pretty good," he said, chewing the meat. "But I'll bet desert's going to beat all." He smirked sexily at her. "Who said you were getting any desert?" she asked. Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "You did. I believe this was your idea. Eat in and make love all night? Wasn't that how you put it?" he asked. "No, what I said was 'let's order something from downstairs and make love all night'," she stated. "Alright, Miss Smartypants," he said, giving her another piece of chicken. When they were done eating, Nick stripped down to his boxers and undershirt. Jen decided to be sneaky and grabbed one of Nick's over-sized t-shirts. When she walked out of the bathroom with it on, he looked at her funny. "Isn't that my t-shirt?" he asked, pointing at her. "Yes it is. You got a problem with it?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "Not at all. But it does pose a small problem," he said. She looked at him confused. "What problem?" she asked. "I might not be able to keep my hands off you," he said matter-of-factly. "If that's a problem for you, I can always get my own room..." she trailed off. Nick jumped off the bed and grabbed her waist. "Not a chance in hell!" he cried playfully. He picked her up and placed her on the bed. He layed down beside her and started kissing her again. He pulled one leg up and leaned halfway on top of her. She stroked his face and they shared some passionate kisses. They both removed Nick's undershirt and Nick threw it across the room. Jen ran her nails over his shoulders and down his back. She massaged his butt through his boxer-briefs. This elicited a moan from Nick. Jen felt his soft hands on her silky legs. He traveled over her knees, up her thighs and under the t-shirt. After teasing her for a few seconds, he grabbed her panties and pulled them off. Then he took the ends of the t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She removed his underwear and he fell between her legs. As he kissed her with all he had, he slowly moved inside of her. Again, they shared a night neither of them would soon forget. The next morning, Nick woke Jen up at 9 a.m.. He had ordered them breakfast from downstairs. He sat the tray table on the floor and leaned over Jen. "Hey baby. Jen, wake up," he tried. But she continued to sleep. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She moaned and soon started kissing him back. When he pulled away, she was looking up at him. "Good morning," he said. "Good morning," she smiled. She threw her arms over her head and stretched. "Breakfast?" he asked, reached down and picking up the tray. "You ordered breakfast for us?" she asked, sitting up. "Yeah. We're going to be doing a lot of walking today, so we need to eat our breakfast," Nick stated. "No, but you actually ordered us breakfast in bed?" she asked, a soft, loving look on her face. "Well, I've already showered and shaved, but, yeah, we can have breakfast in bed if you want," he said. He took his shirt off and hopped in bed beside her. "Can we feed each other again?" she asked slyly. "I don't think that would be a good idea. You see, if we do that, I might get turned on and we'd have to relive last night. And I don't want to stay in bed all day. As crazy as that sounds, I want to show you the city. Besides, today we're going to the Louvre," he said, a cheesy grin on his face. "You're too cute," she said. Nick made a digusted face. "Ugh! I'm cute," he said. "Alright! You're too sexy," she corrected. "Now, that might get you a kiss," he said. They leaned in together and kissed. Jen opened all the food trays and found scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit, toast, and orange juice. They devoured the food and Jen took a quick shower. When they were both ready, they rode back down to the garage and got their car. Nick drove them down the Champs-Elysees and toward the Louvre. "Wow, this place is huge," she cried. Nick looked over at her and smiled. "It's even bigger inside. There's a lot of stories about this museum," Nick noted. He found a parking place and parked the Mercedes. They got out and clasped hands. They walked through the plaza in front of the Louvre. "How do you know so much about Paris?" she asked. "Because I've only been here about ten times," he replied. "Have you ever been here? To the Louvre?" she asked. "Nope. I just here a lot about it," he said. When they finally got up to the huge building that circled around the plaza, Nick payed for their way in. They started down one of the enormous halls, and they began their three and a half hour tour. They saw the Mona Lisa and other famous works of Leonardo Da Vinci, pictures of the kings of France, like Louis XIV, and other famous paintings. Of course, they no where near finished the whole place. It was said that it would take a least a week to go through the whole place. At 12:30 a.m., Nick's stomach announced that it was lunch time. Jen laughed and they went in search of something to eat. They left the car where it was and hopped on the train. It took them to another side of France. Once Jen got off the train, she began to worry that maybe they had gotten lost. "Nick, are you sure you know where you are?" she asked. Nick looked at her. "Honey, I promise. I will not get us lost. I swear. Besides, this is France. As long as you know the layout of the land, you're good. And I'm good," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. When he pulled away, he kissed her forehead. They found a nice sandwich shop. When the sandwich maker asked in french what they would like, Jen replied. "Je voudrais un sandwich de fromage," she replied. Nick looked at her, shocked. The chef nodded and started on her order. "Why didn't you tell me you spoke French?" he asked. "Never came up," she shrugged. "So what did you order?" he asked. She took that as a hint that he didn't know French very well. "I said 'I would like a cheese sandwich'," she said. Nick looked around nervously. "Do you want me to order for you?" She knew this would kill his male ego. He didn't answer right away. "I want a ham and cheese sandwich," he said quietly. "Okay," she whispered back. When the sandwich maker finished her sandwich order, she told him Nick's. "Aussi, je voudrais un sandwich de jambon et fromage." The sandwich maker fixed Nick's order and Nick payed for the both of them. When they sat down at a street-side table, Nick asked her about her French. "So how did you learn French?" he asked. "I thought you knew French?" she asked back . "I asked you first," he said. She smiled. "I took it in high school. They had four different levels. I took all of them. I had to take this big test, called an AP test. I didn't pass, but if I had, I would've gotten college credit for the class. That's how far I went," she said. "Did you take it in college?" he asked, taking a bite of the sandwich. Jen looked down. "I never got to college. I met Brian my senior year, so when I graduated, I just went with him," she said. Nick could tell she wasn't happy with her decision. "Do you want to go to college?" he asked. "I've always wanted to go to college," she said wistfully. Nick leaned in and took her hand across the table. "When you finally get the guts to call off this wedding that we both know will never happen, and we're finally together, you'll go to college. I'll be more than happy to send you wherever you want to go. Cause, you know, I'm not exactly on my last legs, financially speaking. I can take care of you," he said. That last sentence, he wasn't exactly talking about college. He meant for the rest of her life. But she wouldn't know that for another day or so. "I can't do that Nick. I couldn't let you do that," she said. "You don't have to 'let' me. How about I let myself do that?" he asked. She laughed. "You always know how to brighten the mood," she said. "That's me," he said. When they finished their sandwichs, they walked hand in hand to a nearby park. There was a huge fountain in the middle. Nick sat on the concrete side of the fountain. Jen sat in his lap with her back to him. They whispered in each other's ear as the rest of the world walked past them. That night, Nick planned a nice dinner for them. When they got back from their sight-seeing trip, Nick told her to dress nice for dinner. She gave him a strange look, but did as she was told. She put on a simple yet elegant black dress and fixed her hair. When she was ready, she walked out into the living room where Nick was ready and waiting. He was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the TV. He was obviously frustrated that he didn't understand a word they were saying. When Jen cleared her throat he turned off the TV and stood up. He was wearing a deep crimson dress shirt and a black suit. His hair was fixed exactly the way Jen liked it...gelled over the part in his scalp. "Wow," he said, looking her over. "Do you like?" she asked, twirling around for effect. "No, I love. You look great," he said. He walked over to her and kissed her. "So, do I get to order for you tonight too?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "No! Tonight, I'm gonna do everything right. Open doors for you, order champagne, order your food, escort you in. The works," he said. "Well, then. Shall we?" she asked, sticking her arm out for him to take. "We shall," he said, holding her arm. With that, they left the suite. Nick pulled her chair out for her and she gracefully sat down. The restaurant was very nice. She didn't know why Nick was doing this. She guessed he was just trying to be a perfect gentleman. Whenever Brian tried to do that, he'd crack up the second he did something nice. It always ruined the moment. "Wow, Nick. This place is nice," she said, sounding surprised. "What? You didn't think I'd get us in?" he asked. "No, it's not that," she said. "I didn't even have reservations. All I had to do was walk in and it's like 'boom! Right this way Mr. Carter. Your table is ready.' It's a job perk. You gotta love my name," he said. "So we didn't even have reservations?" she asked, her smile slowly fading. Nick got a little worried. He'd thought he'd done everything right. "Well, no. I never got the chance today. We were too busy," he said. She was starting to make him feel about an inch tall. "So, we got in here because you're a Backstreet Boy? Well, now I know why the penthouse suite was so exciting to the hotel staff. Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys was in there. Yeah, sound the trumpets," she cried. Barely anyone in the restaurant knew they were having a fight. Jen wasn't screaming. But Nick felt self-conscious. He knew he should have made reservations. "Look, we were busy all day. I didn't get a chance," he defended. "That's the whole point Nick. You're supposed to surprise me. You could have done it this morning while I was asleep," she said. "Look, I'm sorry. I just don't get the chance to go all out with a girl I love. Is that so bad? I don't have practice with this. Besides, it's a freakin' reservation! What does it matter?" he cried quietly. "It doesn't matter, Nick. I'm sorry I got upset. Maybe I'm just not used to this either. Brian rarely does anything like this," she said. Nick sighed. "I tried to do everything," he said. Jen smiled. "You did. But you don't have to do all this. I would have been happy wherever," she said. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah, really," she said. The rest of the meal continued, uneventful. The food was delicious. When they were done, Nick payed the bill and they walked around the streets, doing a little shopping. In one clothing store, Jen found a dress she liked. She tried it on and modeled it for Nick, while he sat in a chair outside the dressing room. He smiled as she modeled for him. "Do you like it?" she asked. "Yeah. You like great in it," he said. She reached down and grabbed the pricetag. In her mind, she converted the francs to dollars. The dress would come to a total of $600. Jen frowned. "What?" Nick asked. "Nothing," she said and started back into the dressing room to take it off. She had really wanted it but she certainly didn't need to pay six hundred dollars for it. She put her original clothes back on and walked out of the dressing room. She noticed that Nick wasn't sitting in the chair anymore. She frowned. Walking out into the store, she saw Nick standing by the register. "I know he's not," she muttered and started toward him. As she walked up to him, he put his wallet in his back pocket. "Thank you Mr. Carter," the woman at the register said, smiling. She handed him a receipt and Nick turned around. "What are you doing?" Jen asked him. She was still carrying the dress around. Nick looked down at it. "Oh, uh, we'll need a bag too," Nick said to the woman. "Right away," she said. Jen just stood there, clueless "You did not do what I think you did, did you?" she asked. "What do you think I did?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning on the counter. Jen didn't answer. The woman came back with a bag and handed it to Nick. "You bought the dress?!" Jen cried. Nick nodded. "Uh-huh," Nick stated. He opened the bag for her to put the dress in. "You bought it?" Jen cried again. "Yes. Now would you put the dress in the bag, Jen?" he asked. "Why? Why did you buy it?" she asked. "Because you absolutely loved it and you looked damn good in it. And because I wanted to spoil you. Besides, you weren't going to buy it, were you?" he asked, smiling. "Well...no, of course not. I couldn't afford it," she said. "Okay, then. Thank you very much Miss. We'll be going now. Au revoir," Nick said to the cashier. He put his arm around Jen and pushed her out the door. When they were back on the street, Jen looked at Nick. "What was that for?" she asked, trying to grab the bag from Nick. He put it up over his head where she couldn't reach it. "I'm just spoiling you. Can't I do that?" he asked. He smiled at her as she tried to grab the bag, unsuccessfully. "Stop trying to grab it." "Why did you really do that?" she asked, placing her chin on his chest. "Because you look great in it and because you're going to wear it tomorrow night," he said. "What's tomorrow night? What are we doing?" she asked, looking up at him. "It's a surprise. I'm taking you somewhere special," he said, caressing her chin. "Ooo! Somewhere special," she mimicked. "Keep up with that and I'll send you home," he threatened with a smile. He pointed at her and popped her nose. They went back to the hotel and changed into their pajamas. Jen washed her face and they brushed their teeth. They climbed in bed and Nick turned out the lights. Usually he would roll over and start kissing her immediately. When he just layed there for a second, it worried her. "Nick? Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm fine. It's just..." he stopped. "What?" she asked, propping her head up with her elbow. "Well, I kinda don't want to make love tonight. I'm tired. One night off won't hurt us. I just want to lay here with you right now," he said. "Is something wrong?" she asked, worried. Even in the dark of the room, Nick could see her frowning. "No, no, no nothing's wrong. I just think it would be good for us to get some real sleep tonight. Instead of finally falling asleep somewhere around 3 a.m.. I still love you," he said. "Okay," she said, still a little reluctant. "Is that okay with you?" he asked "Yeah, if that's what you want," she replied. "Come here," he said. She scooted over and he wrapped his arms around her. He dropped a kiss on her head and started caressing her arm. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you too," he said with as much assurance as was possible. He both needed and wanted her. He was a little worried that Brian would end up marrying her and he'd never again have her. That thought scared the hell out of him. He quickly shrugged it off and tried to concentrate on getting to sleep and not worrying the woman in his arms. "Good night," he said. When she didn't reply, he looked down. She was sound asleep on his chest. He smiled and layed his head back down on the soft pillow. Chapter 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jen slowly woke up and opened her eyes. The room was unusually dark. She glanced over at the clock. It said 9:23 a.m.. Suddenly she heard a low rumble. Thunder. It was raining outside. She sighed. She looked over at Nick, who was asleep on his stomach. His lips were parted slightly and his hair was falling in his face. Jen thought he looked absolutely adorable. Trying to stifle a laugh, she leaned over to his ear. "You look cute," she whispered as quietly as possible. He didn't move. 'Now I've told him he's cute and he didn't object,' she thought. She slowly crawled out of his arms and made her way to the bathroom. She stripped and turned the shower on. The hot water of the shower felt good. As she was about to grab the shampoo bottle, she heard the shower door open. Stunned, she turned around to see Nick slide in and close the door back. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I needed a shower," he shrugged. Jen's eyes unconciously fell to his growing erection. He watched as she stared at his member. Now she knew why he was really there. "You don't need a shower...you need a screw," she said, laughing. "Alright, so I lied. Do you really care?" he asked, taking a step toward her. Her back was now turned to him. "No, I don't," she said, turning around and jumping in his arms. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. She gasped when her back pressed up against the cold tile. Without wasting any time, Nick slammed into her. She sighed happily. Everytime Nick thrusted into her, her back slid up the wall. Combined with his 'wet' dream the night before and it's 'lingering' side effects, and the fact that the water made Jen's body shine, Nick quickly began to build to his climax. After a few more thrusts, Jen cried out and her own body began it's climax. As her body contracted around him, he couldn't help but be pushed over the edge himself. He layed his forehead on her shoulder and spilt out into her body. As they came down from their highs, Jen leaned up against the wall and ran her fingers through his blond hair. Jen felt his quick breaths on her chest. "Good morning to you too," she stated. He kissed both breasts before setting her back down on the shower floor. "Yeah, good morning," he said. "You must have had a great dream last night," she smiled slyly. "Yeah, well, you were in it," he said. He reached over and opened the shower door. He stepped out and grabbed two towels. He grabbed the first one and wrapped Jen in it. Then grabbed the other one and put it around his waist. "Care to explain your dream?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist. "How about I just show you?" he asked. "Lead the way. You do know it's raining today, don't you?" she asked. "Yep. I suggest we stay in and be lazy all day," he said. "I suggest you show me what your dream was all about," she said suggestively. Nick raised his eyebrows at her. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms and carried her out to the bedroom. For the rest of the day, Nick and Jen layed around the suite. Every couple of hours, they would retreat back to the bedroom for another round of lovemaking. Then they would lay in bed for about an hour and talk and flirt. Later on in the afternoon, Nick suggested they start getting ready for the evening. Jen got up to the get the shower she'd tried to get that morning, but had been diverted from getting. When she got out, she put on the dress Nick had bought her the night before. In the bedroom, Nick was getting ready also. As he was laying out his clothes, he came across the velvet box. Sighing, he checked once to make sure Jen was still in the shower. He opened the box and inspected the sterling silver band with the nice sized diamond in the middle. It was the perfect ring for Jen. He was nervous. More nervous than he'd been in a long time. He had no idea what he was doing. He didn't even know why he was going to ask her. She was already engaged to one guy. And the guy just happened to be his best friend. Suddenly the water turned off and Nick knew she was getting out. He had to get his shower. He stuffed the ring back under the clothes in his suitcase and zipped it up. She walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a big white towel. As he walked by her towards the shower, they stopped to kiss. He quickly showered and got dressed and they left the suite. Jen could barely contain her excitement as Nick drove them to the surprise dinner. It took them about twenty minutes to get to the place. Jen raised her eyebrows when they parked near the Eiffel Tower. Then she remembered the tower had a restaurant on top. "Are we eating on the top of the Eiffel Tower?" she cried. "Uh....yeah," he admitted. "OMG!!" she cried. She leaned over the center console in the car and threw her arms around his neck. "I take it you like the idea," he said. "Come on, we're almost late." "You mean we have reservations this time?" she asked, opening her door. "Yes, we have reservations this time," he said sarcastically. "I didn't want to get in trouble again." She ran over to him and threw her arms around his waist. They walked right up to the tower and and got on the elevator. On the way up to the top, they had a small make out session. Jen giggled when they pulled apart. "I can't believe I'm in the Eiffel Tower," she said. The elevator finally stopped and the doors opened. A very elegant restaurant stared back at them. A Maitre D' walked up to them. "Comment t'appelle tu, sil' vous plait?" he asked. Jen was about to inform Nick what the man said, when Nick spoke. "Carter," Nick replied. "Oui," the man said and turned around. He gestured for them to follow him. Jen gave Nick a questioning glance. Nick stuck his tongue out at her. The old man seated them near a window. Jen was about to ask if they could have another table when the old guy walked away and Nick seated her in her chair, then sat across from her. He picked up the menu and started looking for his meal choice. "Nick, do you think we could get another table?" she asked. "Well, when I called for reservations I asked for a table overlooking the city. I thought you'd like it," he said. "Oh, I do. But at this height, I'm getting kinda dizzy," she said. "Here, let's trade seats then," he said. Nick sat facing the window and Jen sat with her back to it. "That better?" "Yeah, I guess," she said. "Just don't look behind you," he said. "Yeah, it would be bad if there was an earthquake and I fell out backwards," she said, rolling her eyes. "I won't let you fall. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise," he said sincerely. They both knew he meant more than falling out of a window. A few minutes later, the waiter came over to take their order. A true gentleman, Nick let Jen order first. "Je voudrais un hamburger et frites," she said. She wondered if Nick would need her to order for him. She got the surprise of her life when Nick spoke his own French. "Je...je voudrais...une steak....et frites," he stated. With a little difficulty, Nick ordered by himself. When the waiter walked away, Nick and Jen leaned in the talk amongst themselves. "I'm so proud of you. You ordered by yourself," she said. "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny," he said. "Why didn't you tell me you knew French?" she asked. "I don't. From all the trips out here, I've heard the guys say stuff, but I never understood what they were saying or where to use it. When I heard you order yesterday, I knew I'd heard it before and I understood it," he explained. Her smile increased. Soon after, their food came. For Nick, the whole night was taking extremely too long. He was so anxious for what he had planned after dinner, that he could barely eat his steak. When they were done, again, Nick put down the bill. He stood up and took her hand in his. Jen figured they'd go shopping again like they'd done the night before. Instead of pressing the button for the ground, Nick pressed the button for the observation deck. When the door opened they stepped out. Jen jerked on Nick's hand and he stopped. "What?" he asked. "It's too far. It's too high for me," she stated. "Oh, you big baby. Come on," he said. "I can't Nick," she cried. Nick stood in front of her and held onto her hands. "Come on. Come out here with me," he pleaded. "I can't! I'll fall," she cried. She shut her eyes tight and wouldn't budge. "You're not gonna fall. I promise. Now come on," he said, smiling. He wouldn't admit it, but he loved the fact that she was depending on him. She was terrified of the height, but seemed to be holding onto him. "It's too far Nick. I'm gonna fall," she cried. "Listen to me. I'm not gonna let you fall. I promise. Nothing's gonna happen. Just hold onto me," he said. She let him wrap his arms around her and squeeze her tight. He led her over to the edge and stopped. "Open your eyes." "I can't look," she whined. "Open your eyes Jen. Look at the beautiful city," he said. She slowly opened her eyes and looked over the city of love. Paris was completely lit up. "Oh my...it's beautiful," she stated, breathlessly. "Yep. I love this place. Brian, of course, can't stand to come here," he said. "Wow. I can see our hotel," she said. She pointed it out in the collage of lights. Jen stood a good four feet from the railing and looked out. She didn't notice when Nick backed away. "I'm glad you got me to come out here." When he didn't answer her, she turned around. He looked nervous. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "Come over here with me," he said. He took her hand and led her right to the edge. She quickly sucked in a breath. "Trust me." She nodded. He had the most serious look on his face. "What's going on?" she asked. He just ignored her. "Geez Jen. I don't know where to start. I don't know what brought us together, I don't know what kept us together, and I don't even know why we're here now. And I sure as heck, don't know why I'm about to do what I'm about to do. I just feel like this is what we're supposed to do. And I know you're engaged to Brian. Trust me, I'm well aware of that. I just...I need you. And I'm scared to death that Brian is gonna take you away from me. It's a fear that haunts me day in and day out. It's the first thing I think of when I wake up in the mornings and the last thing I think of before I go to bed at night. I don't even know if this is the right thing to do or not. I just have to try," he said. Jen completely stopped breathing when he pulled out a sterling silver diamond engagement ring. "Jen, will you marry me?" he asked. Jen felt like crying. But she didn't know what for. Whether it was because this would just complicate things or because she knew it was what she wanted. Before she could stop them, tears fell down her face. "Say something!" Nick cried. His smile had slowly faded. He was worried she might say no. "Yes!" she cried. It felt like major 'deja vu'. Nick picked her up off the ground and swung her around. When she looked into his eyes, they were wet also. "What are we gonna do?" she cried, a smile coming through her tears. "I don't know. But I promise I'm gonna marry you," he said. Her smile brightened and they kissed. "I love you!" she screamed. "I love you too!" he replied, just as loud as her. They danced around the observation deck, happliy. When they were all laughed out, they went down to the car and drove back to the hotel. There was something special that evening when they made love. Something that meant they loved each other. A calming sense, almost like their worries were gone. After they both came down from their climaxes, Jen layed in Nick's arms. They put their hands together, his large one much bigger than her small one, and Jen watched her new ring sparkle. The day after they'd gotten there, Jen had taken off Brian's engagement ring. She'd have to change them when she went home. They stared in each other's eyes until they both fell asleep. Part IV: Between Friends Chapter 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jen packed all her belongings back into her suitcase. Across the room, Nick was doing the same thing. She stopped momentarily and watched him as he picked up a pile of his t-shirts and stuffed them into his bag. She quickly resumed her task. "So, where are you headed now?" she asked. "New York. I didn't want both of us to come from Paris at the same time. Besides, I told everybody I was going to New York for the rest of the week for some shopping and alone time. Nobody questioned me," he said. "Oh, smart move," she replied. "Yeah," he said quietly. It was silent for the remainder of the hour. Finally, Jen crammed everything in her suitcase. "Finally finished," she announced. "Yeah, me too," he said. He zipped up his bag and crashed on the bed. Jen smiled and fell on top of him. "When's your flight?" she asked. "5:48 p.m.. I've got about five hours," he stated, rubbing his forehead. "What about you?" "Oh, mine's at 3:51 p.m.," she said. She felt his hands grip her waist. "Don't forget about my ring," he said. She looked down at her left ring finger. Brian's engagement ring stared back at her. "I already took it off," she said, holding up her left hand. It was quiet for a few minutes. Nick's eyes were closed and Jen didn't really have anything to say. But when she did, she spoke. "What are we gonna do Nick?" "I don't know Jen. Maybe I shouldn't have proposed to you. Maybe this is just a stupid obsession or something," he said softly. Jen just stared down at him. She quickly climbed off his chest and stalked into the living room. Nick sat up and watched her. He could tell she was pissed. He sighed and climbed off the bed and walked behind her. He leaned against the large doorjamb of the bedroom as she fixed herself a martini at the mini-bar. "What did you want me to say? No matter what I say, I can't make you call off the wedding. It's your life! What the hell do you want me to tell you?" he cried. He watched as she took a big gulp of the alcohol. "I just wanted to here you say that you loved me the way Brian loves me! And that you wanted us to get married because you know I don't love Brian! And I wanted you to say that if I did call off the wedding, that you'd be here to hold me!" she shouted. Nick stared at her for a moment. He quickly pushed himself off the doorjamb and started towards her. He hastily walked up in front of her and engulfed her in his arms. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I love you the way Brian loves you, and probably more! I want us to get married because I know you don't love Brian! And when you call off the wedding, I'll be here to hold you!" he said, practically repeating what she'd just yelled. "It's all gonna be okay." "What should I do Nick?" she asked, scared of what would happen when she got home. "I can't tell you that honey. Just listen to your heart," he said. She nodded on his shoulder. He carried her into the bedroom and layed her on the bed softly. They stripped off all their clothes and made love one last time. Neither of them knew if they'd ever be together again. When they were done, as Nick held her in his arms, he whispered in her ear. "No matter what happens, I always want you to know I love you. And if you and Brian do get married, we shouldn't see each other anymore," he said. She silently nodded. If Brian and I get married... Jen and Nick both sat in the airport, waiting for Jen's flight to be called. They were holding hands, but neither of them had said a thing to each other since they'd left the hotel. A million thoughts were running through Jen's mind during those last few minutes. The biggest question had been nagging at her since their fight earlier that morning. Before she knew it, the words were tumbling out of her mouth. "Did you mean what you said earlier? About this just being a stupid obssession?" she asked. Nick didn't answer her at first. She thought maybe he hadn't heard her. She was about to repeat herself when he spoke, very softly. "No. I know for a fact that I'm in love with you. It's like you said before, if this was just a fling, it all would have ended in Aspen. I just want things to be perfect for us. I know we don't have the best position in the world, being that you're engaged to my best friend and I just proposed to you also, but all I want is for you to be happy. Just do what Jennifer wants to do," he said. "I love you," she said, trying not to cry. Nick sighed and got a sympathetic look on his face. "I love you too," he said. Suddenly, Jen's flight was announced over the intercom. They both stood up and Jen picked up her carry-ons. When she had everything, they just stood there and looked at each other. "Well, I guess this is good-bye," she said. "Just for a few days. I'll probably be home by Monday," he said. She nodded. "I better go," she said, gesturing toward her terminal. "Yeah," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. She turned around and started for the door. As she was about to hand the woman her ticket, she heard Nick calling her name with desperation in his voice. She turned around to see him standing there, tears dripping down his face. She ran over to him and he picked her up. "I don't want to lose you. I couldn't bare that. I love you too much. Do what you have to do. I just wanted you to know that...that...I want to be the one that wakes up beside you every morning. I want to be the one that you make children with. I want to be the one that holds you every night. I want to be the one that you tell 'I love you'. I want to be the one that you argue with. I want to be the one that wakes up with you in the middle of the night, just to say I love you. I want to be your everything," he said. By the time he was done, the tears that had threatened to fall all day, were now spilling over her eyelids and cascading down her face. Nick pulled back from her and kissed every inch of her face. This was the love she'd been searching for. The love she found in Nick. Jen walked up the pathway to the front door. She found her house key in the dark and let herself in. She threw her bags down by the door as she heard Brian's feet on the stairs. It was 5 a.m.. He came around the corner and saw her. Relief washed over him. He quickly made his way to her and wrapped her in his arms. "I was getting worried about you," he said. She pulled back and looked in his eyes. "Brian, we need to talk," she said. She looked down at the floor when she remembered Nick's profession in the airport. "I need to tell you something." Brian's heart skipped a beat nervously when he saw the look on her face. "Okay. Let's sit down on the couch," he said, gesturing over to the seat. They walked over and sat down. "What is it you want to tell me?" Jen could see he was nervous. "Brian, I haven't exactly been honest with you in the past few months. I haven't exactly lied, but I haven't told you everything either. Do you remember that trip to Aspen we took about a year and a half ago?" she asked. "Yeah," he said. "Well something happened while you were stuck on the bottom of the mountain," she said. "Something between you and Nick," he said. He knew where this was going and they both knew it. "Yeah. See...while you were gone, Nick and I....Nick and I....," she couldn't finish it. She wasn't surprised when Brian finished for her. "You slept together," he supplied. She looked up at him. "Yeah, we slept together," she said. "And you've been seeing each other ever since," he said. "No, not exactly. After Aspen, we didn't really see each other for about a year. In the past six months, we've been seeing each other," she said. "So am I right to assume that this trip to Paris wasn't for a modeling convention?" he asked, playing with his fingers. "Yes, but I didn't know about that until I got to Paris. I really thought that was what it was," she said. "So you've spent the past four days, fucking my best friend?" he asked. "Brian please!" she cried, tears beginning to form. "Answer the question Jennifer!" he shouted. She looked down ashamed. "Give me my ring back!" When she didn't move to take it off, he repeated himself. "Give it to me!" She took it off and handed it back to him. As he started to walk upstairs, he stopped. "One more question. Why did you tell me that you'd marry me?" he asked. "Because, I thought that if we got married, I'd be able to love you the way you love me. I do love you Brian, but not the same way," she said softly. She got up and walked over to him. "Please forgive me, Bri." He looked down at her. He reached up and wiped the tears off her face. "I can forgive you because I love you. But I'll never forgive Nick," he said. She nodded silently. "I want you to move out tomorrow." She nodded again and Brian went upstairs, his heart completely shattered. The next day, Jen moved out of Brian's house. Nick wasn't home yet and she didn't have anywhere else to go, so she found a quick condo near the beach. As she unpacked everthing, she felt relieved but also sad. Despite the fact that she had never really loved him, her and Brian had shared some great times. He had bought her so much jewelry it was unreal. Everytime he saw her admire something, he'd buy it for her. No matter how much it cost. So when she unpacked all of her stuff, most of it was from him. As she pulled out a framed picture of her and Brian, tears brimmed her eyes. It was a picture of them when he'd first taken her up to Kentucky. They were standing in front of his parents house. There was snow everytwhere. Jen sat the frame aside and finished unloading that box. The condo was small, but nice. But she didn't need anything big. She didn't even know how long she'd be there. That night, she ordered in pizza and watched some TV on her small television set. She went back to her bedroom and called it a night. She felt so alone in that bed by herself. It had been a long time since she'd spent the night alone. She kept telling herself that when Nick came home, he'd hold her again. That everything would be alright then. But would it? Chapter 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Nick came home Sunday night, he was too tired to call Jen. He didn't even know if she would still be at Brian's. He threw his bags down and went upstairs to call it a night. When he was almost asleep, the phone rang. His eyes flew open and he knew immediately who it was. He reached over and grabbed it off the bedside table. "Hello?" he asked, exhaustion in his voice. "Nick?" she asked. "Jen? Where are you?" he asked. "I"m at my condo. Brian made me move out and I didn't have any other place to go, so..." Nick interrupted her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Brian did what?!" Nick cried. He threw his legs off the side of the bed. "He made me move out the day after I got back," she said. "I'm gonna kill him!" Nick cried. "Nick, stop! He had every right to tell me that. I cheated on him with his best friend!" she shouted. They both stopped and thought about it for a few seconds. "Are you safe?" he asked. Jen smiled at him. He was really worried about her. "Nick, I'm in a condo on the beach. Why wouldn't I be safe?" she asked. "Well, I was just making sure you're weren't in a bad neighborhood or something," he reasoned. "I"m safe, but..." she trailed off. "But what?" he asked, concerned. "I'm scared and alone. I don't even know the last time I spent the night alone was. It's been too long," she said. "You wanna come over here to spend the night?" he asked. They were both quiet. They both knew what would happen if she came over. "Under one condition," she said. "Okay," he agreed. "I just want to sleep. Nothing else," she said. "That's fine. I'm tired too. I just got in," he replied. "I'll be over in about fifteen minutes," she said. "I'm waiting." They hung up and Nick layed there in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. Brian was now out of the picture, so why wasn't he more excited. Him and Jen could move on and maybe get married. He felt horrible for doing that to Brian. But it wasn't really his fault. Jen hadn't loved him, ever. Even before her and Nick got together. About fifteen minutes later, Nick heard her knocking on his front door. He got up and went downstairs to let her in. When he opened the door, he found her standing there with tears falling down her face. He opened his arms and she ran into them. He pulled her in the house and closed the door. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, trying to smile. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "I don't know. I feel bad for Brian," she said. "So do I. Do you want to go talk to him tomorrow?" he asked. "Yeah. But tonight, I'm tired," she announced. "Come on. Let's go to bed," he said. He kept his arm around her and they went upstairs to his bedroom. She put on one of his t-shirts and they climbed into bed. Nick held her all night as they slept. Brian heard someone knocking on his front door. He climbed off the couch and made his way to the door. When he opened it, he found Nick and Jen standing outside. When he tried to close the door in their faces, Nick stuck his foot in. "Brian, just hear us out," Nick said. "I don't wanna hear anything from the two of you. So just leave," he cried. "Brian, please. I want to talk to you," Jen pleaded. Brian looked at her and could tell she'd been crying. "There's nothing to talk about," he said. "What about our friendships?" she asked. "You both ruined that when you...slept together," Brian said. It hurt him to say that and Jen could tell. "Brian please. We want to apologize," Nick said. "Apologize. Apologize, Nick? You want to apologize? What are you gonna say you're sorry for? Sleeping with my fiancee? Taking her to Paris behind my back? You can't possibly apologize," Brian said. The sadness in his eyes before was now turned to hate as he looked at his ex-best friend. Nick looked down sadly. "We didn't mean to hurt you, Brian. Things just sort of happened," Jen stated. "We didn't mean for things to go so far. They just did," Nick said, leaning against the door frame. Brian was quiet for a long time. He looked anywhere but Nick and Jen's faces. "It's like I said last night. I can forgive Jen because I love her," he said, looking at her. When he turned to Nick, he finished. "But I'll never forgive Nick." "If that's the way you want it," Nick said, frustration bursting out of him. "It is. Now get off my property, you bastard," Brian said, equally angry. "Come on Jen," Nick said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his car. "Nick, don't! Brian, please. You can't do this!" Jen cried. Brian slammed his front door as Nick practically threw her in the car. He got in the driver's side and they squealed out of Brian's driveway. Brian watched from a front window as his best friend and his ex-fiancee left his driveway and his life. When Nick and Jen got to her condo, they sat down on the couch in silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Jen was upset that Nick and Brian might never speak to one another again, and Nick was pissed as hell at Brian. They were holding hands and would occasionally squeeze each other. Finally, Jennifer stood up and started pacing. "What's your problem, now? Brian's gone. We can be together," Nick said. But even he didn't believe himself. "That's not true and you know it. You can't do this, Nick. He's your best friend. You've known him almost ten years. I can't come between you two," she said. Nick stood up also. "Well, Jen. What did you expect to happen? Did you think Brian would pat me on the back and say 'Take good care of her',? It doesn't work like that. He loves you the same way I love you. But what matters, is who you love like that? Me or Brian?" he asked. "You know I love you," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "What about Brian?" he asked. She looked up at him. "He's probably my best friend. I love him like my best friend. Not my husband. I just don't think I could love him like he wants me to," she said. Nick tilted her chin up to him. "Then tell him that," he said. Jen stared back at him. "Okay, I will. Tomorrow," she said. She decided that she would go back to Brian's house the next day and tell him how she felt. She knew he'd listen to her. Brian stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. After drying off, he walked into his bedroom and grabbed a pair of boxers. As he was throwing his wet towel into the dirty clothes hamper, there was a knock on his door. He grabbed a t-shirt and threw it on as he walked to the door. He was surprised to see Jen standing outside. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "No 'Hi, Hello, How are you doing?'" she asked sarcastically. "If you're gonna be sarcastic, you can leave now," he said. "I'm sorry, but I wanted to talk rationally. Without Nick," she said. Brian opened the door wider for her and she stepped in. They walked over and sat on the couch, just like they'd done a few nights before. "Brian, I owe you an explanation. What I did was wrong, I know that. But, I don't think I could be married to you. You love me like Kevin loves Kristin, and like your mom loves your dad. But I love you like...you're my best friend. I was afraid that if we went ahead with the wedding, that we'd both be miserable in the marriage. And I didn't want that. I didn't want to hurt you, but I knew I would in the long run, anyways. I didn't want things to be like this. I really didn't," she said. "I believe you. I believe you because I love you and I because I know you wouldn't lie to me about something like this. We care about each other too much," he said. "Yeah, we do," she said. It was quiet for a few moments. "I'm not gonna lie. I'm not happy about the situation and the way things turned out, but I'm glad you told me the truth. I just want you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you," he said. He looked down and noticed a ring on her finger. He lifted her hand to inspect the diamond. "I'm assuming this is Nick's." "Yeah," she replied. "Pretty nice," he said, and dropped her hand back on the sofa. "I won't be attending the wedding." "Brian, he's your best friend. He'll want you to be there. Maybe be his best man," she said. "He's got Aaron for that," Bri stated. "I can't watch you marry him. I'm not going." "We haven't even started planning yet," she said. "Look, whatever it was you came here for...well, I can't give it to you. Why did you even come?" he asked. "So we could talk instead of yell. Right now if you and Nick were put in a room together, you'd probably beat the shit out of each other," she said. Brian nodded. "I'm not going to come between you two. You've been best friends for ten years. I can't come between that." Brian looked at her. He knew she had the best of intentions. But her heart was getting in the way. He walked over to her and gripped her shoulders gently. "If you love Nick, then marry him. I don't mind. Like I said before, I just want you to be happy. But don't expect me to be at the wedding, cause I won't," he said softly. "Please think about this Brian. Don't hurt Nick like that. He's sorry and so am I," she said. "I'm not mad at either of you anymore. I just don't know if I can watch you two get married," he said. Jen slowly nodded. "You better go. Nick might miss you." A sullen look came over her face. She nodded again and slowly walked out the door. Nick and Jen layed on Nick's couch, watching TV and eating potato chips. There were crumbs all over Nick's chest, but he was intensly into the sci-fi movie on the screen. Jen looked over at him and tried to contain her laughter. A giggle made it's way out of her mouth, but Nick never noticed. She decided to play a little game with him. She took the ends of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Her pink lace bra was almost invisible. She looked, again, at Nick. He still hadn't noticed her. Suddenly, she started laughing. When he finally looked over at her, his eyes almost popped out of his head. "What are you doing?" he cried. She couldn't contain her laughter anymore. "You were so...into that movie...I didn't think I'd....ever get you back," she said between giggles. "So you were trying to get my attention?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, you've got it now. What are you gonna do about it?" He was obviously turned on now. She threw her shirt on and flipped off the TV. "We need to talk," she said. "Why do I have a feeling this is about Brian?" he asked. "Because it is. I went and talked to him today," she said. "I don't want to talk about this right now," he said, exasperated. He jumped up and started pacing in front of the couch. "Sit down Nick! He said that if we wanted to pursue our feelings and possibly get married, we could, but he wouldn't come to the wedding or anything. I told him I didn't want him to do that. I can't come between you two. You're best friends," she said. Nick ran over to kneel in front of her. "And you're the love of my life. I don't care what he does, as long as we can live together on tour and I can marry you without a hitch," he said. She smiled softly. "You and Brian have been together a lot longer than you and I have. Your relationship with him is a lot more important than what we've got, whether you realize that or not. It's more important," she emphasized. "Nothing is more important than you being with me," he said, cupping her face. "I love you Jennifer, and nothing and no body can change that." "I understand that Nick. I really do. And I feel the same way you do, but I'd feel terrible if I came between you and your best friend," she said softly. Nick just looked into her eyes. Then he nodded. "I know you feel that way, but this is our future we're talking about here. And it scares the hell out of me to think that you might not be there with me," he said, once again cupping her face. Jen wanted to cry. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she couldn't do this to Nick or Brian. "I'm sorry Nick," she said. "For what?" he asked, confused. "I'm just sorry," she said. She got up and walked upstairs with tears falling down her face. Chapter 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian was watching a basketball game with AJ the next morning. AJ had come over the night before to spend the night since Amanda had gone to New York to visit a relative. They were watching the Orlando Magic on the TV. "Hey, man. You want a Coke?" Brian asked, getting up. "Yeah sure dude," AJ replied. Brian went into the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. He grabbed two Cokes and started back into the den. Just as he walked out the kitchen door, the front door flew open and Nick burst in. Both Brian and AJ jumped a mile in the air. "Geez Nick! You scared the crap out of me!" AJ cried. Nick looked around quickly and found Brian. He stalked up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Where the hell is she?!!" Nick cried, throwing Brian's back against the wall. Brian dropped the unopened cans. "What are you talking about? Who?" Brian asked. "Jennifer! Where is she? What did you tell her yesterday?!" Nick shouted. AJ jumped off the couch and ran over to his best friends. "Guys chill! Nick, put him down," AJ said calmly. "Shut up AJ!" Nick cried, glancing behind him. "We can sit down and talk about this..." AJ tried. "SHUT UP!" Nick screamed. "I don't know what you're talking about Nick. I didn't tell Jen anything!" Brian cried. "Then where is she?" Nick shouted. "I don't know. I haven't talked to her since yesterday!" Brian said. AJ stood back and watched as the drama unfolded. Nick stared hard into Brian's eyes, then slowly dropped him on the floor. Brian straightened his shirt out and tried to regain his normal breathing pattern. Nick stepped back and tried to slow his heart beat. "I woke up this morning and...she's gone. I'm scared Brian. I don't know where she is," Nick said. For the first time, Brian noticed Nick had been crying. He knew at that moment that Nick truthfully cared for and loved Jen. He'd never seen him cry over a girl before. Brian stepped over to his best friend of ten years and placed his hand on his back. "Nick, dude...we'll find her. I promise," Brian stated. Nick looked at his best friend. He nodded. Suddenly, Brian's phone rang. He walked over to the coffee table and snatched it up on the second ring. "Hello?" he answered. Nick and AJ listened to his side of the conversation. Nick immediately knew it was Jen. "Where are you?...No, I promise...Where?...Okay, I understand...No, I won't. I swear...Okay, bye," he said and hung up. Nick was bursting with anticipation. "Well?" he asked. "That was Jen. She gave me strict orders not to tell you where she was," Brian said, looking at his best friend with no emotion. Nick just looked dumbfounded. "She's at the airport. She's leaving on a 12:30 p.m. flight to Paris." Brian looked down at his watch. "You've got 35 minutes to stop her. Go get her," Nick smiled at his best friend. He walked over and gave him an enormous hug. "You know I love you Frick, don't you?" Nick asked. "Get outta here, you pansy," Brian laughed. AJ breathed a sigh of relief. Nick laughed as he ran out the door at the speed of light. Jen heard her flight being called via the airport intercom. She picked up her laptop case and backpack. As she walked toward the terminal, she pulled out her ticket. Right before she handed her ticket to the stewardess, she could have sworn she heard someone call her name. She knew it couldn't be him, could it? He didn't even know she was leaving. She turned around and looked at the busy airport. She didn't see any blond hair sticking out. She shook her head, sadly. She didn't want to leave, but she didn't figure she had a choice. She had torn apart a relationship that had been strong before she came along. She would feel guilt for the rest of her life if she stayed with Nick. "Ms? I'm afraid it's time to board. We're closing the terminal door. Are you coming?" the woman asked. Jen turned around and looked at her. She glanced behind her one last time before handing the woman her ticket. Without looking back, she trudged onto the plane. She found her seat and placed her backpack in the top compartment. She sat down and prepared to leave Florida. She slowly began to relax among the loudness of the rest of the passengers around her. Nick quickly ran through the airport to terminal 36-C. He'd found out from the information desk that that was the Paris, France flight. He pushed through the thick crowd and made his way, as fast as he could, to the terminal. Fear and panic crushed his heart and he could barely breath. He couldn't think of losing Jen. He'd planned so much for their future. And now it seemed as though Brian was going to loosen up for them. His eyes finally fell on 36-C. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Just as he ran up to it, the woman closed the gate door. "I'm sorry sir. This flight is leaving as we speak. We can't take anymore passengers. I'm sorry," she said. "But...my..." he tried. He watched as the plane slowly moved away from the terminal and began it's journey out onto the runway. Tears stung his eyes as he realized he'd lost her. Before he knew it, tears of pain were rolling down his face. He'd figured out why she'd left, but he didn't want her to feel that way. He'd wanted everything to be okay with them. Nick put his hand over his face and tried to mask his tears. He slowly walked over to a plastic seat and sat down. He tried to stop the flow of tears, but there was no stopping them. He looked down and realized his hands were shaking uncontrollably. Her diamond engagement ring was still wrapped around his pinky finger. He'd found it that morning on his bedside table. Seeing that only made him hurt more. He figured he'd better leave. The atmosphere was only making him feel worse. He stood up and glanced once at the empty terminal, then started towards the crowd. He looked down at his shoes until something caught his eye. He looked up and made eye contact with a pair of very familiar green eyes. Jen's eyes. "Jen," Nick whispered. Suddenly, all the sound around them stopped and everything became silent. Everyone else disappeared. "I thought you left." "I couldn't leave you. Oh, I couldn't do it. I love you too much," she cried. Tears were falling down her face. Nick reached her in two big steps. He gathered her up in his arms and held onto her like there was no tomorrow. Jen held on just as tightly. "Oh, I was so scared you were gone. I knew I couldn't lose you. I was so scared," he stated. He swung her around slightly. He pulled back and gave her the best kiss he could possibly give. The kiss spoke a thousand words. It spoke pain, heartache, love, joy, happiness, hope. Everything they'd gone through. When they broke apart after what seemed like an eternity, Nick pulled the ring off of his pinky. "By the way, I think you left something at my house last night," he said smiling. She laughed. "Now for real. Will you marry me?" Jen smiled. "Of course, I'll marry you, but what about..." she started. "Everything's going to work out now. It's been settled, I promise," Nick said. They both knew they were talking about Brian. "Now, let's go home." He picked up her backpack and laptop in one hand and wrapped his arm around her back with the other. The next week, Jen moved in with Nick. She packed up all her stuff from her condo and put it into Nick's Durango. It wasn't that much. She had lived with Brian so long, she hadn't really needed anything. They moved her in one day and she was going to sell the condo, but Nick persuaded her to keep it in case they wanted to use it later on for some privacy. Part V: The Real Thing Chapter 14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jen stared at herself in the mirror. The long, white dress fit her perfectly, thanks to the long hours standing in front of a mirror with a woman who kept sticking her with pins. Nick's sister, BJ, brought over the veil and pinned it on top of her head. They both stopped to admire her. Jen had to admit, she looked awesome. She hoped Nick liked the dress. She saw her soon-to-be sister-in law smile. "You look gorgeous Jen. Nick's very lucky to have you," BJ said. Jen felt like crying. She felt heat rise to her eyes and cheeks. "Thank you so much BJ," Jen said and hugged her. Jen's mother walked in drying her eyes. "Oh, Mom." She embraced her and they both began to cry. When they pulled apart Jen started giggling. "I'm so excited Mom," Jen exclaimed. "I know Nick makes you happy," her mother said. The door suddenly opened, and Brian walked in. He was covering his eyes with his hand. "I hope everyone's decent," he cried. He slowly dropped his hands and smiled when he saw Jen. "You look beautiful." She smiled back at him. "Thanks Brian. For everything," she said. "Can I talk to you in private?" he whispered. "Yeah sure," she said. There was a small porch outside the Bride's Room. They stepped out into the warm summer air. "Jennifer, I'm so happy for you. You and Nick have worked so hard to plan this wedding. I'm glad you're happy," he said. "Thank you so much Brian," she smiled. He cupped her face in his and for a second, Jen thought me might kiss her. "I didn't come here today, alone," he said softly. "Who did you come with?" she asked. "I met a girl in LA last month when we were filming the last video. Her name is Leighanne. I think she's the one for me," he said. Jen's smile brightened. "I'm so glad Brian. I hope she's the one," she stated truthfully. "I'm probably gonna say this again at the reception, but I have to say it now, too. I hope you and Nick have the happiest life together," he said. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me and Nick," she said. Brian nodded. "You ready to get married?" he asked. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. "Well, then let's get the show on the road," he said and opened the door for her. Nick took his place at the altar beside Aaron, who was his best man, Brian, and Brent. Aaron patted him on the back. "You nervous?" he asked. "I've never been more nervous in my life. This makes singing in front of 15,000 people seem like nothing," Nick replied with a small grin. It was the absolute truth. He'd almost made himself sick the night before just thinking about it. But the real truth was, he couldn't have been happier. He was ready to get this over with. The whole wedding had become the biggest headache. Brian reached over and grabbed his friend's shoulder. Nick jumped a mile. "Geez! Tense much Frack?" Brian joked. Nick smiled nervously. "Well, let's see Bri. I'm about to get married. Would you be nervous?" he asked. "I guess so. I talked to Jen. She looks beautiful. You're going to love her dress," Bri stated. "Well, if she looks the same as she does any other day, I'm sure she'll be absolutely gorgeous," Nick said. "Aaron? You got the ring?" Aaron's eyes got wide with surprise. "You never gave it to me," Aaron said, discreetly elbowing Brian in the side. "Aaron, I gave it to you yesterday," Nick said harshly. "I don't remember it," AC stated. "Please tell me you're joking," Nick said. Aaron shrugged. Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was not happening. Suddenly, he heard Aaron and Brian giggling. "What?" "You need to chill Nick," Aaron said, pulling the ring out of his pocket. "You're dead! Both of you!" Nick whispered. The chatting church was suddenly interrupted as a soft song began playing. The bridesmaids walked down the aisle slowly. Then Jen's best friend's daughter, Ashley, who was four, walked down the aisle placing flowers on the carpet. The back door closed and Nick knew this was it. When that door opened again, a new chapter in his life would begin. The opening chords of the 'Wedding March' began and the door opened. Nick unconsciously smiled when he saw his bride. His dad was escorting her since her dad had died when she was five. She nearly took Nick's breath away. He'd never seen her look so beautiful. They locked eyes and held it as she neared the altar. The music stopped as she reached the end of the red carpet. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" the preacher asked. "Her family," Bob replied. He lifted her veil long enough to kiss her cheek. He turned to his son and shook his hand and hugged him. Then he placed Jen's hand in Nick's and sat down. "Welcome family and friends to this glorious occasion. The wedding of Nickolas and Jennifer. These two children of God have come here to this sight of God to join in Holy matrimony, in front of their family and friends. We will start with your vows to each other," the preacher said. "Nick and Jennifer have written their own vows for each other." Jen turned around and retrieved her piece of paper from her matron of honor. "My beloved. As I stand here today marrying you, the man of my dreams, I know that for the rest of my life, I will cherish you; I will honor you; I will love you. For everything the future holds for us. Pain, sorrow, love, joy, happiness, and lastly, committment. I promise to be yours for the rest of our lives. No matter what comes our way, we can get through it with our love for each other. For the rest of our lives, shall we love each other," she said. By the time she finished, they were both crying. Jen smiled at him with love. He wanted to kiss her so much and wipe away her tears. He turned around and took his vows from his brother. "Good luck," Aaron mouthed to him. Nick turned back around to Jen who was now wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "To the love of my life. Our days will no doubt be troubled, limited with time for each other, and very stressful. You have taken my heart like no one else could. You've taken my hand and placed it with your heart. My life is harsh with my career. I know you trust me, as do I trust you. For the rest of my days, I promise to love, honor, hold, comfort, and be faithful to you. No one else will ever come between our love for each other. As we hold each others hands, starting a new chapter in our lives, as long as you carry my name, I promise to make you happy and to love you with every bone of my being. I love you. Always and forever," he said. Again, more tears from both of them. They smiled at each other. They were half way done. But for Nick, it wouldn't go fast enough. When the minister asked for the rings to be put on the bible, Aaron held back for a second. Nick turned around and gave him a 'you're dead' look. Aaron smiled and placed the gold band on the bible. The minister said some endearing things and asked Jen to take Nick's ring. "Please repeat after me," he said. "Nick...take this ring...as a sign of my love for you...and as a token of promise...that I will be faithful...all the days of my life....with this ring, I thee wed," she said, repeating what the minister said. She slid the ring past his last knuckle and it fit around his ring finger perfectly. Nick took Jen's ring and took her left ring finger. "Jennifer...take this ring...as a sign of my love for you...and as a token of promise...that I will be faithful...all the days of my life...with this ring, I thee wed," he said. He pressed the ring onto her finger and looked up at her. She smiled as new tears rolled down her face. "I love you," she mouthed to him. "I love you too," he mouthed back. The minister ushered them over to the side and began talking about the couple. At this time, Nick and Jen could whisper to each other. He took her hands in his and tried to make some jokes. She laughed quietly. He told her about Aaron pretending not to have the ring and she told him about talking to Brian. The minister called them back over to the altar. They lit the unity candle and Nick almost set the church on fire. The whole audience laughed lightly. "Sorry," Nick whispered. Finally, the preacher called the couple over to stand in front of him again. He raised his hands over them and they said a small prayer. "What God has put together in love, let no mad come between. Amen," he said. "So now, by the power invested in me by God and the state of Florida, I now pronounce that they be man and wife. You may kiss your bride," he said to Nick. He smiled so big his face hurt. He turned to his new wife and raised her veil. He leaned over slightly and placed a tender yet passionate kiss on her lips. He kissed her cheek and pulled her in for a hug. "I love you,"" he murmured into her hair. "I love you too," she said, fresh tears rolling down her face. Everyone began clapping around them. They pulled apart and Nick wiped the tears off her face. "Now, it is my great privalege and honor to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Nickolas Carter." Everyone began clapping again as the new couple made their way back down the aisle. Once they were out of the sanctuary, Nick picked up his bride and swung her around. "God, this feels so great. I love you so much," he said. "I love you too. We actually did it! It's over! We're married!" she cried. "I know. I hope you love me like I love you. You're gonna be with me for a while," he laughed. "Come on. Let's go get drunk and par-tay!" she cried. They walked out of the church and hopped in their limo. "Ladies and gentleman! I would now like to present for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Carter!" Brian announced. Nick and Jen ran through the sheet of paper in front of them and entered their reception. They had chosen a beachside reception. It was on Nick's private beach in Apollo Beach. Everyone cheered for them as they stopped on the dance floor. Nick started hollering loudly. Jen had a permanent smile on her face. "Alright, it's a custom for the bride and groom to have the first dance of the afternoon. They chose this song themselves and personally...I'm terribly shattered that it wasn't one of his own chart-topping hits. Look at him. He's turning on us guys!" Brian said on the stage. He put his head down and pretended to cry. Nick left his bride's side for the first time all day. He grabbed the mic from Brian. "Man Brian! Why are you trying to do? Ruin the day? Just so you all know...'I'll Never Break Your Heart' was a consideration!" Nick said. Everyone laughed. "Now, Brian? You gonna mind your own business for the duration of this party?" "I guess. After all, it is your wedding," Brian said. Nick nodded and ran off stage to dance with his new wife. Just as he took her in his arms, the opening chords of "When You Love A Woman", by Journey, came on. Nick softly half-sung, half-spoke the words to her. In my life I see where I've been I said that I'd never fall again Within myself I was wrong My searchin' ain't over...over I know that When you love a woman You see your world inside her eyes When you love a woman You know she's standin' by your side A joy that lasts forever There's a band of gold that shines waiting Somewhere...oh yeah If I can't believe that someone is true To fall in love is so hard to do I hope and pray tonight Somewhere you're thinking of me girl Yes I know...I know that When you love a woman You see your world inside her eyes When you love a woman You know she's standin' by your side A joy that lasts forever There's a band of gold that shines, waiting Somewhere...oh... It's enough to make you cry When you see her walkin' by And you look into her eyes When you love a woman You see your world inside her eyes When you love a woman Well you know she's standin' by your side A joy that lasts forever There's a band of gold that shines When you love a woman... When you love, love, love, love When you love a woman You see your world inside her eyes When the last chords fell silent, everyone clapped for them. Nick and Jen kissed passionately. They had just danced their first dance as a married couple. Nick seemed to be bursting with energy. "I love you so much," he said. It felt like the millionth time that day he'd said that. And he'd meant it every time. "I love you too," she smiled. "When You Love A Woman" From the album Trial By Fire Music and lyrics by Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, and Neal Schon Chapter 15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick was talking to his mom and dad, when he felt someone pull on his arm. He looked down to find the angelic face of his wife. She'd taken her veil off in the limo because she was afraid it would get messed up while she was dancing. "What is it Sweetie?" he asked, placing his hand on hers. "Andre's here for pictures," she said. "Oh, right. Pictures," he said to his parents. They nodded and Jen pulled him through the crowd. They held hands as they walked up with everyone else who had been in the wedding. "Alright, I want just Jen and Nick right now," he said. He placed them the way he wanted. The location was great, the light was great, and the ocean was beautiful. "Alright, I now you don't like having your picture taken, Nick, but this is your wedding. You're supposed to be happy. You just married the girl of your dreams!" "You're right Andre, I did. She is the girl of my dreams, but I still hate having my picture taken," Nick exclaimed. He put on a smile and Andre snapped the picture. "That was beautiful. I want one more," he said. Nick groaned. Andre laughed. "Don't worry Nick. You've got lots more to do." He snapped one more of them in that position, then changed them. This time he had them facing each other, holding hands. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. He also took two of that. Then he had them hold in a warm kiss. Nick didn't mind that one. Everytime their lips touched, a tingle ran through his body. After taking the couples pictures, he took a couple pictures with the whole group. When he announced he was done, Nick stopped him and pulled him aside. Jen frowned. She didn't know what her husband was up to. When Andre came back, he had Jennifer stand in position. "What did my husband do?" she asked Andre as he placed her. "He just loves you too much. He wants an individual of you," he said. Nick walked up with her veil and placed it back on her head. Andre took the individuals of her, then they walked back to the reception. When the cake time came around, Jen made Nick promise not to cream her in the face. He frowned, but agreed. They cut the cake and thousands of flashes went off from the cameras. They each got a small piece of cake and Jen went first, placing the cake in his mouth. As she pulled away, Nick grabbed her hand and licked the icing off her finger. She giggled. Nick took his cake and, like he promised, he gently put the cake on her tongue. They kissed and Nick secretly pushed his tongue in her mouth and swam around, looking for the remains of icing. Behind his back though, Jen knew the other guys had plans of their own. When he wasn't looking, she waved them over and before Nick knew it, he had cake all over him. Jen couldn't help but laugh. Nick looked at her with wide eyes. "After you made me promise not to cream you with the cake, and you cream me! You're gonna get it!" he cried. Kevin held him back before he could get Jen. "Whoa tanto! This wasn't her idea!" he cried. Jen helped Nick get cleaned off. When no one was looking, she licked it off his face. "What are you trying to do? We're at our reception?" he whispered huskily. "Be patient. Can't you wait for tonight?" "No," she said. He kissed her and pressed his tongue into her mouth again. "I love you so much," he whispered. His eyes were closed. She was about to reply when another song blasted through the speakers. They went out onto the dance floor and started boogie'n. After the third song finished, someone grabbed Jen's arm and spun her out of Nick's arms. She came face to face with Brian. "You don't mind if I steal your wife for a while, do you?" he asked Nick. "Go right ahead. I'm gonna go talk to BJ and Leslie," Nick said and dropped a kiss on her head before moving through the crowd. "You having a good day?" Brian asked, taking Jen in his arms. "Yeah, it's been great. Thank you for coming," she said. "You and Nick are my best friends. I couldn't let you guys get married without me. Despite what I said before," he said. She just smiled. "So where's, uh, what's her name?" she asked. "Oh, Leighanne? She's sitting down at a table," he answered. "I'm so glad you found someone," she stated. "Well, thank you," he said, nodding. "Was Nick nervous this morning?" she whispered secretively. "I think his exact words were "I've never been more nervous in my life"," Brian laughed. Jen laughed too. "Aww! Poor baby!" she said. Her and Brian danced some more and as soon as it ended, Brian leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I'll always love you, you know that?" he asked. Jen became serious. "Yeah. I'll always love you too," she replied. They hugged one more time, and Brian walked off with Leighanne. A moment later, Nick walked up to her. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm good," she said. "Come with me," he whispered. She gave him a strange look, but allowed him to pull her through the crowd. Once they were away from the reception, Jen looked out and realized they were a good 200 ft. away from it. "What are we doing out here?" she asked, giving him a look. "I just wanted to talk with you, quietly," he shrugged. "You just wanted to tell me something," she said, knowingly. "I just wanted to hold you without everyone else watching," he said. He leaned down and kissed her. "You know, I wonder how many times I've told you I loved you in the past four hours?" "There's no telling," she whispered. "Well, I'm going to tell you again. I love you," he said. "I love you too," she replied. "Also, I don't think I've told you yet, but you look absolutely beautiful. I've never seen you look so gorgeous. Of course, you look great every other day too," he said. "You don't look too shabby either," she said. Suddenly, Nick got very serious. "Jennifer, this has been the best day of my life. You continue to amaze me. I can't wait to start my life with you. I hope this day has been what you wanted. I wanted to make you as happy as you made me when you said you'd marry me. I didn't want to disappoint you," he said. "This has been the happiest day of my life, too, Nick. You made me very happy. And I know you always will. You could never disappoint me," she said. They kissed again and Jen turned around. He wrapped his arms around her satin covered body. "This day has been so beautiful for us," Nick commented, looking out over the ocean. "Yeah," Jen agreed. Nick lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered. "I can't wait till tonight," he whispered huskily. "It's not like it's the first time," she said matter-of-factly. "Well, it has been about two months. And you look so good in your dress. You are so beautiful!" he exclaimed. Jen smiled to herself. He knew how to make her blush. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked. "Of course," he replied. "Why did you have an individual picture taken of me?" she asked. Nick looked straight ahead and smiled. "Well, it's like I said, you're gorgeous in that dress. And you seem to be shining today. I really wanted an individual picture of you," he said. Jen smiled again. She turned her head and kissed him. "Nick, I think some people are starting to leave. And we better think about it too. Our flight's in 2 hours," she said. Nick nodded. He grabbed her hand and led her back over to the crowd. About twenty minutes later, the bride and groom decided to leave. Leighanne caught Jen's bouquet and Aaron caught the garter, which Nick had a good time taking off Jen's thigh. All the guys had hooted and hollared at him, which had only fueled his excitement. Jane kissed them both and wished them well on their honeymoon. Jen's mom came over and did the same thing. Her and Jane both shed tears together as Nick helped his wife into the limo that would take them to the airport. Jen stood up and waved out the top window of the long car as they pulled away. She started blowing kisses as Nick tried to pull her back into the car with him. When they were safely on the highway with the partition between the back and front closed, Nick pulled his bride into his lap. He quickly pressed his lips to hers. "Do you have any idea how much I love you right now?" he asked, pushing his forehead to hers. "Well, it has been five minutes since you last told me. Why don't you show me?" she asked seductively. "You are going to make this trip to Cancun very difficult, aren't you?" he asked, slyly. "As much as possible. At least we know we'll have great sex when we finally arrive," she said, matter-of-factly. Nick shook his head at her. "Honey, we always have good sex," he said. She laughed and put her finger to his lips. He started licking them. "You're only making it 'harder' on yourself," she smiled. "It couldn't get much 'harder'," he admitted huskily. They finally arrived at the airport after twenty minutes of brutal torture from Jen. Nick could barely walk by the time they got out of the limo. They quickly bustled onto their plane and waited to be taken to paradise. Chapter 16 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick carried their luggage into the mirrored elevator as Jen followed him. They were both about to die from exhaustion. Nick sat the bags down and pulled his wife to him. He kissed her forehead to tell her he loved her because he was too tired to speak. When the elevator dinged, they walked out and started down the hallway to their room. The resort they were staying in was very nice. It was the nicest place to stay in Cancun. They found their door and Jen got the key out of Nick's pocket and opened the door. As soon as the door was opened, she went in and fell onto the king-sized bed. Her husband put their stuff down and joined her. After mumbling that he loved her, he draped his arm around her shoulders and they both fell into a peaceful sleep. Nick slowly opened his eyes and peeked out the window he seemed to be staring at. A beautiful sunny day stared back at him. They were truly in paradise. He slowly moved his hand from Jen and crawled out of the comfortable spot he'd slept in. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head. He glanced down at his watch and noticed it was already lunchtime. He thought they'd come in at about 3 o'clock that morning. He groaned. They were missing their first wonderful, stress-less day because of sleep. He looked down and noticed the beautiful content look on his bride's face. She looked so angelic with the soft mid-afternoon sun filtering through the windows and brightening her soft complexion. He suddenly had a very warm feeling inside him. He kneeled down beside the bed and looked at her expression. "Hey gorgeous, wake up," he whispered. He touched her face softly. Running his finger down her cheekbone and ending on her lips. "Jennifer, wake up. We're in Cancun." "Go away," she muttered tiredly. "We're missing our first day. We're in Cancun. It's beautiful. Get up. Let's go to the beach," he said. She swatted her hand in his face with her eyes closed. Nick chuckled. "You go to the beach," she mumbled. "I'm not going without you. That will take the fun out of it," he whined. "Please, wake up! I missed you while I was asleep!" Jen started laughing slightly. She opened her eyes and groaned. "I think I've got jet-lag," she confessed. "Well, I know exactly what will cure that! So, get up!" he cried. "If you don't wake up in the next ten seconds, I'm gonna pick you up, throw you over my shoulder, and carry you down to the beach exactly like you are. Get up!" he cried. Jen rolled over and tried to sit up. She immediately grabbed her head. The pounding began. "Oh, God! I've got a hangover," she stated. "If you get up now, I'll bring you some Advil," he said, standing up. She stood up on the bed and wobbled a little bit. Nick reached out and grabbed her legs. "You drank too much champagne yesterday. I could tell you were a little whoozy in the limo." He left her standing there while he went into their small kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and two Advil from his toiletries bag. When he came back, she was sitting on the edge of the bed. He handed her the water and Advil and sat on the floor in between her legs. "I bet I know what will wake you up," he whispered slyly. He started kissing her thighs and calves. She took the medicine and could barely hold onto the glass. He stopped when she moved her leg and stood up. "And I bet I know what will 'stand' you up," she whispered back. He stood up close to her and she let her hand fall in between their bodies. She found his growing arousal and ran her fingers over it slowly. She never grabbed it, just let her fingers graze it. It was enough to make Nick go crazy. She pushed him back on the bed and straddled his hips. She placed her hands on his chest for balance. Nick closed his eyes tightly and groaned. She started grinding her hips onto his erection. Nick felt like he was in heaven. He gripped her hips and held them over his member. She ran her fingers down to his zipper and slowly undid his pants. She pulled them down enough to pull down his briefs as well. Nick sighed when he was finally released from his restraints. Jen took him in her hands and rubbed him. She watched as he grew in her hand. He undid her shorts and pulled them down her hips. Her panties soon followed. Just as he was about to push her down on him, she put her hands down on the bed and pushed off of him. "Didn't you say something about going to the beach? Look, it's such a beautiful day! I better get my bathing suit on," she laughed and climbed off him. Nick's eyes flew open and he shot up and looked at her with wide eyes. "What the hell?" he cried. She ran into the bathroom and closed and locked the door. "You better not come in here either!" he heard her cry from the bathroom. "I know you just didn't..." he trailed off. He heard her laughing. When she walked out in her yellow bikini, he was standing by the door. He grinned at her as she walked out with an innocent smile on her face. "Maybe next time, you won't wake me up so early!" she cried as he went into the bathroom. That evening, Nick took his new wife to dinner in the hotel dining room. It was a very ritzy restaurant named 'Je t'aime', which means 'I love you' in french. The maitre d' recognized Nick and seated him right away. Jen smiled when she remembered their trip to France a few months before. Nick noticed her smile. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, holding her hand across the table. "France," she said. "Yeah. I think we have something with France and it's language," he said, referring to the french-type restaurant they were in. They had a quick dinner. It was very quiet and calm. Nick highly enjoyed it. But he found himself looking forward to the evening he knew they were going to have. He'd made love to her about a hundred times, but this time was going to be special. They were bound together through matrimony now. When they were done with their meals, Nick took her hand and walked toward the elevator. Just before he pressed the button, Jen pulled on his arm. "Let's go walk on the beach," she said. "That's a good idea," he stated. Nick rolled up his khaki pants and took off his white dress shirt. He had on a white wifebeater underneath. He took her hand and they walked along the sand and just talked. They talked about how great the wedding was and how they were both extremely happy. "I'm so happy right now. I can't believe we finally did it. I never thought I'd ever be this happy," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. She smiled sweetly. He definetly knew how to make her blush. "I'm happy too. Yesterday was the best day of my life. I never thought it would come," she replied. Love shone in both their eyes. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a soft, hard rain shower began to fall. They broke apart, laughing, and Nick looked up at the dark sky. "Ah, it's so cold!" Jen cried. Her long, brown hair quickly became matted to her head. "Let's dance!" Nick cried. He grabbed her by the hand and drug her toward the water. Her giggles could be heard all over the beach. Nick swung her around all over the sand. The rain began to fall harder. Suddenly, Jen broke free of Nick's grasp and started running down the beach in the rain. "Just where do you think you're going Missy?" he called ahead of him. She just laughed and kept running. When he finally caught up to her, he picked her up and swung her around. They were both soaking wet. "I love you," he whsipered. "I love you too," she replied. "Let's go back to the resort," he said suggestively. She smiled. "That sounds like a plan," she whispered. He took her hand and ran toward the resort. They went straight up to their room and made love for the rest of the night. Nick finally knew what it meant to really love a woman. He could look in Jen's eyes and see their world together. No matter what he did, he knew she'd be by his side. Together, they held eternity in the palm of their joined hand. When you love a woman You see your world inside her eyes When you love a woman You know she's standin' by side A joy that lasts forever There's a band of gold that shines waiting Somewhere...Oh yeah It's enough to make you cry THE END! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back