No One Else

Sarah was irritated with herself. Writer’s Block. She’d never experienced it before. And she was more than a little afraid the reason had blue eyes and dark, wavy hair and looked damned good in the dark tank-tops he fancied. A man had never kept her from her work – men were add-ons in her life, not essentials. She pushed her chair back and decided to give up for yet another day.

JC. Damn him! It seemed he had wormed his way into her every moment. Awake – she was always breathless when his call came. Her JC fix for the day, she mused. He had proven addictive. When she slept, instead of dreams of hot sex, it was the dreams of sweet, little moments that disturbed her the most. The way he would simply hold her or call her ‘sweet thing’ or stand up to a blaze of her temper with a knowing smile. It was as if he had learned her tricks and saw them for what they were: attempts to shield her new, raw emotions and to unconsciously test his resolve. She grudgingly admitted to herself, he was never far from her thoughts.

The living room telephone rang as she passed it – looking at the clock, she knew it was too early to expect JC on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Sarah! Hey, baby!”

“JC?”

A soft chuckle came over the connection. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“You’re early.”

“I call later so I don’t interrupt your work, but I was missing you too bad to wait today.”

“I would think you’re plenty busy.”

“Never too busy for my baby.”

“Uh-huh.”

“How’s work going?”

She didn’t want to admit she had scarcely gotten far since the day he had left for Orlando. “Going slowly right now.”

“That put you too far behind?”

“No, I’ve got plenty of time before I have to panic.”

“You ever been to Orlando?”

“No. Never had a reason to.”

Was he a good enough reason? “Don’t suppose you’d come down for a visit,” he sighed. “I know it’s only been three weeks, but we go into hell week and then start the tour—“

“Whoa!” she laughed at his rambling.

“Baby, I miss you. Could you come, please? It’ll be like home. You’ll be alone most of the day and—“

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Not giving me a chance to say ‘yes’,” she told him softly.

“Yes?” he repeated dumbly. “You’re saying ‘yes’?”

“Uh-huh.”

Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate it.”

“You’ll just have to owe me one,” she reminded him teasingly.

“I’ll pay it back double. I’d gladly pay it to have you with me. How long can you stay?”

“I’ll see how it goes before I make that commitment.”

“Want me to book you a flight?”

“I’m a big girl, JC. I can find my way to Orlando. I’ll probably arrive during the day tomorrow – if that’s soon enough.”

“Tomorrow?” That soon? It was more than he could hope for! “I’ll be at WEG. You can come and get they key.”

“Call me later tonight and we can make plans.”

“Thanks, baby.” JC barely held back the ‘I love you’ he wanted to whisper.

JC couldn’t concentrate after lunch. Sarah was due to arrive around two.

After a mess up that was so elemental, Wade shook his head. “Where’s your head, JC? Not here.”

“Flying in soon,” Justin taunted. “Once Sarah’s here, he’ll calm down.”

“And every other male in a ten mile radius pulse will jump,” Joey grunted.

“Do I have that affect on you, Joey?” A sultry female voice came from the doorway.

JC spun around to see his beautiful Sarah standing there in a pretty trapeze-style sundress and sandals. This was his Sarah. Understated beauty. Natural make-up. Soft-colored clothes. “Baby,” he sighed as he went to her.

“Hello, JC.” She kissed him softly.

With his arm around her waist, he drew her into the room. “Wade, I think you’re the only one who hasn’t met Sarah.”

Sarah extended her hand to the young choreographer. “Hello, Wade.”

“Now, I can get some good moves out of JC?”

She laughed in that husky way of hers that made JC melt. “And here I thought all his moves were pretty good.” And JC felt his face go hot.

“Look at him!” Justin crowed. “How red can a guy get?”

Sarah waggled a warning fist at Justin. “Lay off, sonny – or you go to bed without supper.”

Justin just grinned, ignoring the threat. “I like her.”

“I have to get the key and address to Chez Chasez and I’ll get out of your fellas’ way,” Sarah announced.

“Five minutes,” JC told the group as he escorted Sarah out of the studio, to her rental car. He turned her into his arms for a lingering kiss. “Mmm…I’ve missed the taste of you.” He rubbed his lips against hers. “You’re my favorite flavor.”

Sarah stroked back a curl that tumbled over his forehead. “You’d better tell me where your place is. Clock’s ticking.”

He explained the easiest way to get to his home from WEG and gave her a key.

“I guess a grocery stop would be in order, knowing you.”

“I don’t expect you to be my cook—“

She laid a finger across his lips to silence him. “I don’t mind, JC.”

“It’s enough that you are here.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t chosen to be.”

“We can keep some pretty erratic hours this close to hell week. I’ll call you when I’m headed home.”

“You’d better go back in, baby.”

They shared another tender kiss. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight. She was here and he had so missed her.

Sarah pulled away, realizing she had to be the stronger of the two. “Later, JC.” She got into the car and started down the drive. She saw him watching her depart when she checked the rear-view mirror. She didn’t even want to admit how hard it was to leave him standing there. Despite all her efforts, she was terribly afraid she was falling in love with JC Chasez.

“Baby, it’s JC.” He hated doing this. Her first night in town and he wouldn’t even be getting home to have dinner with her.

“You aren’t going to make dinner,” she surmised by the lateness of the hour.

“No, dammit. I’m sorry. You know I wanna be there with you.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know when I’ll be getting home. Go to bed when you get tired. I’ll kiss you good-night when I get there.”

“You’ll be that late?”

He sighed unhappily, “I don’t know when it’ll be, baby.”

“It’s all right, JC.”

“You came all this way—“

“I’m a big girl. I can entertain myself one night.”

“Sarah…”

“I’ll see you when you get here.”

The house was quiet when JC arrived. A dim light had been left on in the living room – and another lit the master bedroom. The sight that greeted him tugged at his heartstrings. Evidently, Sarah had attempted to stay up and wait for him. Though the covers had been pulled back, she lay in the middle of the big bed asleep, a notebook at her side and a pen in her loose grip – and she had borrowed one of his tee-shirts to sleep in. She looked so small and adorable.

Gently, he removed the pen from her hand.

Sarah opened her eyes to see a tired, sweaty JC hovering above her. The love and tenderness fairly glowed from his eyes.

“Hey, JC.”

“I was trying not to wake you.” He stroked her cheek.

“You look exhausted.”

“I am pretty whipped.”

“Come here.”

“Baby, I’m all sweaty—“

With a tug on his belt, she tumbled him into the bed and came into his arms. “I don’t care,” she whispered before she claimed his lips.

The kiss was hungry and desperate – not one calculated to merely turn him on, but one of shared, honest desire.

“Oh, Sarah,” he moaned as her mouth traveled lower. God, it felt good for her to want him this way. “Baby, I’m all sweaty,” he repeated.

“So, you’re a little salty tasting.” Sarah came back to his lips. “Too tired? Want me to stop?”

“I’d have to be six feet under to be tired for you, sweet thing. And stop? God, baby, I want you so much…”

“Then lay back and I’ll take care of you.”

With very little effort on his part, JC was naked beneath Sarah’s questing hands and lips. He moaned once more when she took him into her hot little mouth. It took no time at all for the flutter of her tongue and the hungry suction of her mouth to have him exploding down her throat. Then she moved astride his thighs, impaling herself on his rock-hard manhood.

JC ran his hands up her thighs as she rotated her hips while rocking up and down. “Take off the shirt. I wanna see you, touch you,” he commanded hoarsely.

As she rode him, she whipped the tee-shirt over her head and sent it sailing. “Better?” she asked when his hands immediately went to her breasts, cupping and stroking.

JC could no longer remain passive. What Sarah was doing to him was wonderful – he needed to give back. Grasping her hips, he rolled her to her back.

“Find some energy?” she taunted as he began slowly thrusting into her. He trailed kisses from her mouth to the puckered peak of one of her breasts, teasing it by flicking his tongue at it.

“Oh, baby…” she whimpered as her hands came up to hold his head. When he took the bud fully into his mouth to suckle it, she gasped with pleasure. “JC, I’ve missed you…”

Vaguely, he wondered if she realized what she had said in the heat of the moment. Men were mere accessories in her life, he had been told. Was it the tender lover or the sex she had missed? Or was she feeling things for him beyond what she admitted? He switched breasts. If he could make her want him enough, maybe he could get her to love – and it would take everything he knew about physical love to hold Sarah’s extended interest.

She guided his mouth back to hers as she began her final ascent to her peak. Tangling their tongues, she let him taste her as she went taut the exploded into rapture, allowing him to capture her sweet cries of completion on his tongue.

That was the most intimate thing she’d ever done! JC plunged into her twice more before sharing his groan as he released deep inside her body. Then as they came down, the kiss became soft and tender. It was a moment of perfection. He rested his forehead against hers while taking his weight on his forearms to prevent crushing her. His eyes were warm on hers.

“Sarah…God, baby, I’ve missed you, too.”

Sarah stroked his hair, his neck, his back. She had the very real urge to cry. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. JC wasn’t supposed to make her want things she’d never had before – but then, he gave her things she’s never had before – like open caring and consideration – and his claim of love. When tears actually gathered, she wasn’t all that surprised by the fact he leaned in to kiss them away.

“What, baby?”

She shook her head.

“Did I hurt you?”

“You’ve never hurt me, JC.”

“I never will.”

“Yes, you will,” she whispered.

“Not if you don’t make me do it.” JC rolled to his side, carrying her with him. Tucking her head beneath his chin, he cradled her against him. “I don’t want to hurt you, Sarah, but when you start pushing me away…”

Sarah, at the moment, was only too happy to remain exactly where she was. Pushing him away wasn’t even an option. She gave a little sigh and snuggled her nose in its favorite spot against his throat.

“Yeah, I guess, it’s a little late to be bustin’ your chops, huh?” He smoothed a hand down her back. “But, Sarah, I need to know you’re mine – even when I’m not with you.”

“There’s no one else, JC.”

“You mean it?”

“I just said it, didn’t I?”

“Thanks, baby.” He didn’t ask what exactly her words had meant. Just knowing Sarah was exclusively his was enough for now – and if she decided differently, he’d be the first to know. Sarah was a square dealer.

“You gonna get the blanket or do I?” she complained mildly.

He chuckled and shifted to pull the cover over them. “Night, sweet thing.”

“Good-night, JC.”

“Sarah—“

”Go-to-sleep,” she grumbled.

This was more than he dared hope for, Sarah admitting she was exclusive with him. It was the cornerstone he needed to build their future on.