“Come on in, baby.” JC opened the door for Abbie wearing a white terry robe. He took the suitcase from her grip and brushed a kiss on her mouth.

Eyeing the robe, she muttered, “You’re nothing if not obvious.”

Closing the door, he ran a hand through his damp curls. “Suspicious mind? I just got out of the shower a little bit ago. I stopped in the kitchen to finish dinner preparations.” He kissed her again. “You’re early. I didn’t expect you this soon.”

“I went home, threw stuff in a bag, came here.”

“Nice to know you couldn’t wait either.”

Abbie was about to protest when he took her hand and let her upstairs to the master suite. The drapes had been drawn and the soft glow of candlelight bathed the room. He certainly knew how to set the stage for romance!

“You go take a relaxing bath while I finish getting dinner ready,” JC told her as he set her bag next to the bed. “There’s a robe behind the door and I set out the toiletries you left.”

She was dumb-founded. Going into the bathroom, she found it in candlelight as well. Her hair claws, combs and assorted bath items were setting on the vanity along with a fluffy towel. Her bath salts and bath poof were on the wide edge of the big tub.

“He certainly does know how to set the stage,” she murmured as she began undressing.

“Got everything you need?” JC called from the bedroom.

“Yes, thank you!”

Turning the taps on, she plugged the tub and adjusted the temperature. She poured in a handful of her favorite bath salts, a warm, sensual fragrance. Taking the hair claws she put her hair up and then placing the towel on the ledge, she climbed into the soothing water.

“I could get used to this,” she said as she turned off the water and leaned back. “Mmmm...” she purred as she closed her eyes.

JC watched silently from the doorway as Abbie laid back. He had heard what she said and it made him smile. He had wanted her to enjoy the things he could do for her. When he was away from her, he had told himself he could give her up. In reality, he couldn’t. When the entire county lay between them, she was just a dream. In Los Angeles again, she was very real and so was his love for her. She was his heaven and his hell. Wordlessly, he left his post.

Abbie heard JC moving around the bedroom. She was surprised he hadn’t made an excuse to join her. Frankly, she was a tad disappointed. The first time around, he had joined her nearly every time.

“Come wash my back?” she called.

JC came to the door. “Sure, sweetness.” He knelt beside the tub, slipping one sleeve out of his robe so he could stay dry. He took her bath poof and gently ran it over her back.

“Nice hands,” she murmured.

“Thank you.”

“If you ever get tired of being a pop star, you can hire out as a lady’s maid.”

He chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”

She placed a wet finger under his chin to draw his face close. “Kiss me,” she demanded huskily.

He complied readily. Dropping the sponge, he put his hand on the back of her neck as his mouth slanted on hers. Their tongues tangled and mated, both of them greedy for the taste of each other. They were possessed by each other, giving everything. Finally he lifted his head for air.

“More,” Abbie whimpered, seeking him again.

“Baby, dinner,” he told her, trying to rein in his lust.

“Dinner?” she asked as if it was a foreign word.

“Yeah, dinner. I can’t very well sweep you off your feet with my romantic prowess if I climb in the tub and have my wicked way with you, can I?”

“You don’t have to prove anything –“

“Don’t I? I saw your eyes at the studio, Abbie. You thought I was toying with you – and that remark you made when you got here. You aren’t just a lay for me, Abbie. I do love you, sweetness.”

Slipping back into the robe, JC got to his feet. “It’s ready when you are.”

Damn, the man! He had surprised her again.

Abbie quickly finished and toweled off. She found the robe he mentioned earlier and wrapped it around her. It was overly large for her stature so she rolled up the sleeves and secured the belt. Lastly, she took down her hair and brushed it down. One last check of the mirror and she pronounced, “Good as it gets.”

“Oh, Josh!” she exclaimed softly when she saw the bedroom.

JC had turned a portion of the floor into a picnic area. A sheet was spread out in lieu of a tablecloth. Champagne chilled in an ice bucket. A variety of finger foods laid waiting – not exactly a balanced meal, but she was fairly certain that it was more about seduction than nutrition.

He was looking at her expectantly. “Abbie?”

“Okay, you win the romance award of the year.” Her smile told him, he’d won more than that.

“Have a seat.”

Tucking her legs beneath her, she sat in one corner. JC took the empty space next to her, turning to face her.

“I don’t know where to begin,” she stated.

“How about with a favorite.” He picked up a shrimp from its bed of ice and dipped it in sauce. He raised it to her lips, offering it to her.

Abbie had to smile at the intimacy of the gesture and his deep blue eyes. She took the shrimp her lips touching his fingertips. “Delicious,” she declared, not knowing whether it was the man or the food she was praising.

They took turns feeding each other bits of meat, cheese and crackers before they moved on to the fruit.

“Peel me a grape?” Abbie asked, using an old Mae West line and JC laughed.

“I have no fingernails.”

“If you’d quit biting them…”

“I’ll try.” He popped a grape in his mouth then gave her one.

“Like strawberries?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

Abbie picked up one of the chocolate dipped strawberries and swiped it in the whipped cream. She then lifted it to JC’s lips.

He took her wrist in his hand to steady it as he opened his mouth. He took a small bite then guided her hand to her lips. A dab of cream stuck to her lips as she bit down. Some of the juice escaped out of the corner.

“Messy girl,” JC murmured as he leaned forward to lick away the cream and juice.

Abbie gasped at the sensual gesture, allowing his tongue into her mouth. He tasted her thoroughly.

“Josh…” She didn’t want to eat anymore. She wanted to feast on him.

“Mmm… strawberries, cream and you. Could be my new favorite flavors.” He gazed down into her lambent eyes. “Leave out the strawberries and cream. Just the flavor or you…”

This was surely a sort of torture. He’d barely done anything beyond kisses and she was throbbing with want. “Josh, please...”

He pulled back. “Champagne,” he announced.

She didn’t need anything to drink unless it was JC!

With great care, he managed to open the bottle like a true expert; no liquid came foaming out. “Hey, that’s a first,” he laughed, then poured two glasses of the bubbly wine. Handing a glass to her he asked, “What shall we drink to?”

“Love?”

He smiled. “Works for me.” He linked his arm with hers.

“Ooh, I’ve seen this at weddings!” And she had thought it was terribly romantic!

Touching his glass to hers, JC whispered, “To our love, my wonderful Abbie.”

“To our love,” she agreed.

They slowly sipped the champagne, neither of them noticing the flavor as the gazed into each other’s eyes.

Finally, she set down her glass. “Josh, I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Don’t drink if you don’t want to, baby.”

“I don’t mean the champagne.”

JC set down the glass. “Then what do you mean?”

“This.” Abbie wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing fully against him. She delivered a kiss so deep, so thorough, and so hungry they nearly burst into spontaneous flames. “I don’t want sweet romance. I want you naked beneath my lips so I can taste every inch.” She dragged her mouth down the side of his neck, pushing aside the collar of his robe so she could nip at the junction of his neck and shoulders.

“Oh, Abbie…” he moaned as she sucked at the pulse beat above his medallion. He had expected she would come to his arms easily after romance. He hadn’t counted on her being so aggressive, so sexy and controlling. It made him feel like the most desirable man in the world.

Impatiently, she untied his belt and shoved the heavy robe off his shoulders, trapping his arms. She bathed his shoulders and chest with her tongue, then lightly blew on the damp flesh to heighten the sensation. She felt his hard body shiver in delight. She repeated the lick and blow on his nipples until he shuddered. “You don’t like?”

“Oh, I like a whole helluva lot,” he growled. “You’re killing me but what a way to go.”

Abbie picked up his glass of champagne and dipped a finger in it. She bathed one of his nipples with it, then proceeded to suck and lick until he was writhing, grinding his hips up, begging for relief. By the time she finished with its twin, she could feel his rock hard arousal through the heavy fabric of both robes.

Taking a sip of champagne, she fed it to him in a kiss. Her tongue learned every secret of his hungry mouth.

“Abbie…baby, please,” he begged. “My hands…I need to touch you!”

Lithely getting to her feet, she deserted him.

JC panicked. He’d never been this aroused in his entire life.

Sipping her champagne calmly, she stripped the comforter and covers back on the bed. “Take off your robe and come here, Josh,” she commanded softly.

JC obeyed without question. Rolling to his feet he left the robe behind and sat on the bed.

“Lay back, baby,” she purred seductively. “Abbie will take care of you,” she assured him as she discarded her own robe.

He closed his eyes. Feeling her kneel on the bed, he waited for the feel of her little body mounting him. She liked to ride him – and that was fine by him! Instead he felt a trickle of cool liquid along his treasure trail ending in a puddle in his navel.

Soon she was sucking and licking her way to his ridged belly. She lapped at his belly button, sucking the last of the wine. Then her mouth was on his thigh, then his scrotum – licking, nibbling so close to where he badly needed relief.

“Abbie!” he cried when her lips closed over the purple head of his manhood. Was this his innocent Abbie? This seductress?

Swirling her tongue around crown, she let it move lower and lower.

“I’ve died and gone to heaven,” he moaned and reached down to stroke her hair.

Abbie hoped she was doing this right – and by JC’s reaction, she was at least ‘okay’ at it. Her tongue danced up and down. Her lips nibbled gently at the sensitive underside.

“Ah, baby…” His hips began thrusting up towards her pleasing mouth. “Oh, God, yeah!” He encouraged her when she began to suck on him – she was not particularly gently and it was fantastic. “Baby, harder, it won’t break.”

She moved her mouth up and down until his manhood started to jerk and twitch.

“That’s it! Take me there!” JC’s hips pushed up one more time before he went stiff. “Abbie!” he shouted as he made his shuddering release into white-hot bliss.

Not knowing what else to do, Abbie swallowed as he jetted down her throat. She sat back on her heels and waited for his eyes to open. It seemed to take a long time – and that might have worried her if he hadn’t been smiling!

At last, blue eyes full of satisfaction opened and gazed at her lovingly. “Wow! Doesn’t even begin to cover it. Where’d you learn that stuff?”

She merely shrugged. “I just did what seemed right.”

“My sweet girl is a natural sex kitten.” He smiled and held out his arms. “Come here, baby.”

Abbie went to him with no hesitation. She snuggled down she rested a hand over his still pounding heart.

He lifted her fingertips to his lips. He kissed each one, nibbling and licking. “I love you, Abbie.”

“I want to believe that you do.”

“Believe it.” He came over her. “I’ll prove it.”

“All that will prove is that I’m sexually desirable,” she muttered.

JC frowned and moved to lie beside her. “It’s a helluva lot more than that.”

“And just how am I supposed to know that? Three weeks. It’s been three weeks. No calls. No email. I felt like an idiot the times I’ve called. You had nothing to say to me.”

“We’re getting ready for another tour.”

“Bully for you,” she snapped.

“It means I’m busy.”

“Bullshit. Oh, I grant that you are a very busy man, Mr. Chasez, but not that busy.” She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “No one is that busy. A call to say ‘I love you’ takes a minute. I made the effort. You didn’t. You said I wasn’t just the girl in this port. You lied.”

“No, I didn’t.” He sat up and stroked her back gently. “There is absolutely no other woman I even looked at when we were apart.” And that was no lie. Abbie was the only woman in his life. “At the end of this tour, we are taking a break. I promise I’ll have more time.”

“Just don’t lie about loving me,” she whispered tearfully. “I admit, I enjoy you in bed and I’d probably sleep with you anyway. But don’t say you love me if it isn’t true.”

“But it is true, Abbie.” He took her into his arms to cradle her close. Wiping the tears from her cheeks with his fingers, he kissed her forehead. “I suck at relationships ask anyone I’ve ever dated. I get my mind on work and that’s all there is.

“How can you just put someone out of your heart like that?” she asked bewildered.

“You’re never out of my heart, sweetness.”

“Just out of your thoughts.”

“I guess I should have warned you I can be like that. But I fell so hard and fast…”

“Me, too.” she sighed. Since she never had a lover before, she supposed she might have had impossible expectations.

“Just know when I’m not with you, no woman is in your place, Abbie,” he whispered against her ear.

JC laid her back on the pillows and kissed her softly. “I love you, Abbie. Don’t doubt it.”

She ran her fingers through his dark waves. “Can I ask you to call once in awhile?”

“I’ll try, baby.”

Moving his lips to her neck, he nibbled the sensitive flesh along the cord there and felt her shiver. From that point he moved to her collarbone, licking and sucking to make her squirm.

“Josh!”

His tongue traveled between her breasts before stopping to tease one tender nipple into prominence. His fingers stroked and strummed its twin. With one last flick of his tongue, he settled his lips over the bud to suckle gently.

“Mmm.…” she purred, holding his head.

He skated his mouth to take the other nub between his lips.

JC took his time courting her breasts and torso with his hands and mouth. He wanted her as ready as he had been.

“Josh, please,” Abbie pleaded softly, her lips involuntarily rising into his teasing hand.

“I’m working on pleasing you, baby girl.”

Spreading kisses along her thighs, he brought his mouth closer to his final destination. He slid his tongue along her dewy slit until her petals opened for his tender invasion. Swirling his tongue around her pleasure pearl, he teased and licked until she was sobbing with need.

Raising his head momentarily, JC asked, “Ready, Abbie?”

“Oh, yes!”

Lowering his head once again, he closed his lips over the nub and sucked.

“Josh!”

He continued, stabbing and swirling his tongue around as he continued to pleasure her.

Abbie felt her body growing taut as the familiar tingle worked up from her center to her limbs. “Oh, Josh, I – oh!”

JC lapped up her offering then kissed his way back up her body. “I love the way you taste,” he murmured against her mouth. He probed her tender center with his throbbing shaft. “Let’s go there together this time, baby.”

“Ah!” she cried as he thrust into her, stretching her, filling her.

“Damn, you’re still so tight.”

“Is that…a bad thing?” Abbie asked innocently.

He grinned down at her little frown. “No, it’s a wonderful thing. Tight, hot, wet. I like a whole lot.” He began to move on her. “Sweetness, wrap your legs around me.”

“Oooh!” Abbie could scarcely believe he slid deeper.

“Yeah, it’s great.”

Conversation was finished for the moment. The only sounds in the room were the sighs and moans of the lovers and the creak of the bed. JC thrust into her hard and fast, until he felt Abbie tense.

“That’s it, baby. Feel me. Feel my love.” He bent his head to bite and lick her ear. He groaned as her tight walls clenched him. “Abbie, come with me, baby.”

“Josh, I can’t…”

He wrapped his hands around hers. “Let it go. I’ll catch you when you fall from heaven.”

She writhed beneath him, trying to escape the reality before her.

“Come for Josh, baby,” he urged as his hands held hers as she arched up into his thrusts.

“Josh!” she cried as white heat and rapture assaulted her.

Feeling her release, JC let his own take him. “Yeah…Damn!” He shuddered with the force of his pleasure.

Abbie’s legs slid limply to the mattress as she and her lover panted. “Oh, God!…” she whispered.

Lifting his head from her shoulder, he took what was left of her breath in a sweet, hot kiss. “I love you, baby. No one makes me this crazy, this needy.”

She pushed the damp curls from his forehead lovingly. “I can’t imagine anything being this good, this devastating.”

JC eased off of her to her side. He wrapped both arms around her securely. “Because we belong to each other.”

“Even if you never call?”

“Even then... You’re in my heart, Abbie.”