“So, I see you survived without me,” Lance quipped as he hugged JC at the airport.

It was only a brief friend-to-friend hug, but JC was comforted by the familiar warmth and scent of his lover. Leaving Abbie had shredded his heart. Lance would be able to put it back together.

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy,” JC murmured.

“C’mon.”

Once in the privacy of Lance’s SUV, JC felt the blonde’s hand caress his hard thigh.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go to bed real early tonight,” Lance announced in his low, seductive tone.

JC felt a familiar lust skitter down his nerve endings. He was already beginning to harden.

Casting a brief glance at the silent man’s crotch, Lance chuckled. “Okay, we go to bed as soon as we get there.” He knew JC could be as insatiable as a horny teenager.

JC reached over, curling his long, elegant fingers around the swell at the front of Lance’s jeans. “I want to love you until we’re both too limp to move.”

“Damn, C!” Lance snatched his lover’s hand away but kept it in his own. “I want that, too, beautiful. I’ve been without you for so long, I’ll probably explode the minute you touch me.”

The rest of the drive was silent. The moment the garage door came down between them and the rest of the world, JC pounced on Lance, his mouth devouring the familiar taste of his lover. His hand tore at the buttons at the front of his shirt, frantically baring his smooth chest for his hands and mouth. His other hand unzipped his jeans and snaked in to stroke the heavy bulge in his shorts.

Lance shoved his hands beneath JC’s tee shirt, caressing the muscled chest and abs.

Finally, gaining breathing room, Lance murmured, “The bedroom, beautiful. The car isn’t the place for this reunion.”

Grabbing his lover’s hand, JC fairly jerked the blonde from the car and into the house via the kitchen entrance. Stopping in the living room, he growled, “I can’t make it to the bedroom, pretty boy.” He shoved the shirt from Lance’s shoulders, running his hands over the familiar territory. He loved this man – his healing lover and friend. Bending his head, he captured a flat nipple in his mouth.

“Oh, shit, C!” Lance moaned, closing his eyes as JC continued kissing, licking and sucking on the vulnerable places he had discovered months earlier. The man had to be starved to be this horny!

Dropping to his knees, JC licked his way to the gapping jeans, releasing the snap. Soon Lance’s jeans hit the floor along with his boxer briefs. Then his tongue bathed the solid columns of his thighs.

“Baby, I want you. I want you now,” Lance groaned. “Please, JC, I…uh!—“ A shudder of pure delight sifted through his entire being as the man he loved closed his lips around his thick, aching manhood. The enforced celibacy of JC’s absence and JC’s eager mouth had him ready in no time. “God, baby, it feels so good…I’m ready…Harder!…Yeah!…” He buried his hands in the dark curls of his lover’s hair as his hips pushed at his mouth. “I’m there, C! I’m—“ Lance exploded, shooting repeatedly into the mouth that held him. “Oh, God!” he panted as JC sat back on his heels, grinning at him.

“Feel better, pretty boy?” JC taunted.

“I’d feel a whole lot better if we had done this upstairs.”

“Why? That all you got?” Moving to his feet, JC kissed him hard. “I think not.”

“I wanted us to come together, you oversexed—“

“Hey!”

Lance hauled his pants up and headed for the steps.

“Why are you mad at me?” JC demanded as he followed him. “You got yours.”

At the landing the blonde spun on him angrily. “Dammit, JC, what the hell is wrong with you? This isn’t supposed to be about sex – It’s supposed to be about love.”

“I do love you, Lance. Why do you think I—“ The chiming of his cellphone cut off JC’s defense. He looked at the number. Abbie. Her name was like ice water on his libido. “I’ll take this, then I’ll be in,” he told Lance as the blonde entered the bedroom.

“Hey, Abbie,” he said quietly into the small phone.

“Hi, Josh. You got home safely?”

“Um – yeah. Just a few minutes ago.”

“Oh.” She felt something wrong…maybe just the distance…”I’ll let you get settled then.”

“Thanks for calling, sweetness. Nice to know you care.”

“I do more than care,” she murmured. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“Josh? What’s wrong?”

His lover was waiting for him in the bedroom. “I’m sorry. I got a million things on my mind now that I’m back.”

“Oh…I won’t keep you then. Bye.”

“Bye.” JC closed his eyes. This was impossible.

“Who was it?” Lance stood in the bedroom doorway, naked and semi-aroused.

“I…uh…a friend in LA, seeing if I got home okay.”

Lance held his arms out to JC. “I’m sorry, beautiful.” When JC came to him, he held him close. “I was an ass. You were trying to please me, letting me go first – and I acted like a jerk.”

Lance’s tender, lingering kiss swamped JC’s senses. He melted into the strong arms that knew how to rescue and repair a broken heart.

Pulling away, Lance took JC’s hand and led him to bed. “One of us is wearing too much.”

Lance knew something was up with his lover. Suddenly, JC was answering and making secretive telephone calls – and if that had been telling enough, mail was arriving that JC was keeping to himself. One night as JC climbed into bed beside him, Lance said, “There’s a girl.”

JC stopped just as he was prepared to lie down. “Why do you say that?”

“C’mon, beautiful, I’m not stupid. Since when do you care if I over hear your telephone conversations?”

“Well…it’s private…”

“And I’m not longer privy to that?” Lance huffed a little. “How about those things in the mailbox I never get to see?”

“They’re mine.”

“Since when are you hiding things from me? It can only mean you’ve been seeing a girl.”

If he denied it, JC knew he would only make things worse. “I met Abbie in LA. I didn’t mean for anything to happen…”

Lance shrugged. “We both know that we have to have girls in our lives. Gives the fans someone to envy, looks good for the public – and pleases our parents.”

JC wanted to deny that’s was why he wanted Abbie in his life. He had so totally fallen in love with her in that month. But now, he was back with Lance, he wondered if what he had felt was genuine. Would he feel the same once he saw Abbie again? What was real? “I…I didn’t want to hurt you,” he finally told his lover.

“I’m a big boy, beautiful. I can take my lumps.” Lance ran his hand up under JC’s tee shirt. “I appreciate you trying to protect me.”

JC relaxed. He’d manage to omit enough of the truth to satisfy Lance. When he saw Abbie next, he’d have to tell her it was over. Leaning over the blonde, he kissed him lingeringly. “I love you, baby.”

JC noticed the blinking light on the answering machine when he got home. Hardly anyone but telemarketers ever used his home phone. He wasn’t all that interested in the message, but the blinking was annoying. He hit ‘play message’.

“Mr. Chasez, this is Abbie Williams from Kenneth Marsden’s office. It seems we had an audio problem with your portion of the shoot.” Why hadn’t Abbie called his cell? “Please, call the office at your earliest convenience so we might discuss the problem. The number is 323-555-1005. Thank you. Have a good day.”

It was too late for the office, so he called Abbie’s apartment.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby. It’s me.”

“Hi, Josh.”

“What kind of message was that you left?”

“I was filling in for Sylvia.”

“You could have called my cell.”

“Whenever I have called you sounded… distracted, so I thought I’d leave you a business message at home.”

Her sense of timing sucked, JC thought. Inevitably when she had called, he was with Lance.

“So what do I need to do for the promo?”

“It would be helpful if you could do a voice over.”

“How soon?”

“When you can.”

“How long will it take?”

“Unless you’re a hopeless reader, a day.”

He was through with business. “And how much time does Abbie Williams need?” he asked softly.

“Forever.”

He closed his eyes and let the echo of that word seep into his soul. “Abbie, baby…”

“When can you come?”

“Maybe I can get away a few days next week.”

“We only need one – “

“But you and I need more.”

“I love you, Joshua.”

“C!” Lance came into see JC on the phone.

“I gotta go. I’ll call about those days,” JC’s voice changed from intimate to professional.

“Certainly, Mr. Chasez. Good-bye.” Abbie hung up hurt and bewildered.

“What days?” Lance asked as JC hung up. He went and slid his arms around his lover from behind.

“I need to go to LA for some voice overs.”

“Man, you just got back a couple of weeks ago.”

“My audio messed up somehow.”

“They could find someone who sounds like you,” Lance grumbled.

JC glanced over his shoulder. “You think?”

“Well, no one’s quite as sexy as you…” The blonde reached his mouth for a kiss.

“It’ll only take a couple of days.”

“Couple of days? We’re getting ready to tour again.”

“This isn’t as much to learn this time, less staging. It’ll be okay.”

“Dammit, C –“

“Take a deep breath, pretty boy. I got an obligation to take care of.” And a girl to see.

When JC pulled away and left the room, Lance looked at the answering machine. He listened to the message. It sounded all cool and professional, but the name…

JC was going to see his Abbie again.

Jealousy twisted in him. He had said he understood JC’s need for a woman in his life – and on an intellectual level he truly did. On an emotional, gut level, he was sick at the thought of sharing JC’s love with this Abbie – even if it was only for show and sex. He had known loving JC wouldn’t be easy – but he sensed the difficulties were only beginning.

She hadn’t been easy to track down, JC mused as he finally saw Abbie. According to her schedule she had five places to be at the same time. He’d found her hard at work in place five. He had managed to leave Orlando a half-day earlier than planned, so she had no idea he was there.

Her calm and friendliness under pressure still amazed him. She could be cool, yet so warm at the same time. It was her gift.

Abbie was his gift, all he had to do was see her, hear her voice, and he was still in love, so very much in love.

Focused on the problem at hand, Abbie didn’t notice the dark haired man leaning against the wall in the shadows. After her less than intimate phone discussions with JC, she was in turmoil over his visit. How could a man act like he can’t live without you, then act like a distant acquaintance? She had given her all – and JC… What had he given? Was it all a game to him? She hadn’t believed so when she looked into his eyes.

“Abbie,” the voice from her dreams whispered.

She turned to find JC standing less than a yard away.

“Hey, baby. I’m early.”

“Why?” was all she could think to ask.

JC smiled and moved towards her. “Because I missed my baby girl,” he told her before his mouth moved on hers.

Damn the man! Abbie couldn’t resist his kiss. She opened readily, matching his hunger. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled her up on her toes, closer, tighter, until he was imprinted on her body. When he lifted his lips from hers, she was panting.

“You taste better than I remember,” he trailed his lips down her neck. “Sweet, addictive Abbie…”

She would have preferred to pull away, to demand an explanation, but she was too drugged by the taste and feel of him. He made her weak.

“When can I take you home?” he demanded.

“Another two hours, “ she murmured.

“Think Sylvia will let me in your office?”

Abbie managed to find strength to push at his chest, giving some distance. “Go to your house,” she suggested.

“But, sweetness –“

“I have my car. I can run home –“

“No, come to me.”

“Josh, be reasonable. I need clothes for tomorrow.”

“I’m here three nights. You damn well better plan on staying with me all of them,” he growled against her ear.

“Aren’t we the demanding fellow,” she taunted.

“Abbie...”

“I’ll see you in a few hours,” she answered breezily and walked away.

Her parting peck was not nearly enough to sustain him that long.