A little brunette approached him. JC knew the producers were sending someone to pick him up at the airport. Of course, the person couldn’t hold placard announcing JC Chasez.

“Mr. Chasez, I’m Abbie.”

Abbie, yes. That was the name Kenneth had given him. “Nice to meet you, Abbie.”

She took his hand and led him through the stream of people. Despite her small stature, her grip was firm and sure -- and her hand so soft and warm. JC felt a tingle of awareness skitter down his spine.

A sliver limousine waited at the curb with a tall, older gentleman in a uniform waiting beside it.

This Abbie offered the man a smile. “Here he is, Nelson. Safe and sound.”

Nelson returned her smile. “Very good, Miss Abbie.”

She opened the door for JC. “In you go.”

When she looked ready to close the door, JC halted her. “Aren’t you coming, too?”

“No. My car’s here.”

“Abbie…” He couldn’t say why, but he didn’t want her to leave his sight.

“You just relax, Mr. Chasez. Nelson will get you where you’re going. Have a nice evening!”

When the car door closed, JC felt incredibly alone. Closing his eyes, he laid his head back on the seat. Maybe he could sleep. Just when he thought he might succumb, his cellphone chimed. Glancing at the screen, he smiled, recognizing the number.

“Hey, Lance! Miss me already?”

JC watched as Abbie bustled around the studio, making sure everyone had what they needed before the shoot. She wasn’t beautiful, but she was pretty in a fresh, natural way. She had a quick, sweet smile and her big, dark eyes were warm and soothing. A guy could lose himself in those eyes.

“Here you go, Mr. Chasez,” she said as she handed JC a cup of coffee he had requested earlier. “Sorry it took so long.”

“Um – thanks – it’s okay.”

“It’s going slow today,” she said as she looked over the controlled chaos of the promo shoot.

“I got no where to be.” He sipped the coffee. “Doesn’t taste like battery acid.”

“I should hope not! I made it fresh in a clean pot.”

“Thank you, Abbie.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Chasez.”

“JC, please, or Josh.”

When she looked at him, she studied his face and read his eyes, JC could almost feel her compassion and her kindness. ”All right – Josh.”

“Thank you.” And he was grateful for the understanding and acceptance he found in her.

At the end of the day, JC sought Abbie. Once shooting began, he hadn’t seen her. They had made a real connection, he felt. He wanted them to spend more time together. He found her in a corner with a clipboard scribbling furiously.

“Abbie.”

She looked up and smiled. “Mr. Cha – Josh.”

“You’re done for the day?”

“Almost. I’ve got to run these notes to the producer, then I’m finished.”

“I’ll walk you.”

“Okay.” She took his hand naturally as the walked out of the studio and to a golf cart. “I guess I could walk these over, but I think I did a marathon today,” she said as they got in and she took off.

“You were everywhere all the time,” JC acknowledged.

“I live on sugar and nervous energy. If I didn’t run around like a chicken with its head cut off, I’d weigh a ton.”

He glanced down at her small breasts to the flair of her hips. “I don’t think so.”

“If another guy said that, I’d think it was a come on.”

“From me you don’t?”

“I think you’re too shy for bull.”

The cart came to a halt and she hopped out. “Be right back.” True to her word she was only gone a moment. “Park close to the studio this morning?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll drive you to your car.” Coming to the large lot behind the studio, she asked, “Which one is yours?”

Pointing to a black jeep, JC realized his time with her was growing short. “I – uh – was wondering if you have time for – uh…”

“Dinner?” she supplied. At his nod, she smiled, “Dinner would be lovely. You like Chinese? I know this wonderful little place –“

Without warning he swooped down with a kiss. Taken by surprise, it took her a moment, then she responded – shyly, sweetly.

“Abbie,” he whispered as he lifted his head only enough to speak. “You feel it, don’t you baby? A rightness. Something soul deep.”

Her dark eyes rose to meet his. “Yes.”

“Chinese sounds great. Get in my car.”

She shook her head.

“No?”

“If I leave my car, half the security guys will be out looking for me. I’ll give you my address. You can meet me there.”

JC enjoyed Abbie thoroughly. She was as open and genuine as she seemed. She teased him a little about his shyness, making him laugh and relax. He couldn’t believe how natural it was to take her hand, touch her, kiss her – want her. He gave Lance a fleeting thought. His lover would have to understand. Sometimes, JC desired a woman.

Another hungry kiss, JC had Abbie sinking back on the sofa cushions as he came over her.

Abbie broke off on a fit of giggles. It was infectious and soon he was chuckling.

“What?” he demanded with a grin. “What’s so funny about me kissing you?”

“I’ve never made out with a star before,” she giggled. “I mean I’ve been hit on. I’ve been kissed, but I’ve never had one lay me down on his sofa before.”

JC tenderly stroked her hair. “I’m sorry, baby. You taste so good and it feels so right…”

“Yes, it does,” she agreed softly.

“Want me to stop?” He leaned forward to run his tongue along her bottom lip, making her whimper.

“Not necessarily. But, Josh, it can’t go beyond kisses. Well, maybe a little groping…” She smiled and buried her fingers in the silky waves of his hair. “We’ve just met. I only know the persona you show in interviews, I don’t know who Josh is.”

“Pretty much what you see, Abbie.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. On stage you’re confident. Off stage, girls make you stammer and bite your nails.”

“Do you want to know Josh, baby?”

“I think so.” She leaned up to brush a kiss across his lips. “JC Chasez is a sexy, beautiful man who sings with passion and has a million websites dedicated to his sexy self.”

"That is so not me – except the singing part. Music is my passion.”

“See?”

“I guess I just don’t see myself in those terms.”

“How long are you here for?”

“A month or so here, then it’s back to Orlando.”

“So, I’ll be what? Your California girl?”

JC rubbed his nose to hers. “No, Abbie, that’s not the way I am.”

“Not the way Josh is.”

“Not the way Josh is,” he confirmed.

"This is scaring me a little.” The turmoil was clear in her dark chocolate eyes.

“What is, baby?”

“The way I feel.”

“How do you feel?”

Instead of replying, she gazed into his eyes, searching for his feelings.

“I didn’t want you to go last night. The minute you took my hand, I started to feel things for you,” he told her.

“What things?”

“Soft, warm, wonderful things.” JC smiled, things he hadn’t expected to feel for a female.

Abbie’s smile was a little shy. “Me, too.”

He shifted on the sofa to cradle her against him. Stroking her hair, rubbing her back, he hoped to soothe her. Something in Abbie brought out the protective instincts in him as well as the testosterone. He sensed she wasn’t the ball-buster kind of woman he’d known in the past. He doubted there was a coy bone in her sweet little body.

“Josh?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“As nice as this is I think I should go home…” The ‘before something happens’ was left unspoken.

“Yeah, I guess.” Reluctantly, JC released her and sat both of them up.

“Just let me call a cab…”

“No way. This was a date. I take my dates home.” Rising from the sofa, he helped her to her feet. “Can I make one for tomorrow night?”

“Yes.” Her voice was husky with unspent passion.

JC groaned as his mouth came down on hers again. “Oh, God, Abbie…” When she responded fully, his senses reeled once more. “I don’t wanna take you home. I want to keep you here, kissing you, touching you, making you mine,” he whispered against her neck as he nibbled along the sensitive cord there.

“I’m already yours,” she assured him as she pressed closer. “But we need to stop. I need time to catch up.”

Finally, raising his head, JC nodded. “I’ll take you home.”

For once, JC couldn’t sleep. Dreams of Abbie had chased him all night – and guilt over Lance. He hadn’t been away two days and here he was in love with someone else – a girl no less! Somehow, he thought that might make it more tolerable for his blonde lover. Abbie, even in his mind her name was a soft, sweet sigh – those large eyes, the color of rich, dark chocolate. Her delicious pink lips. Her satiny skin and silky black hair. Her little body of gentle womanly curves, a softness to cradle him. He wanted to bury himself in softness – hot and slick from its own accord. Groaning, he rolled onto his stomach, rubbing his raging hard on against the sheets.

When the phone rang, he snatched it up irritably. “Hello.”

A soft giggle met his surly greeting. “Not a morning person I take it.”

JC smiled, his sweet tormentor… “Hi, Abbie.”

“Good morning, Josh.”

“It is now.” Moving to his back, he let her voice soothe him.

“I was wondering…”

“What were you wondering, sweetness?”

“Are we still going out tonight?”

“I don’t recall saying we were going out,” he mused. “But we are going to be together, yes.”

“Then I was thinking, we could save time by taking only one vehicle to the studio.”

“Want me to pick you up?”

“As nice as that would be, I have to be there early. I’ll take a cab.”

“You sure, baby? I can take a shower and be there in maybe an hour.”

Abbie hesitated. “Do you want to?”

“I want to.”

“I’d like that,” she said quietly.

Her low voice sent tingles down his spine. “I’ll be there.” Ringing off, he flung himself from bed. He’d have to forgo his usual lengthy shower and breakfast, but he’d have Abbie for compensation.

“Wow! Good morning to you!” Abbie gasped when JC finally let her up for air. When she’d answered her door, he’d swept her up in a passionate, mind-numbing kiss.

Clear blue eyes grinned down at her. “Morning, sweetness.”

“You’re better than caffeine to jumpstart a morning.” She grabbed her purse and locked her apartment door behind her.

“And you didn’t get the full treatment,” he taunted as he lead her to his car.

She laughed, “I don’t know if I’d survive the full treatment.”

He backed her up against the car, knowing full well she could feel his arousal, “You’d not only survive it, Abbie, I hope you’d beg for more,” he told her huskily.

With wide dark eyes, she stared into his hot blue gaze, awed by what they were both feeling. “I think I would.”

JC groaned. Damn, she put it all out there. How was he supposed to resist? Pushing away from her, he opened her door. “Get in before we’re both sorry.”

Abbie waited until he climbed in the driver’s side. She touched his hand as he reached for the ignition. “I wouldn’t be sorry,” she told him quietly.

Instead of her statement arousing him more, it calmed the rampant emotion in him. They were inevitable. They would be together – he’d just have to wait a while longer.

The lack of sleep and waking at an early hour had JC ready for some serious napping after his part in the shoot was over. Abbie led him into her cubbyhole office. All she had was a stubby love seat, hardly room for her, let alone a man.

“Sorry.”

JC smiled, “I’ll be fine. Just don’t forget to wake me when you’re done for the day.”

“How would I get home if I didn’t?”

“Snatch the keys while I sleep.”

“Don’t be giving me ideas, Mr. Chasez.”

Putting his hands on her waist, he tugged her against him. “You give me all sorts of ideas, Miss Williams.”

Abbie reached up for a soft kiss. “Let’s see what they are later.”

He certainly could sleep, Abbie mused as she gazed down at JC. Instead of trying to curl up on the too small loveseat, he had stretched his long legs out in front of him and slumped into the cushions. Taking the cushions next to him, she eased down, careful not to wake him. He really was a beautiful male. The sharp cheekbones. The sensuous lips. The nose, just large enough to keep him from being pretty. Long, dark eyelashes shuttered incredibly blue eyes. Soft wavy hair any woman would envy. Then there was his lean torso. She had thought him skinny until he had whipped off his shirt for a wardrobe change. She had gasped at the sculpted muscles of his body – what clothes hid! He had caught her staring and winked. “It’s yours if you want it, baby,” he had whispered as he passed at her. And boy, did she want it!

“Josh.” Abbie couldn’t resist running her fingers through his hair. “Josh, do you want to wake up?”

He snuggled his face into her palm. “…Abbie…”

“Wake up, sleepy head. Time to go home.”

Slumberous blue eyes opened and slowly focused on her face. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“You’re beautiful to wake up to,” he purred.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“I wanna wake up next to you for the next sixty years.”

“How’s that gonna happen, blue-eyes? We don’t even live on the same coast most of the time.”

“Come with me, Abbie. Be mine.”

“I’ve known you what? Three days? I think we need to wait to discuss this.”

“How long?”

“Josh!”

Straightening on the cushions, he rubbed his hands over his face. Talk about pushing? What would Lance say if he showed up in Orlando with another lover?

“Ready for dinner, Abbie?”

She shook her head.

“No?”

“No.” She leaned to kiss him hungrily. “I want you.”

JC hadn’t expected such an announcement. “Are – are you sure?”

A brief little nod. “Yes, I’ve never felt this way before. It’s a sweet, slow burn in my blood.”

“Be very sure, baby. I don’t wanna rush you.”

“You aren’t. I’m rushing you.” Her smile and eyes never wavered as he dropped his hand to her breast, finding the nipple beneath the fabric and stroking it into pebble hardness. “I like when you touch me.”

“I’ll be doing more than touching you, Abbie. I’ll taste every inch of you.”

“And I you.”

“I want to spend all night exploring you.”

“Then let’s go home.”

It wasn’t until JC swept Abbie into the bedroom she became shy. Instead of pushing, he went to the bed and pulled back the comforter and covers. Then he stepped behind her, cradling her back to his chest. He pressed his face against her hair, breathing in her scent. Nothing more. He merely waited for her to relax against him.

“Josh?” Her voice was barely audible.

“Yeah, Abbie?”

“I – I’ve never…”

“I think I realize that. Wanna stop?”

She shook her head. “But I’m sorta scared.”

“Don’t be. I’ll be good to you. I want to make you feel so good you’ll never want another man.”

“I won’t.”

He smiled into her hair.

“What should I do?”

“Take off your shoes and socks.”

She twisted in his arms. Had she heard correctly?

“Once those are off, the rest is easy.” His gentle tease had the desired effect – she relaxed.

Abbie sat on the edge of his big bed to remove her running shoes and socks.

JC kicked off his shoes and stripped away his socks. He then pulled his belt from his belt loops.

“Do I undress? Or do I let you do it?”

He came to sit beside her. “Which do you prefer?”

“I – I don’t know.”

He slid one hand beneath her tee shirt to rest a hand on her satiny ribs. He felt her tremble, not from fear but from the intimacy of his touch. “Let me undress you, Abbie. Let me strip away everything between us so we can be one,” he whispered against her neck.

“Yes…”

He turned her face so he could kiss her. Soft, tender kisses led to hungry, demanding kisses. Abbie’s hands found their way beneath his tee-shirt. She touched the muscles she had only seen earlier. The light mat of hair tickling her palms. JC bit back a moan of pleasure when her fingertips found his flat nipples and traced them until they stood at attention for her.

“Ooh…” Abbie hadn’t known that could happen! She wanted her mouth there. She tugged the hem of his shirt up and JC allowed her to remove it. Her tongue took over from her fingers. When her lips closed over one brown bud and sucked lightly, he gasped.

“Baby, that feels so good. I wanna do that to you.”

Abbie’s lips trailed up his neck to his mouth. “Yes.” Virginal shyness gave way to the desire to explore and be discovered. She readily gave up her shirt and bra.

JC moved them more fully on to the bed before he continued. More kisses, some tender, some insatiably hungry. He could never get enough of her honeyed flavor. His mouth found it’s way to her small firm breasts via every soft inch of skin above. His tongue traced the outline of those precious mounds before concentration the tightening pink tips.

“Please,” she whispered as he teased her nipples. She moaned happily when he suckled first one then the other. She squirmed and held his head closer. She never imagined how wonderful a man’s touch could be. “Josh…”

He came back to her mouth, the hair on his chest abrading her sensitized nipples. His Abbie was opening like the promising passionflower she was. “I love you,” he murmured against her mouth, “I need you.”

“You have me, Josh. Take me.”

That simple open statement was his undoing. He finished undressing them. His mouth and hands mapped every satiny inch of flesh from her forehead to her toes. Abbie was melting into bliss – and he hadn’t come into her yet. “Oh, please, Josh!…”

He rose above her, poising himself at her tender entrance. “It’ll only hurt this once,” he assured her as he lowered himself inch by inch until her virgin barrier halted his progress.

“Be quick and it’ll be over,” she insisted.

With a swift thrust, he was buried in her tight sheath. Holding himself still above her, he let her adjust to the invasion.

Abbie had expected more pain and was relived it was minimal. It gave way to the wonderful feeling of being full, completed by her lover. She smiled into worried blue eyes. “It feels beautiful.”

“Thank God!”

She ran her hands up those strong muscled arms she admired earlier. “Make love to me, Josh.”

JC moved slowly at first, rocking into her. It was only when she began arching up at his downward stroke he quickened his pace. “Baby, nothing feels this good!” he whispered fiercely, loving the tight, slick heat of her.

“Josh!” An unfamiliar sensation seemed to tighten every nerve ending in her body.

He felt her go taut. “Just go with it, sweetness. Let it take you.”

Her fingernails gripped his back as her body continued as if on a rack. “Josh, I can’t – oh, God!… Josh!…” Like being released from a slingshot, Abbie was thrown into a flood of ecstasy, her body bursting into diamond fragments of bliss.

JC watched in awe as she came apart beneath him. He’d never seen such rapture in a lover’s face before. Her body tightened and quivered around him, forcing his climax. “Abbie! Baby!” He shook as he exploded, pouring into her. “Damn!”

They soothed and nuzzled each other as they floated back to earth. JC lifted off of her to hold her. Together they eased back into the world.

“Is it supposed to be like that the first time?” Abbie questioned when breath returned.

“Hell, baby, it’s never been like that before,” he explained.

She peered up at her lover, “Then it must be us.”

He smiled at her. “Must be.”

“Good fit.”

“Excellent fit. Custom-made.” JC couldn’t believe his fortune in finding Abbie, the girl he needed to make him complete.

“I didn’t get to explore you much,” she complained

“We got all night.”

“I don’t think that’ll be long enough.”

“We have the rest of our lives.”

Abbie gave him a drowsy smile. “Maybe that would be long enough.”

The explored, loved and teased all night long – and as Abbie said, it wasn’t enough. Every night they rushed to each other’s arms, starved and eager as if they’d been apart for weeks instead of hours. JC was totally lost in his love for Abbie. She was an endless craving and he couldn’t get enough. His life in Orlando with Lance faded with every kiss. Leaving Abbie at the end of the month no longer bore thinking.

“God, baby, I can’t leave you here,” JC told Abbie as they waited for his flight.

“Yes, you can. I’ll be here when you get back,” she assured him.

“Come with me.”

“Josh, we’ve been through this. My job is here—“

“I’ll support you. You can be my…” He tried to think of a title for her. “My assistant…my social secretary…”

Abbie shook her head, grinning. “Mr. Chasez, you are so full of crap, it’s a wonder your eyes aren’t brown.”

“Abbie…” JC pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m dying inside.”

“I know it hurts, baby. We’ll get through it. It won’t be that long, right? We’re strong enough.”

“But—“

His flight was announced and JC’s arms tightened around her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now, go home and I’ll see you when you get back.”

“You’re my home, Abbie,” he told her firmly.

“I’ll remember that, darling,” Abbie whispered against his lips. “Now, go before I won’t let you.”

JC crushed his mouth over hers. He wanted a taste of her to last through their separation. “I love you, sweetness,” he whispered against her hair before he finally made good his getaway.

Just before he would lose sight of her, he turned to see Abbie kiss her fingertips and wave to him. He ached for her already.