Between A Rock And A Hard Place

By: Lara

“Is it MY fault there was an accident? NO, I don’t think so!” Lara snapped as they lugged Lisa’s luggage up to her suite. “I told you the quickest way to get here. It wasn’t MY fault people don’t know how to drive. Damn tourists,” she muttered.

“Well, you could have given us a SECOND way to get here,” Kelley snapped cheerfully. They were razzing Lara just to get a rise out of her, and it was working. Kelley and Ari’s bags were already upstairs.

“Bite me, okay? Just bite me,” Lara growled.

“With relish,” Kelley replied quickly. Lara swung a suitcase around to smack Kelley but she jumped out of the way.

“Damn kids,” Ari said with a smile.

“Oh, shit, I forgot something. I’ll be right back.” Lisa turned around and started back down the elegant hallway.

The three girls were visiting Lara in Hershey, staying at the elegant Hotel Hershey, located up on a hill above the town. The hotel was amazing, with a huge fountain in the lobby, a circular dining room, a private golf course, and a gorgeous rose garden. Suites started at about $150, and the girls had splurged on one of the best.

Lisa decided to skip the elevator and started to quickly scamper down the six flights of stairs. She reached the door to the third floor and turned the corner, running smack into someone.

“Holy FUCK!” She yelled as hot liquid sprayed all over her. “Ow! Holy shit!”

“Dammit, I looked all over for a cappuccino place, and there went an hour of searching!” A male voice shouted.

“Kev, calm down, it’s only coffee,” another voice said behind him. “Are you okay, Miss?”

“NO, I’m NOT okay. I’m burning, thank you very much.” Lisa scrubbed at the front of her tank top, trying to dry the burning liquid that seemed to scald through the fabric to her skin. Napkins were thrust at her and she began to furiously scrub.

“Are you okay? I’m sure this hotel has a doctor,” a third voice began.

“Maybe she just needs a dry cleaner,” the man who ran into her mumbled. Lisa glared up at him.

“Excuse me? I don’t think…” her face went white as she saw who was in front of her. Kevin Richardson angrily glared down at her, while Howie Dorough and Nick Carter peeped over his shoulder. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” she finished weakly. “I’ll survive. Thank you.” She brushed past them and continued on down the stairs, leaving Howie and Nick to stare after her.

“Lisa? What’s on the front of your shirt?” Lara asked as Lisa returned to the suite.

“Coffee,” Lisa said, stuck in a trance.

“Coffee?” Ari asked, confused.

“I ran into some coffee. I mean, I ran into a man with Kevin coffee. I mean, I ran into Kevin who was holding coffee.” Lisa sat down on a chair, staring down at her shirt but not really seeing it.

“Kevin who?” Kelley asked. “I didn’t know you knew anyone in this area.”

“I don’t. But I know Kevin Richardson.”

“Kevin WHAT?” Ari, Lara and Kelley shrieked as one.

“Kevin Richardson,” Lisa replied in a whisper. “He was in the stairwell. With Nick and Howie.”

“Nick and Howie?” Lara and Kelley shrieked as one.

“No AJ or Brian? Damn,” Ari muttered, flopping onto the bed and reaching for the remote.

“Yes, Nick and Howie.” Lisa stood again. “I’m gonna go find the laundry. I need to soak this shirt.” She went back out the door again.

“Anyone notice that she didn’t take something to wear while she cleans the shirt?” Ari remarked.

“Tell me why we’re here again?” Kevin mumbled to Nick as they entered Brian’s hotel suite.

“Because we needed a getaway vacation and no one would look for us here,” Nick said for the twelfth time.

“And because this Hersheypark place has some kicking rollercoasters,” AJ remarked from his spot on the bed where he was flipping channels.

“Whatever. I need to go for a walk.” Kevin left the room before anyone could protest. He began to roam the halls and stairwells of the huge hotel, not even noticing the opulence around him. He was pissed because of the loss of his coffee, and he was pissed at the guys because they had talked him into coming along on this freak vacation. All he wanted to do was stay at home and pout. He had been dumped and he was ashamed of it. All women were evil. He wanted to sit in his bedroom and stare at the walls. He did NOT want to be cheered up and coddled.

Lisa wandered around in the catacombs that were the Hotel Hershey’s basement, looking for anything resembling a laundry room. She knew the place had to have a laundry; it was practically a town within itself. “Aha!” She exclaimed triumphantly as she turned a corner and saw a door marked “Laundry.” She tried the knob. It turned in her hand but the door would not budge. “Dammit,” she mumbled, pushing against the door. She suddenly flew into the room, and the door slammed shut behind her. “Shit!” Lisa frantically tried the knob. The door was locked, only able to be opened from the outside. She pounded on it for a few moments, then decided to reach around and find a light switch. A chain hit her in the face and she pulled it. A dim light bulb illuminated the room, showing her the fact that this was an old laundry, obviously no longer in use. “Shit,” she said weakly, leaning back against the door.

Kevin wandered through the dark corridors of the basement, thinking about his situation. How pissed would Brian get if he decided to take off? This little vacation was Brian’s idea in the first place, so it was HIS fault Kevin was miserable…not Kevin’s fault. Brian really should have…

Kevin looked up suddenly, shaken out of his reverie by a loud pounding. He walked over to a door marked “Laundry.” He tried the knob and it turned, but the door didn’t swing open. He shoved against the door and it flew open, knocking someone to the ground.

The door gave way against Lisa’s pounding and she was thrown back. “Dammit! Could you have pushed that any harder?” She grumbled from the floor.

“Well, if you wouldn’t have been standing so close…I’m not Superman. I don’t have xray vision…I couldn’t see through the door,” a male voice said. He stepped into the room and reached down to help her up.

“Oh, no, don’t let the door…” Lisa began, interrupted by the slamming of the door. “…close. Fuck.”

“Fuck is right!” The man began to pound on the door. She sighed and began to look around the room. There was a sink in the corner. She tried the faucet and it worked. She debated taking her top off and soaking it. Would he be able to see her? Would he… “I don’t believe this!” The man griped, leaning against the door.

“Well, it was your fault, Sherlock,” Lisa said, turning around. She caught sight of his face and gasped. Kevin Richardson stared back at her.

“YOU! This totally figures. It’s all your fault I’m walking around down here in the first place!” Kevin growled.

“MY fault? It’s YOUR fault that I am down here, buddy. I came down looking for a laundry so I could soak the shirt that YOU spilled coffee on,” Lisa said angrily, taking a few steps towards him. “And now we’re stuck in here, with only a sink for me to rinse off in.”

“Then why don’t you just shut up and rinse off, okay? I’ll keep banging on the door…maybe someone will come along.”

“You mean someone stupid enough to be wandering around the basement of a huge luxury hotel? Like you?” Lisa asked sweetly.

“Shut up,” Kevin muttered, angrily glaring at her. “Just work on your shirt, okay? And don’t worry…I won’t look…it’s not like I haven’t seen that kind of thing before.”

“You’ve never seen mine, okay…and if I wasn’t wearing a soaking shirt, you never would,” Lisa retorted, not believing the words that were coming out of her mouth. Here she was, locked in a room with Kevin Richardson, and they were fighting.

Kevin’s mouth twisted in amusement. “Think quite a lot of ourselves, do we?”

“Hardly,” Lisa replied quickly. “Could you at least turn around?”

“Of course,” Kevin said graciously, making a big show of turning around and facing the door. Lisa peeled off her tank top and turned on the water.

“Shit,” she mumbled, watching brown goo run out of the faucet. “Obviously this hasn’t been used for a LONG time,” she said to herself.

“What is it?” Kevin asked, turning around before he thought. His eyes became glued on Lisa, who was standing in her denim shorts and a blue lace bra. Their eyes met and locked.

Lisa swallowed deeply. Kevin’s green eyes looked her over, drinking in every inch as if he was a starving man and she was a seven-course meal. “The…uh…water…it’s…uh…it’s dirty.”

Kevin took a few steps towards her, trying his best to keep his eyes on her face “Well, maybe if you, uh, let it run for a bit…”

“Maybe,” she whispered, walking towards him as well. Before either of them knew what was happening, she was in his arms and his mouth was crushed against hers. His long fingers reached up to tangle in her hair, and she clutched his broad shoulders as she moaned against his mouth.

His mouth moved to flick at her earlobe. “What’s your name?” He asked.

“Lisa,” she was barely able to hiss as his teeth dug into the tender skin of her shoulder.

“Lisa…I’m Kevin. It’s nice to meet you,” Kevin said in a moan as her nails dug down his back.

No other introductions were necessary; their bodies immediately became close and personal friends. Kevin’s hands slid down Lisa’s back to her ass, gripping it tightly and moving her even closer against him. She whimpered as his tongue slid back up her neck to her face. Her hands slipped down to tug at his black wifebeater even as his fingers slid around the waistband of her shorts. He pulled back long enough to allow her to tug the shirt over his head, and then he shoved her shorts to the floor. Kevin made quick work of the bra as well. He hissed in a breath as his dark green eyes flickered over her body.

“You are beautiful,” he said huskily, bringing his large hands up to cup her breasts. Lisa’s head fell back as he bent down to taste them with his tongue.

“Oh…God…Kevin…”

Her fingers found the button of his shorts and she shoved them to the floor with their other clothes. His hardness pressed against her, and she traced her fingers around his damp head. Kevin carefully fell to his knees, gently kissing the slightly sore places on her stomach where the coffee had burned her.

“Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for that,” Lisa panted as his fingers dipped inside of her. “I don’t give in that easily.”

Kevin stood up quickly, glaring at her. “You’re a bitch,” he growled. She smiled sweetly in return. He put an arm around her, easily lifting her off the ground. He had her back against the wall before she knew it, and suddenly he was deep inside of her.

“Oh, fuck,” she whispered as he slammed into her so hard she was thrust back against the wall.

“Yes, that’s exactly what this is…and exactly what you need…a good fuck to adjust that attitude problem of yours,” Kevin murmured as he shoved into her again and again.

Lisa tried not to moan at his words, but she couldn’t help it. She knew she should be furious, but all she could do was concentrate on the feeling of his large cock stretching inside of her. She clamped her teeth down onto his neck and he yelled, his hands grasping her skin. She wrapped her legs around his slender waist, pushing herself down on him as hard as she could.

“Oh…fuck…Lisa…damn, I’m…” Kevin panted, and she smiled an evil smile. She tightened her inner muscles around him as hard as she could, and he glared into her eyes. He smiled a smile just as evil as a thumb snaked around to circle her clit once…twice…

“Oh, SHIT!” Lisa screamed as she came, scratching her nails down his back. Kevin pinned her back against the wall as he came hard and fast.

They silently caught their breath, neither of them making an attempt to move. They froze as they heard a squeaking sound in the hall. Kevin abruptly set Lisa down and grabbed his clothes. They both quickly dressed, and Kevin resumed pounding on the door. The door flew open, flinging him to the ground. Lisa smiled, happy for this small bit of revenge. A janitor looked at them quizzically, leaning on his cart.

“Thank you,” Kevin said to him, pushing past him and darting up the corridor. Lisa stared after him, then started to walk the other way.

“Lisa! Where the HELL have you been?” Kelley and Ari yelled when she walked in the door. “We’ve been worried sick!”

“I told you…I went looking for a laundry. Couldn’t find one. Guess I'll soak this in the sink.” Lisa headed for the bathroom without another word. Lara followed her.

“You okay?” She watched her friend carefully.

“Yeah, fine.” Lisa gave Lara her best friend. “What’s next on our agenda?”

“Well, since it’s getting late in the afternoon, we thought we’d go laze around the pool. It’s not worth going to the park until tomorrow morning.”

“Sounds good. As soon as I get this to soaking I’ll dig out my suit.”

Lara returned to the living room of the suite, shaking her head. Something wasn’t quite right. Lisa had run into KEVIN RICHARDSON in the stairwell earlier. She was way too calm.

“Done pouting, Kev?” AJ asked when Kevin returned.

“Fuck off, AJ,” Kevin snapped, storming into the bathroom slamming the door.

“Well, glad to see a breath of fresh air brightened his attitude,” AJ stated cheerfully.

“Knock it off, Aje…quit pestering him,” Brian ordered.

“Yes, Dad.” AJ went back to his magazine.

“Now what? Can we go to the park now?” Nick sounded like a six-year-old.

“No way, Nicky. Why go there for a few hours tonight when we can spend the day there tomorrow?” Howie pointed out. “Let’s hit the pool. The sun’s still warm…I could catch some rays.”

“Like you need them, D,” Brian said, observing Howie’s dark chest and abdomen as Howie pulled off his tank top.

“The pool sounds good.” AJ stood. “Think you can get your stick-up-the-butt cousin out of the bathroom long enough to tell him where we’re going?”

“AJ, back off,” Nick jumped in. “He was really hurt when Kristin dumped him. He is still getting over it.”

“She’s only a girl. No big deal,” AJ shrugged. “There will NEVER be a day when a girl brings me down like that.”

“Famous last words,” Brian said with a smile.

“Lisa, we all have sunscreen of various strengths. Just use one of ours,” Kelley told her.

“Yeah, Lisa, come on,” Lara whined from the doorway.

“No, I need mine. It’s the only stuff that works for me. Go ahead. I think I can safely follow the signs that say ‘Pool.’” Lisa said with a smile.

“Okay, good. Let’s plow.” Lara grabbed Kelley who grabbed Ari and they hurried out the door. Lisa continued to dig through her bags.

“Oh, look…girls!” Nick said happily.

“Where? And if you mean anyone under the age of eighteen, I will punch you,” AJ said, shoving past Nick. “Whoa.” AJ looked over sunglasses.

“Definitely over the age of eighteen,” Howie commented, looking over HIS sunglasses.

“Okay, I think I should go change. Maybe I'll get too much sun this way,” Lara said, standing uncertainly by Kelley’s deck chair.

“Lara, if I hear you bitch about that suit one more time, I will take it off of you and throw it over that hedge there,” Kelley threatened.

“Don’t do that. She’d enjoy it,” Ari remarked from her own deck chair.

“Fuck you, Ari,” Lara snapped. “I just feel naked.” She looked down at the dark blue bikini she wore.

“Lara, that suit has more material on it then the tablecloths in the circular dining room,” Ari snapped. “And it’s that damn blue you love so much, so shut UP!”

Lara sighed, turning this way and that, running her hands over her stomach and backside, worrying that she looked like a heifer.

“If the word ‘heifer’ comes out of your mouth, your ass is grass and I’m the mower,” Kelley warned her. Lara sighed and said nothing.

“Okay…we should probably go in now,” Brian said. The four men still stood in the doorway from the hotel out into the pool area.

“Yeah,” Nick said absentmindedly, watching a brunette by the pool look herself over, running her hands over her body. He swallowed deeply, ordering the rising erection in his swim trunks to back the hell off.

“Problems, Nicky?” Howie asked with a smirk, glancing down at Nick’s waist.

“Shut up, Howie,” he snapped, pushing through and striding towards the pool.

Lara looked across the grass and almost fell into the pool. “Kel. Kelley. KEL.” She kicked Kelley’s beach chair.

“What?” Kelley snapped, opening her eyes.

“Kel. Nick. Kel. Howie…Brian…AJ…” Lara shrieked in a whisper.

“AJ?” Ari sat up so quick she almost fell out of her chair.

“Calm. We need to remain calm. Maybe they just LOOK like them,” Kelley said, slowly pulling her chair to a sitting position.

“Right…just look like them…” Lara said faintly. The man who looked like Nick said something to the man who looked like Brian, and they both laughed. “No…Kel…that’s them. I’d recognize Nicky’s smile anywhere.”

“Oh, fuck,” Kelley said quietly.

“They’re coming this way!” Ari whispered. The girls quickly pretended to be deep in conversation as the four men put their things down on a nearby table. The men walked to the pool while the girls continued to huddle.

“Okay, that’s Howie. Definitely Howie’s stomach, I’d say,” Kelley said quietly.

“Now what?” Lara asked fearfully.

“We wait and see what happens,” Ari said. “We need to stay cool. Maybe they won’t even notice us.”

“Right. Just ignore them and…” Lara squealed the last word as a wave of water hit her back. She whirled around angrily. “Watch it!”

“Sorry…didn’t think a cannonball would spray that much water,” Nick said in a tone that was not at all sorry.

“Ha. YOUR cannonball? Fat chance, Pudge,” AJ said with a smirk. Nick sent a splash of water in AJ’s direction.

“Now that you’re wet, might as well get in the water, huh?” Brian hung on the side of the pool, smiling up at Lara. She felt her knees go week.

“Yes, Lara, get in the water.” Ari gave Lara a shove and she fell into the pool with a shriek.

“Bitch!” She yelled as soon as she came up for air.

“Lara! There are children present! Watch your language!” Kelley said with a laugh. Lara answered with a splash. “You fucking wench,” Kelley murmured, jumping in after Lara.

“Why this was in my sneaker I will NEVER know,” Lisa muttered as she trotted down the stairs to the ground floor, carrying her sunscreen.

“I will go out for ten minutes. I can have a good time for ten minutes, or at least pretend to,” Kevin said to himself as he walked down the steps.

Lisa started to apply the sunscreen. The bottle slipped out of her slimy hands and went over the side of the stairwell. She heard a yell as it hit someone.

“What the fuck?” Kevin yelled, almost afraid to look up.

“Oh, SHIT!” Lisa came running down. “I’m sorry…I…oh…YOU!” She said angrily. “On second thought, I am WAY not sorry. I guess my attitude that needs adjusting KNEW you were down here, and threw that at you.”

“Are you EVER not a bitch?” Kevin snapped.

“Um…let me think. Nope.” Lisa’s brown eyes stared right into his green ones.

Kevin clenched his fists. Never in his life had he wanted to hit a woman, but this Lisa chick was challenging that idea severely. Kevin opened his mouth to say something but suddenly all he could think about was putting his mouth on hers. And that’s exactly what he did.

Lisa struggled for about three seconds when Kevin’s hands grabbed her upper arms and pulled her to him. She moaned with pleasure as his tongue dueled with hers. Her fingers ran through his short hair, tugging the strands as hard as she could. Kevin sighed against her mouth as he struggled with the knot of her sarong skirt. He threw it to the ground and shoved a hand down her bikini bottoms. He smiled in satisfaction as he felt her wetness. Good. She was ready for him…and he needed to take her.

Lisa decided to take the upper hand. She shoved him down on the steps. His butt hit the staircase hard. He pulled the strings on the sides of her bottoms and they fell to the floor. She grabbed the elastic of his trunks and yanked until they pulled off. She straddled his legs and he immediately thrust up into her.

“Oh…GOD…Lisa…” he gasped. “You are so fucking wet…and warm…” His teeth bit down on her nipples through her bikini top as she moved up and down on him hard and fast.

Lisa gasped, clutching at his shoulders with her fingernails. Kevin turned his face up to hers, kissing her once more. “You piss me the fuck off,” Lisa groaned as she felt his hardness go up into her harder and faster. “You are such…a fucking…prick…” she panted.

He smiled a grim smile. “You like my prick, don’t you, Lisa?” Lisa angrily brought a hand up to slap him but he grabbed both of her hands, quickly pinning them behind her back. “That’s what I thought…I thought you liked it.”

“I never thought you’d be such an asshole!” Lisa snapped. Kevin looked into her eyes for a brief moment. She saw something flicker behind them and then it was gone.

“I don’t care what you think of me,” he growled, letting go of her hands to grasp her hips. They continued to fuck in silence, the slapping of her skin against his the only sounds in the stairwell. Lisa began to gasp short quick breaths, her grip on his shoulders tightening.

“Oh…Kevin…please…Oh GOD…”

Kevin’s mouth encircled one nipple and sucked as he felt her tighten against him. Lisa shrieked his name. Hearing her voice echo through the stairwell was enough to push him over the edge. He groaned and buried his head in her shoulder.

Ari sat on the edge of the pool, with AJ and Brian hanging on the wall on either side of her. She was making them laugh with stories of the things that went on through the onelist where she had met Lara, Kelley and Lisa. Kelley and Howie were sitting on the steps in the shallow end, talking. Lara and Nick were doing lazy laps up and down the pool, chatting away.

“So you really live here? All year round?” Nick asked Lara. She laughed.

“Yes…I really do. That’s how I feel about Florida. It’s a place to visit, NOT a place to live.”

“Hey, Florida’s awesome. A lot more exciting then this two horse town,” Nick teased. Lara got angry.

“No one ASKED you to visit this ‘two horse town’, Blondie. You can always go back home to your sunbaked hellhole of the south,” Lara snapped. She started to swim away but Nick grabbed her ankle.

“Hey, hold on. No need to get all uptight.” He floated on his back, refusing to let go. Lara treaded water furiously.

“Well, I get sick of people calling this a hick town. If it’s so hick, then why did you come here? Sorry we don’t have enough to keep your little popstar brain busy.”

Nick moved to where he could easily stand but she couldn’t touch. He took her in his arms and held her. “We came her for a vacation. A diversion. Something to occupy our downtime. Somewhere we could just blend in and have fun.” A smile crossed his face. “Somewhere we could get abused by the locals.”

“I wasn’t abusing you! I was…” Lara looked at him and couldn’t help but smile back. She couldn’t resist the patented Carter smile. “Okay, I was abusing you. I hope it was all you had hoped for when you planned this vacation,” she teased.

Nick looked down at her and smiled. “Oh, this vacation is already turned into everything I could hope for and more.”

“Okay…that settles it. I need to hear more. We are all going to dinner tonight,” AJ announced.

“Hold up, Bone Daddy. What if maybe we wanted to go to dinner alone…like one on one?” Brian asked, tickling Ari’s foot as it dangled in the water.

“Sorry, Bri. Thanks, but I’d rather talk to Ari,” AJ said, splashing him.

“Very funny. I meant ME and Ari,” Brian said, looking up at her. Ari looked from one to the other, unable to decide.

“I think it’s safer if we ALL go out. I wouldn’t want one of you sitting home alone,” she replied. Or out finding another woman, she added in her head.

“Would you like to have dinner tonight?” Howie asked Kelley. “We could all go somewhere nice. I’d rather not stay in the hotel…too fancy. I prefer places I can just hang out and have fun. We can find Kevin and bring him along.”

“Our friend Lisa would LOVE that,” Kelley replied, smiling broadly as Howie absentmindedly scooped up water and dribbled it over her knees. “I’m sure Lara could recommend somewhere.”

“Yes…I think she and Nicky are getting along pretty well,” Howie observed with a smile, watching Nick hold Lara in his arms as she ordered him to take her to shallow water.

“Anyplace good around here to eat?” Nick asked Lara as he finally moved to where she could stand.

“A good salad place, maybe?” She teased, poking him in his ever-so-slightly pudgy stomach. His face fell.

“Yeah…that’s what I need, huh?”

Lara could have smacked herself. “I cannot believe I said that. Nick…please please forgive me. I mean, I’m one to talk, looking like freaking Bessie the cow here. It’s just that we always giggle about your belly…but I think it’s adorable. I’m glad that you’re not all skin and bones like AJ. You’re…huggable.”

“Really?” Lara nodded. “Let me see something.” Nick pulled Lara into a warm embrace. She met Kelley’s shocked eyes over his shoulder and smiled broadly. “Yep…you’re huggable, too. And you do NOT look like a cow. Do not let me hear you say that again, okay?” Nick said sternly. She nodded obediently.

“Okay, kids, out of the pool. Let’s go find Kev and your friend and get to dinner. I’m starving,” AJ announced.

They made plans to meet in the lobby and the men and women went their separate ways. “Wonder where Lisa is?” Kelley asked.

“I’m sure she just found something more fun to do than swim, that’s all,” Lara commented as they waited for the elevator.

“You made plans without even asking me?” Kevin growled at Brian.

“Kev, you were nowhere to be found. We met these four great girls and we wanna hang with them. Is that too much to ask?”

“Kevin, if it’s such a big deal, stay the hell here,” Nick griped. The other men stared at him. Nick rarely stood up to Kevin. “I met a really nice girl. When she looks at me, she sees Nick Carter, not Nick Carter the Backstreet Boy. How long has it been since I’ve been looked at like that? I can’t even remember. I’m going to dinner. Brian is going to dinner. Howie is going to dinner. AJ is going to dinner. And if you are smart, you’ll come to dinner, too. Lara said they have a nice friend that they would like to introduce you to. Grow up and quit acting like such a baby.” Nick went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

“That was a great exit, Nicky, except that this is MY suite and MY bathroom,” Howie called through the door.

“Dinner? I don’t know,” Lisa said, looking at Ari guiltily. She was dying to tell them about what had happened, but then she’d have to go into how Kevin had treated her like a slut and how much she had liked it.

“Come on, Lisa, please…” Lara begged. “I need you there to keep me from getting down on myself. This is Nick Carter we’re talking about here. I can’t believe I can even stand here and discuss this rationally.” Lara’s blue eyes were wild with excitement. “He HUGGED me, Lisa. Hugged ME! Said I’m huggable!”

“He did, Lees. Saw it with my own two eyes,” Kelley said in amusement.

“Well, I guess I'll just have to meet this young man and see if he’s worthy,” Lisa said with a smile. Lara squealed and hugged her, dashing into the bathroom before anyone else could call dibs on the shower.

“Shit,” Ari mumbled. She had wanted to get in the shower first.

“Don’t worry. She is like the quickest person I’ve ever seen when it comes to getting ready,” Kelley told her.

“So. Two, huh? Couldn’t just be happy with one, could ya?” Lisa asked Ari. Ari shrugged.

“Not my fault they were fighting over me. There I was, sitting on the edge of the pool with two hot men at my feet. Not a bad way to start my vacation.” Ari lay back on the bed and stretched luxuriously. Kelley hit her with a pillow.

“What happens when they both want you?” Kelley asked.

“Frick-Ari-Bone sammich, I guess,” Ari sighed. Lisa and Kelley laughed.

“How do I look? Do I look fat? Do these pants make my ass look big?” Nick turned this way and that in front of the mirror, sending even Kevin into gales of laughter.

“Maybe we should start calling you Nickie,” AJ said.

“Some people already do,” Nick reminded him, glaring at Howie. “I just wanna look good.” He smoothed a non-existent wrinkle out of his dark blue silk shirt and picked lint off his black dress pants. His bangs slightly drooped into his blue eyes, and he kept flicking the hair back.

“You look fine, Nickolas,” Brian told him. His own sky blue shirt brought out his eyes, and he wore khaki pants. He ran a brush through his short hair.

“You guys worry too much about your clothes,” AJ said with a sigh. He did a catwalk strut across Kevin’s living room and back. “Some of us don’t have to worry about that.” He pulled one side of his burgundy shirt out of the waistband of his black pants. “Tucked in or pulled out?”

Howie almost fell off the bed laughing. “Out. If you’re gonna wear the wifebeater, then definitely buttoned and out.” He stood and finished buttoning his black dress shirt, then looked at Kevin. “Kevin, you planning on going out in your underwear?”

Kevin stood in front of the closet in his white shirt and black boxers. “I can’t find those pants I like…the new ones,” he whined.

“The dark green ones that look almost black?” Brian asked. Kevin nodded. “I know where they are. Be right back.” Brian darted out of the room, and soon returned with the missing pants.

“Hey! Where were they?” Kevin asked. “You all are too short to…” he glared at Nick.

“What? I just wanted to try them on…besides…you’re too damn thin for me to wear them.” Nick looked everywhere but at Kevin.

“You’re lucky we’re running late. I’ll kick your ass later.” Kevin splashed on some cologne and sighed. “How long do I have to sit around and be nice to this girl, anyway?”

“Are you wenches ready yet or what?” Lara called from the hallway where she was nervously pacing. She had endured endless teasing from Ari about her dress that was “that damned blue again.” It was a long sundress with a slit up to the left hip. Spaghetti straps tied it at her shoulders, and the front dipped just low enough to be enticing. Kelley had brought it with her as a gift, and Lara had announced ten time that she couldn’t possibly wear it, that she looked like a dinosaur in it. Lisa finally threatened to make her eat it, and they shoved her out into the hall so she couldn’t try to change clothes.

“Okay, here I am,” Kelley said breathlessly. She twirled around in her black short-sleeved dress. “Okay?”

“Excellent,” Ari said from the doorway. “If you’re going to a funeral.”

“Shut up, ho,” Kelley said affectionately. Ari wore a khaki pantsuit, flowing pants with a short red jacket that revealed an ample amount of cleavage.

“Okay, she needs to hurry up. I’m losing my nerve,” Lara whined, pacing faster.

“Not to mention that we’re already ten minutes late,” Kelley pointed out.

“I’m here. Kwitcherbitchin,” Lisa announced locking the door behind her. She wore a fuschia dress, tea length with off the shoulder sleeves.

“Okay, I really like that color. I may have to borrow that dress,” Lara told her as Kelley punched the down elevator button.

“Fat chance. This baby is new. I’m not trusting anyone with it,” Lisa replied.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“This restaurant called Dmitris. It’s a restaurant but there’s also like a lounge, too. I thought it would be nice but not too fancy,” Lara replied. They chatted as they road the elevator down and walked out into the hallway connecting the elevators to the lobby. She suddenly stopped walking. “I can’t. I can’t do it. That’s Nick Carter out there. He could have any woman he wants. Why in the world would he want me? I’m going back upstairs.” She turned around. Ari and Lisa each placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t even think about it,” Kelley ordered. “You are coming with us.”

“If you don’t come along, I’LL have to keep Nicky company,” Lisa pointed out. Lara froze and looked at her.

“Do not even THINK of touching one hair on my Nicky’s head,” she snapped.

“It wasn’t his hair I was thinking of touching,” Lisa replied, smiling pleasantly. Lara did an about-face and headed for the lobby.

“Women are always late,” Kevin remarked.

“Yes, but it’s worth it sometimes,” AJ said, slowly removing his sunglasses as he watched the four women walk into the lobby. “Damn worth it.”

“Were they that cute at the pool?” Howie asked Brian.

“I don’t think so…and I thought they were cute THEN,” Brian replied.

“Wait a minute!” Kevin snapped as Nick and Brian started to move forward. “THAT’S her? That’s the friend?”

“Hey, Nick, isn’t that the girl from the stairwell, the one that Kev spilled his coffee on?” Howie asked.

“Yeah, it is. That must be the Lisa that Lara was talking about.” Nick smiled at Kevin. “Cool. You already know each other.”

“Yeah…cool…” Kevin remarked with a frown.

“Hold on…is that Kevin Richardson with them?” Lisa grabbed Kelley’s arm.

“Yes, Lisa, it is…he IS a Backstreet Boy after all. We didn’t think that would be a problem for you.”

“No…no problem,” she whispered, getting wet at the simple sight of him. “White…he’s wearing a white shirt…damn him…”

“Hey,” Nick said, his face lighting up as soon as Lara was in front of him. “Whoa. You look incredible.”

“Great minds think alike, I see,” Lara said shyly, reaching out to touch the silk fabric of his blue shirt. “This is my favorite color.”

“This is my favorite shirt,” he told her. “But I don’t look half as good in this color as you do. It brings out your eyes.” Lara blushed as the other Backstreet Boys laughed.

“Good line, Nicky,” Howie said. He turned to Kelley. “You look really nice. Do you mind if I say your outfit brings out YOUR eyes, too?”

“I’d have to say that’s a line,” Kelley laughed, looking at Ari. “You were right, Ari. Now I really DO look like I’m going to a funeral, next to Howie.”

“You look dark and mysterious,” Howie told her, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

“Miss Ari, you look lovely,” Brian said in his southern drawl, handing her a white rose he had scrounged up somewhere. Ari took it and blushed. AJ frowned. It wasn’t often he had to fight Brian, of all people, for a woman’s attention, and this time it looked like Brian was winning. AJ was tempted to say something smart, but he decided it was better to just bide his time.

“You do look really nice, Ari,” he added softly. Ari blushed deeper.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Let’s plow,” Nick said, gently placing a hand on Lara’s lower back and guiding her towards the door. Howie and Kelley were right behind them, followed by Brian, AJ and Ari. Kevin and Lisa lagged behind.

“Hello,” Lisa said finally, trying to be polite.

“I didn’t know you were gonna be here,” Kevin replied. Lisa glared at him. So much for polite.

“Look, we’re both grownups here. I’m sure we can get through one dinner without clawing each other’s eyes out. Our friends obviously thought we should be together tonight…let’s not disappoint them.”

“Agreed,” Kevin said. “They’re just trying to cheer me up. My outlook on women is not at its peak right now.”

“Really? Coulda fooled me,” Lisa said, staring him in the eye. Kevin smiled the special “Kevin nose scrunch smile” and her knees buckled.

“My girlfriend dumped me last week,” he finally confessed as he held the door for her. Lisa stopped walking and looked at him.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. His eyes hardened.

“No need for pity. Let’s just get through tonight.”

“Let me.” Nick swiped the bill as soon as it was placed on the table.

“No, I’ll take it.” Brian put his hand over Nick’s.

“No way. My turn.” AJ snaked his hand under Nick’s and grabbed the check.

“Sorry, J, but I’m getting this one.” Howie grabbed the slip of paper from AJ. The girls smiled at each other. They could definitely get used to this.

“Mine.” Kevin swiped it from Howie. Lisa stared at him. “You guys can buy the drinks at the club.”

“Cool. I’m short on cash anyway,” AJ said. The others laughed.

“That would be because you buy too many damned hats, J,” Howie said with a grin.

“I do not buy “too many hats.” There is no such thing as too many hats,” AJ told Ari, who laughed.

“No, just too many UGLY hats,” Brian said, throwing two twenties down for a tip. “Let’s roll.”

Before Kevin could even help her out of her chair, Lisa was walking to the door, chattering away with Howie and Kelley. “She’s kinda cute,” Brian observed as he and Kevin walked out of the restaurant. “Don’t you think?”

“Quit playing matchmaker, Cuz,” Kevin growled. “I’m fine on my own.”

“Yeah, sure, Kev. You have had such excellent judgement in the past,” Brian said, frowning. He hurried ahead to walk on the other side of Ari.

“We don’t have far to go, do we?” AJ groaned as Brian practically sat on his lap in the back of the limo. “This wasn’t that bad on the way to the restaurant cuz we were so close, but this is ridiculous!”

“About ten miles,” Lara said with a smile. She was comfortably settled on Nick’s lap in the corner by the door, and she wished the ride would be a hundred miles instead of ten. “Am I squishing you?” She asked Nick. He blew his bangs out of the way and smiled at her.

“In a good way,” he told her.

“AJ, if it’s such a big deal, why don’t YOU sit on MY lap?” Ari offered with a twinkle in her green eyes. “You can’t weigh but fifty pounds soaking wet.”

“Deal,” AJ said, jumping up and flopping onto Ari’s lap. Everyone else laughed, even Kevin. He was tight against the far wall with Lisa pressed up beside him.

“Sorry if I am smushing you…I don’t have much choice,” she said, glancing at Brian on her other side.

“It’s okay,” he said, staring out the window. She sighed and started a conversation with Howie and Kelley, who were sitting on the other side.

“Okay, this is cool already!” AJ exclaimed as they approached the tiny dance club. A heavy bass beat boomed out into the night every time someone opened the front door. Howie paid the cover for everyone and they filtered into the small room.

“Okay, if we lose each other, does everyone know how to get back to the hotel?” Kevin yelled over the music.

“Yes, Dad,” Brian moaned, rolling his eyes.

“See y’all later,” AJ said, taking Ari’s hand and pulling her onto the dance floor. Brian followed close behind.

“You wanna dance?” Howie asked Kelley.

“I’ll never be able to keep up with you guys,” she said sadly. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

“I’ll take care of you. Come on.” He pulled her out onto the crowded dance floor.

“Do you want to dance?” Nick asked Lara. She shook her head.

“I’m not much for this kind of scene. I prefer a band playing old cover songs or something. I’ll sit out a few.”

“Let’s go for a walk,” Nick said suddenly, taking her hand and leading her out of the club.

Kevin and Lisa stared at each other for a moment. “Should we dance?” Lisa asked.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Kevin replied, taking off into the crowd. He didn’t hold her hand, but he made sure she was close behind him so he could break a path for her.

“It’s too bad this place is so crowded, huh?” Howie asked Kelley with a smile. “I just keep getting pushed up against you.”

“Yeah…it sucks big time,” Kelley said, laughing at his sarcasm. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him.

“You know, my lips could just accidentally fall onto yours, and then what would you do?” He murmured under the music as his lips met hers.

Ari was in the middle of a Bone-n-Rok sandwich and was loving every minute of it. AJ was behind her, and she could feel him grooving against her as she looked into Brian’s bright blue eyes. She sighed blissfully. Where were all her friends who thought she’d never even MEET the Backstreet Boys, not to mention dance with them.

“Ya know, Rok, there are quite a few lovely ladies here tonight,” AJ commented over Ari’s shoulder.

“I see. You could probably hook up with someone REAL easy,” Brian replied, glaring at his friend.

“I was thinking that maybe YOU’D be the one who could get lucky,” AJ retorted almost angrily.

“Guys…guys…stop it or I’M gonna go find someone else,” Ari snapped. The childish arguing that had been going on all night between AJ and Brian was no longer flattering. “You are starting to annoy the shit out of me.” Ari took off for the restroom, leaving AJ and Brian to stare at each other on the dance floor.

Nick held Lara’s hand as they strolled around the parking lot. “Not the most romantic place to take a walk,” he said apologetically as they watched a drunken girl throw up behind a car. Lara laughed.

“That’s okay…I have a pretty vivid imagination. I’ll just imagine it’s a secluded beach, and that sound is really the waves crashing on the shore.”

“You like the beach?”

Lara sighed. “I LOVE the beach. I hate the fact that the closest beach is like two or three hours away.”

“My house is right on Tampa Bay,” he told her. “The ocean is right outside my back door.”

“I know,” she said softly, and Nick blushed. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” His thumb lightly caressed the back of her hand.

“It’s just…I guess it’s weird for you, isn’t it, trying to meet someone? Most people probably think they know all about you, just because they watch TV or read some magazines. I guess I’m just like all the rest, huh?”

Nick stopped walking and cupped her face in his large hand. “No, you’re NOT like all the rest. You have actually taken the time to get to know ME, instead of just assuming I’m the Nick Carter the media talks about. That means a lot to me.” Lara blushed furiously and Nick smiled. “You blush pretty easily, don’t you?” She blushed deeper and he laughed out loud. “You are so adorable.”

Lara wrinkled her nose. “Adorable?”

“Yes, adorable.” Nick kissed her forehead. “Cute.” He kissed her nose. “Fascinating.” He kissed each cheek. “Beautiful.” He kissed her upturned lips.

Howie and Kelley didn’t even bother to dance after their lips met. They kissed as if their lives depended on it, their hands slowly caressing each other’s backs and hair. “Get a room!” Someone yelled. Howie finally pulled back to look at her.

“I’d like nothing more,” he said softly, kissing her lips once more. “But I don’t want you to think…I mean…I’m not saying that you…I mean…”

“Howie, I want you, too,” Kelley told him. “I know we just met and all, and I will only be a onetime…”

He placed a finger over her lips. “No. Don’t say that. If you were only a onetime thing for me we wouldn’t have left the hotel.” His dark eyes looked at her seriously. “Do you want to go back to the hotel with me.” Kelley immediately nodded. “Good.” He took her hand and led her to where Kevin and Lisa were standing. “Kev. We’re outta here. We’ll grab a cab so the limo won’t have to come back again.”

“Okay,” Kevin said, not even wanting to know. Lisa looked at the excitement in Kelley’s eyes and didn’t even have to ask.

“Later, Kel. Like tomorrow.” Kelley shot her an evil look.

Howie and Kelley could barely contain themselves as they climbed into the backseat of the taxi. She instantly fell into his arms, and his hand slid up her thigh under her skirt as he sucked on her tongue. She moaned quietly, her fingers dying to pull the rubber band out of his ponytail. Howie gave the driver a forty- percent tip and they ran up the steps of the hotel, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. They slammed the door of Howie’s room behind them.

Kelley’s fingers flew down the buttons of Howie’s shirt, moaning as his chest was revealed to her. She lightly traced her fingers over the smooth skin, hissing in a breath as he grabbed a hold of the skirt of her dress and pulled up hard. She put her hands in the air just in time for him to yank the dress over her head. She fumbled with his belt as his nimble fingers quickly undid her black bra. She gasped with delight as she saw that there was nothing underneath his pants but a very large friend who was very happy to see her. Before he could remove her underwear she pushed him back onto the bed and knelt before him, eagerly taking him into her mouth.

“Oh…Jesus…Kel…” he mumbled, throwing his head back as her tongue flicked over the tip of him. She rolled the taste of him inside her mouth and moaned with pleasure. That made him harden even more. She firmly stroked him, letting just his head slide on and off of her tongue. “Kelley…dammit…if you don’t stop I’m gonna…” Howie panted, grabbing her hair as he felt himself start to cum. She continued her work, smiling as he arched into her mouth, spurting hot and fast against the back of her throat. She made sure he was licked clean before climbing up beside him. “Kelley…why…” he gasped, trying to compose himself.

“I wanted to please you…and I knew from all the teasing in the taxi that it wouldn’t take long.” Howie silenced her with a deep kiss, tasting himself in her mouth.

“My turn.” He pushed her onto her back, kissing a lazy trail down her chest and stomach before reaching her waist. He didn’t bother removing her underwear; he kissed over them, licking her clit through the thin fabric until she writhed under him. He slid the satin barrier to the side and invaded her with his tongue, thrusting one, two and finally three fingers inside of her.

“Howie…please…quit being such a tease!” Kelley gasped, unable to keep her body from dancing under his touch.

“I’m being a tease?” The underwear was suddenly yanked down her legs and he covered his body with hers, holding his hard cock in his hand and playing at her entrance. “You don’t like teasing, Kel?” His head slid over her clit in slow torturous circles.

“Howie…please…” Kelley was almost in tears. She wanted him so bad…wanted him to fill her.

“But you said I’m a tease. You haven’t seen teasing, baby,” he said with a smirk, barely pushing his head inside of her. She growled savagely as she placed her hands on his ass and shoved him deep inside of her. “Oh…fuck…Kel…” he hissed, feeling her wet warmth surround her. He dove into her, short hard thrusts that had her gasping every time he filled her.

“Howie…I’m…oh shit…” she yelled, cumming around him hard and fast. Howie buried his face in her hair as he came once more.

Ari came out of the restroom and glanced around. There was no way she was going to find people as short as Brian and AJ in the crowd. She sighed. She had ruined any chance she was possibly going to have with either of them, but she couldn’t help it. Their childishness was making her mad. A slow song came over the speakers and she sighed again. Life wasn’t fair.

“Dance?” A voice behind her said. She whirled around and saw Brian smiling at her. “I promise not to act like a five year old.”

Ari couldn’t help but smile back. “If you promise.” He led her out onto the dance floor and took her in his arms.

“Dance?” Kevin asked abruptly. Lisa stared at him.

“You could ask a little nicer,” she snapped before she could control her mouth. She saw his nose twitch and knew he was trying not to smile.

“Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the dance floor?” Kevin asked politely. Lisa rolled her eyes.

“I think I liked the first way better. Yes, I’ll dance with you.”

Kevin wormed his way into the middle of the dance floor and pulled Lisa long with him. His long arms wrapped around her and she was snuggled against his broad chest. She unconsciously sighed, and Kevin felt it. “You okay?”

“Yes, fine…this just feels…comfortable,” she said bravely. She felt Kevin stiffen and pull back. She tilted her head back, glaring up at him angrily. “I am so fucking sick of this!” She almost yelled. People turned to look and Kevin looked at her as if she had grown a third nose. “Come here.” She dragged him off the dance floor and out a side door of the club. “What the hell is your problem, Richardson? I have done nothing to you but accidentally drop a bottle of suntan lotion on your head, and yet you act like I not only have a communicable disease, but also have broken every one of the Ten Commandments and spit on your mother. What is UP your ASS?” Lisa screamed.

One of the bouncers propped open the front door and the sounds of Christina Aguilera floated out into the parking lot. “I Turn to You. I like this song,” Lara commented. Nick stopped walking and pulled her into his arms.

“Sing to me,” he whispered against her hair.

“Me?” Lara squeaked. “I can’t sing…I can’t…”

“For me? Please?” The blue eyes she had loved for so long gazed down at her in the light of a passing car, and she couldn’t say no.

“When I’m lost…in the rain…in your eyes I know I’ll find the light to light my way…” she began quietly. “When I’m scared…losing ground…when my world is going crazy you can turn it all around and when I’m down you’re there pushing me to the top…you’re always there giving me all you’ve got…” she trailed off at the sad look on Nick’s face. “I suck don’t I. I SO suck. I never should have…”

“No, baby, no…you have a voice like an angel,” Nick said softly, brushing some hair from her face. “It’s just that it’s exactly what I’m looking for. My world is so crazy…some days I feel like the earth is slipping out from under my feet, ya know? What I’m looking for is someone to keep me grounded…remind me why I do what I do and why I love it.” He smiled a shy smile. “I guess when it comes to relationships I am kinda dependent. I need someone to kinda give me that push when I get stuck.” He looked at her carefully. “I feel like you’re that someone, Lara…I mean, shit, I hardly know you…but there’ s something about you that just makes me feel like I’ve known you forever.”

“Nick, I…” Lara began, but was interrupted by a screaming voice.

“What is UP your ASS?” They heard someone yell.

Kevin stared at Lisa for a long moment. “Look, I told you, I just got out of a bad breakup. I don’t feel all that kindly towards women right now.”

“What a lameass excuse,” Lisa said angrily. “You don’t feel ‘all that kindly’ towards us, but you’ll sure fuck us if the urge occurs, huh?” Kevin opened his mouth and shut it, but Lisa continued to bitch. “Look, Kevin, I don’t go around screwing guys in stairwells or laundries or anything like that, okay? It’s not me. I don’t know what came over me. I just…”

“What about in parking lots?” Kevin interrupted abruptly.

“Huh?” Lisa asked, confused. He had her in his arms in an instant, his mouth crushing hers. She tried to wriggle out of his hold, but his arms were too strong. Soon his hands were on her backside, pulling her body tight against his erection.

“Have you ever screwed a guy in a parking lot…sitting on a car that didn’t belong to either one of you?” Kevin murmured against her ear, picking her up and sitting her on the closest car to them. His hand reached up under her skirt and shoved her underwear aside. He smiled as his fingers found their target. “Looks like you’re ready to do it now, if you haven’t before.”

“Kevin, I want no such thing. Let me go or I’ll cry rape!” Lisa protested, trying to regain at least one shred of personal dignity. Kevin grabbed her hand and held it in his as he pulled down his zipper. She felt the bulge in his boxers and shivered.

“You can’t rape the willing, Lisa,” he muttered, pulling his hard cock from its confines and moving her to the edge of the car. He easily slipped inside of her and they both moaned.

“That…no…it couldn’t…but…that sounded like Lisa,” Lara commented.

“It came from over there,” Nick said, pointing to the side of the building. They quietly but quickly walked in that direction.

“I think that maybe…oh, shit.” If Lara had been blushing before, she was a furious red now. She recognized both the girl sitting on the car and the man thrusting into her.

“What? Who…oh…damn…” Nick muttered, quickly whirling around. They tried not to look, but it was unavoidable.

“Um, what do we do now?” Lara asked shyly. “I mean, should we…”

“No…we can’t let them know we saw them. Let’s go…over here. Yeah, over here is good.” He took Lara’s hand and they ran to the complete other side of the parking lot, where the limo was parked.

“Isn’t that our limo?” Lara asked.

“Yes, it is. Good.” They piled in the back. “Hotel Hershey,” Nick told the driver.

“I’m really sorry for acting like such a dweeb earlier,” Brian said to Ari. “It’s just that fighting AJ for girls is like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. Virtually impossible and you always lose in the end.”

Ari laughed at his analogy. “I am flattered. Two of the hottest guys I know fighting over me.”

“I’m gonna let him win,” Brian said suddenly. Ari stared at him.

“Okay, I’m no longer flattered.”

Brian smiled at her. “I’ve never seen J like this before. He’s competitive, yes, but never when it comes to women. He figures there are too many fish in the sea. He’s hooked on you if he’s fighting this hard to keep your attention.”

“Really?” Ari asked, pleased.

“Really,” Brian told her. “There he is now. I’m gonna go get a drink. You lure him over here with your womanly wiles,” he said before disappearing into the crowd.

Ari caught AJ’s eye and smiled. He sauntered over. “Dance with me? Brian left me all alone,” she pouted.

“Damn kids…can’t take them anywhere,” AJ said in his raspy voice before pulling her as close as humanly possible.

“Know what I think?” AJ murmured against Ari’s hair.

“Hmm?” Ari sighed.

“I think we should blow this joint, grab some ice cream somewhere, and crash in my suite. What do you think?”

Ari pulled back to stare at him. “Your suite? Me and you?”

“Um…yeah.” AJ looked at her strangely. “Bad idea?”

“Fuck, no! I mean…” Ari blushed Lara-red and AJ roared with laughter. He took her hand.

“Come on. Let’s grab a taxi. I have a feeling one of our friends probably stole the limo already.”

“Oh, shit. There are AJ and Ari!” Lisa buried her face in Kevin’s neck, as if that would hide the fact that they were fucking on someone’s car.

“They didn’t see us…this side of the parking lot isn’t well lit,” Kevin sighed. Suddenly the moment was lost. He pulled out of her and carefully rearranged himself. He looked ashamed. “Uh…I’m sorry…for just grabbing you and everything.”

Lisa stared at him. “Um, that’s okay. Really. Like you said, can’t rape the willing.” She looked up at him shyly. “You know, everyone else was planning on us all going to the Park together tomorrow. Is that a problem for you?”

Kevin looked at her and thought for a moment. “No. Of course not. Is it a problem for you?”

“No.” Lisa shook her head. “Do you like rollercoasters?”

“Love them. My hands stay in the air.”

“Mine too.” Lisa smiled as she realized they were having a real conversation. Kevin took her hand and slid her down the car.

“Come on. Let me take you back to the hotel.”

“Kel?”

“Hmmm?”

“You hungry?”

“Nope.”

“Not even a little bit? I could call for room service.”

“No, thank you, I’m fine.”

“Thirsty?”

“No, okay there, too.”

“Well…I hate to do this, but could I get up? I really need to pee.”

Kelley laughed so hard she almost peed herself. She rolled to the side and Howie jumped up and ran for the bathroom. She heard his sigh of relief and laughed even harder. He soon came back into the room and did a flying leap onto the bed. She began to shriek with laughter as he tickled her.

“Stop! Howie, stop it!”

“Kel, shhhh…it’s late and you’ll wake the neighbors,” Howie said, refusing to quit.

“Wha…wha…what neighbors?” Kelley giggled.

“Brian and Kevin. They’re probably fast asleep by now, unless Ari and AJ have lured Brian into a threesome.”

Kelley looked up at Howie. “That’s it, buddy. You’re going to hell in a handbasket for that one. Any sexual thoughts about Brian get you straight to hell. Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars.”

“You are nuts.” Howie gave her a smacking kiss on the neck. “But I like it.”

“Really?” Kelley looked at him, her green eyes serious.

“Really,” Howie said just as seriously. He gently and softly kissed her full lips. “Really really…I like you a lot. You are funny, intelligent, witty…not to mention sexy as hell. Not too many out there like you, Kel…and I was lucky enough to get the best one…right here.”

“Okay, do you stand in front of the mirror and practice lines like that?” Kelley whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

“Nope.” Howie gently drew his finger down her face. “Just inspired, I guess.”

Nick unlocked the door to his suite as Lara fidgeted in the hallway. She could NOT believe that she was going into Nick Carter’s room, WITH Nick Carter. She was nervous as hell. “Here we are,” Nick said, gallantly swinging the door open.

“Wow.” Lara slowly walked through the large living room. “I heard they had great suites here but this is something. We’re sharing a suite, splitting the cost.”

“You can crash here with me if you like,” Nick gave Lara a devilish smile. “I have lots of room…king-sized bed and all.”

“Right.” Lara smiled weakly and sat down on the closest chair.

“You thirsty? Want anything? AJ made sure I got a fully stocked bar, even though I’m not twenty-one.”

“N-no. I’m fine.” Lara played with the fabric of her skirt.

“You okay?” Nick grabbed a beer and came to sit on the arm of her chair.

“Fine! Totally fine. Late night for me…I’m not used to Backstreet Boy hours,” she joked.

“Do you want to go to bed? I mean…I could give you a tshirt or something.” Nick glanced at the clock. It was one-thirty. “I should turn in early for once anyway.”

“Well…if it’s not too much trouble,” Lara hedged, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep in his arms.

“No trouble at all.” Nick smiled the smile that turned her knees to oatmeal. “I’d like you to stay.”

“Okay,” Lara said shyly. Nick went to the dresser to pull out a tshirt.

“Here. My favorite tshirt…and my biggest, too.” He handed her a Tampa Bay Buccaneers shirt. “You can go into the bedroom and change if you want.”

“Thanks.” Lara took the shirt and went into the bedroom.

“All the flavors in the world and you got STRAWBERRY? How boring!” Ari exclaimed. AJ poked her with his spoon. They were sprawled out on his bed watching TV. Ari wore a pair of his boxers and a tshirt he had given her.

“I like what I like. Just because I’m flamboyant in every other part of my life it doesn’t mean I have to like wild ice cream. I like strawberry.”

“Whatever,” Ari said, digging into her Death by Chocolate. “Change the channel.”

“This is Gilligan’s Island,” AJ said, staring at her as if she had turned green.

“Change…the…channel…” Ari ordered.

“Oooh…you are so scary. I love scary women,” AJ teased. Ari flicked ice cream at him before she thought, catching him right between the eyes.

“Oh…oh, God…AJ, I’m so sorry!” Ari said between giggles, reaching for the sheet. She carefully wiped his face, giggling even harder at the shock written all over it.

“You don’t sound very sorry,” he grumbled, grabbing his spoon and neatly dumping a spoonful of strawberry down the neckline of the tshirt. Ari shrieked.

“Dammit, McLean, that was COLD! You are SO in trouble!” She grabbed her bowl and tossed it at him. He ducked and it hit the floor. She scrambled off the bed but a handful of ice cream still hit the back of her head. AJ grabbed her before she could get very far. She got her fingers into his bowl and slimed the ice cream down his bare chest. He hissed in a breath. Before she could do more, she felt his tongue licking along the side of her neck.

“Mmmmm…somehow the ice cream tastes better now,” he murmured. She grabbed his head and pulled it up to hers, tasting the ice cream on his lips.

“You’re right…I never tasted strawberry that good before.”

They kissed for a few minutes, then AJ pulled back. “Come on.” He helped her to her feet. “Let’s go wash this off.”

Lara padded over to the bedroom door and opened it. “I’m all changed.” No one was on the other side. “Nick?”

“Here.” Nick came out of the kitchen. “Okay. How do you do it?”

“What?” Lara asked nervously.

“Just when I think you can’t look cuter…you do. You look too cute in my shirt. I will think of you being in it every time I wear it. Maybe I should just retire it or something.”

Lara rolled her eyes. “What a line.”

Nick laughed. “Okay, maybe it was. I’m gonna grab my stuff and change in the bathroom if that’s okay. That way you can just jump into bed.”

Lara swallowed. “Okay.” She went into the bedroom and turned back the covers. He was right…it was a king-sized bed.

“There’s an extra toothbrush in here, if you want to use it,” Nick called. The bathroom door was open a crack and she tried not to look. She WANTED to look but couldn’t BRING herself to look.

“Thanks…when you’re done, I will.”

“I’m done.” Nick opened the door wearing navy blue boxers. “Blue. Just for you.”

“Thank you,” Lara said faintly. She had seen him in a bathing suit, which was practically boxers, but the whole idea of Nick in his underwear was a whole new ballgame. She slipped past him and picked up the toothbrush on the vanity. He put his hands on her shoulders.

“Lara, are you okay?”

“Fine,” she replied, bending over the sink. He stood behind her, watching them in the mirror.

“I’m glad you’re staying here tonight. I really didn’t want you to go.” Lara blushed around her toothbrush and Nick laughed. “I’m sorry. I’ll let you finish this.” He moved to the other sink and began to wash his face and brush his own teeth.

Lara went out into the bedroom and climbed into the bed, pulling the covers up around her. When Nick came out of the bathroom, only her blue eyes were peeping out. He laughed softly. “Is there room in there for me?” She nodded and he flipped back his covers. He climbed in next to her and snuggled close. She laid her head on his chest and sighed. Could heaven be any more perfect? She thought not. She felt him rub his cheek against her hair and sighed again. “Comfy?” Nick asked. She nodded against him. “Good.” His hands traced up and down her back. One hand came up to slide her face to his. “Very good,” he murmured, letting his lips taste hers. She moaned against him, and one hand unconsciously moved up to run through his soft hair. His kisses became more passionate, more intense. His hand slid to briefly cup her breasts, then moved down to slide up under his tshirt. Lara pushed away, gasping for breath. “What? What is it?”

“Nick…hold on…whoa.” Lara sat up, rubbing her temples.

“What? What’s wrong? What did I do?”

“Nothing. It’s just too fast. I can’t just jump into this.”

“Don’t you want me?”

“Oh, God, yes,” she said, her blue eyes looking into his.

He took her hand and placed it on his boxers. “I want you, too.”

“I can’t do it, Nick. Not yet,” Lara said almost tearfully.

“Why? I thought we were connected…that there was something special,” Nick said angrily.

“I DO feel that way…it’s just…I can’t.” Lara could not bring herself to tell him that she was too self-conscious…too scared of disappointing him.

“So you stayed here tonight just to tease me?” Nick regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, and regretted them even more when he saw her draw back as if he had slapped her. “Lara…”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, running out of the bedroom. He heard the door slam.

“Fucking brilliant, Carter,” Nick whispered to himself, falling back onto the pillows.

“Ooof!” Lara heard breath exhale quickly from the person she had run into.

“I’m sorry…I wasn’t…” she sobbed. She felt hands on her arms.

“Whoa…hold on…Lara? You okay?” Brian asked, his blue eyes concerned.

“Yes, I’m fine…I just…”

“Is that Nick’s tshirt?”

“Yes!” Lara broke into new tears.

“Come in. My room is right here.” Brian quickly unlocked the door and dragged her inside. He went to the bedroom and pulled out a pair of black shorts. “I’m sure you’ll feel more comfortable with these on.”

“Thanks,” Lara sniffled, pulling the shorts on.

“What happened?”

“I can’t tell you! You’re his best friend!” She protested. Brian took her hand and led her to the couch.

“Yes, you can. I’m practically a total stranger. Tell me.”

“Well…the night was so wonderful…and…and…and we walked and talked and kissed, and then we came back here, and I said I’d stay with him and I thought it was okay and then we went to bed and kissed and he started to do more and I said no and he got mad and called me a tease.” Lara took a deep breath. Brian took all of that in for a moment.

“Can I ask why you said no?” Brian said gently.

“Because…because…he’s Nick Carter, and I’m just me, and I know he’s been with a million girls who know how to please him, and I’m just me, and I’m ugly and fat and I’d scare him or make him laugh.” She stared at Brian miserably. “I can’t handle him laughing at me.”

Brian gave her a big hug. “Lara, Nick would never laugh at you. He’s no virgin, true, but there haven’t been ‘a million girls,’ I promise you, okay? You need to tell him this…he’ll understand. He’s really shy with girls, believe me. I know. We’ve talked about it.”

“Really?”

“I promise,” Brian said. Someone knocked at the door and they both jumped. “Go in and wash your face off and I’ll see who that is.” She obediently went into the bathroom. “Nick?” Brian gasped as he opened the door.

“Hey, Frick.” Nick brushed past him. “Boy, I really screwed up this time. I had Lara in the room with me, and I was so stupid! I said…” he stopped talking as Lara came out of the bathroom. Nick looked from Lara to Brian. “I guess I really WAS stupid…thinking you wanted me all along. Were you using me to get to him?”

“Nick!” Lara gaped at him. “That’s not what this is?”

“Nick, that makes no freaking sense. She was upset and…”

“Did you bother getting her out of my shirt before getting her into your shorts?” Nick asked before turning on his heel and striding out of the room. He slammed the door behind him.

Lisa closed the door to their suite and leaned against it with a sigh. Kevin had been such a gentleman in the cab on the way back. He held the door of the cab for her, as well as the front door, ignoring the doorman who stood there for just that reason. They had chatted in the elevator on the way up, and he had wished her sweet dreams outside the door. She sighed again, wanting to shriek with pleasure. A sniff from the corner made her jump. She switched on the light. “Lara?” She peered into the dark living room.

“Yes?” A tiny voice answered.

“Are you alone?” Lisa tossed her purse down and slipped off her shoes.

“Yes.”

“Where’s Kel?”

“Probably with Howie in his room.”

“Where’s Ari?”

“Probably with AJ in his room.”

“Where’s Nick?”

Another sniff. “Hopefully swimming with sharks while dragging his bloody stump of a leg behind him. I’m going to bed.” Lara hopped up from her spot on the living room floor and headed for the bedroom. Lisa stared at the place Lara had just vacated. Tissues were piled into a neat little pyramid on the floor.

“Whoa. Wait a minute. Come back here.” Lara ignored Lisa, who sighed and stomped into the bedroom. “What the hell happened?”

“Well, while you were busy fucking Kevin on top of a car, Nick and I were taking a nice romantic walk around the parking lot.”

“Oh…you saw that.” Lisa did her best “blushing Lara” impression. Lara ignored her.

“We came back here and I went to his room with him. I borrowed this tshirt and I was gonna sleep in his bed with him…and things got heavy.”

“And?” Lisa asked excitedly. Lara glared at her.

“And nothing. I’m not ready for that, Lisa. He’s Nick Carter, for God’s sake. He could have any woman in the world. Beautiful sexy women with luscious bodies and talents in bed that I could only dream of. So I said no.”

Lisa’s mouth fell open. “Nick Carter wanted to make love to you and you said NO?”

“Yes, I did.” Lara tilted her chin up defiantly while tears streamed down her face. “So, he got real pissy and I left. Ran right into Brian in the hallway. He brought me into his room and gave me these shorts.”

Lisa buried her head in her hands. “Why do I suddenly sense where this is going?”

“Brian comforted me and Nick walked in…and now Nick thinks I was just teasing him to get to Brian, or something crazy like that.”

“You’d choose Brian over Nick? Hardly,” Lisa said, half to herself.

“So, now Nick hates me, and Nick hates Brian. And we’re all supposed to go to the Park tomorrow. You have Kevin, Ari has AJ and Kelley has Howie…and I have no one.” Lara burst into brand new tears, burying her face in the pillow.

“I don’t really HAVE Kevin,” Lisa observed, then realized it wasn’t important in the current situation. “Honey…you’ll talk to Nick and work it all out. I’m sure he doesn’t hate you.”

“I’m sure he does. Good night, Lisa.” Lara turned on her side and closed her eyes. Lisa sighed and went to take a shower.

“What?” AJ reached over Ari to answer the phone.

“Breakfast in fifteen minutes. We wanna leave for the Park at ten.” Kevin hung up.

“Bastard,” AJ mumbled, burying his face in Ari’s hair once more. He was spooned up behind her. They were both naked, having tortured each other for hours without actually doing the deed. Her eyes fluttered open.

“Who was that?”

“Kevin. Breakfast. Fifteen. Park. Ten.” AJ nestled closer to her. She sighed and stretched.

“I gotta find some clothes, AJ.”

“Drawers. Closet. Later.” His arms squeezed her tighter.

“No…MY clothes. MY room. I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast.”

“No,” AJ pouted.

She weaseled her way out from under his grip and pulled on her dress. Ari bent down and kissed him. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. We have all day to be together…and who knows…I bet there is high grass under one of the coasters…we could hide there for a while.”

AJ’s dark eyes flew open and he smiled sleepily. “I like your way of thinking. I’m up. Way up. See you soon.”

“Kevin, we’re up. Swear to God. Kel is on her way back to her room anyway to get dressed. Yes, we slept. Dammit, we’ll be there go AWAY!” Howie hung up the phone and smiled at Kelley. “Need an extra dad? We’ve got one.”

“No, thanks. One is enough.” She kissed Howie long and hard, and he pulled her back across his lap on the armchair.

“Five more minutes,” he mumbled against her neck.

“Nope. Gotta go change.” Kelley drew on all her Howie-Resistant Powers and got out of the chair. “See you soon, love.”

“Where’s Lara?” Ari asked Lisa as soon as she walked in the door of the suite.

“She’ll meet us down there. She’s been up for a while,” Lisa said simply.

“Up all night with Nicky?” Kelley asked smugly.

“Not quite. And don’t ask her about him, okay?”

“Hey.” Lara heard Brian’s voice behind her but she refused to turn around.

“Hey,” she said, staring at the empty swimming pool.

“Kinda chilly out here. You should be wearing something.”

“Not cold,” she replied, shivering. A Kentucky Wildcats sweatshirt was thrust in front of her face.

“Put this on.” Brian sat down beside her. “You okay?”

“Hardly.” Lara finally looked at him. “I really really like him, Brian. If I woulda just said yes, I…

“If you would have just said yes you would have been totally uncomfortable and you would not have enjoyed it,” Brian interrupted gently. He stood and held out his hand. “Come on in with Uncle Brian. I’ll get you guys together by the end of the day if it kills me.”

Lara and Brian were the first ones in the lobby outside the small restaurant. They had decided to go to the breakfast buffet so they could quickly get in and out. Nick came striding into the room soon after Lara and Brian arrived. His strides shortened as he saw them together. “Have a nice evening?” Nick asked arrogantly.

“Frack, knock it off, okay?” Brian retorted angrily.

“What? Simple question,” Nick replied, glaring at his friend. Lara stepped between them, her eyes already filling with tears.

“Stop it, okay? Please…” she pleaded, looking up at Nick. He looked down at her and frowned. Her blue eyes were puffy from crying. She didn’t look like she had spent the night in the throes of passion with Brian. Nick spun on one heel and went to read the menu board.

Brian squeezed Lara’s hand. “He’ll get over it. I’ll get him over it.”

“Hey,” Kelley said happily as they ran into Howie and Kevin on the stairwell.

“Hey yourself,” Howie replied, kissing her cheek.

“AJ said to tell you he is on his way,” Kevin told Ari before she could ask. “He couldn’t find a hat.”

“A hat? We’re going to an amusement park,” Kelley said.

“But we’re eating first. AJ is in public therefore AJ needs a hat,” Kevin told her with a grin. He glanced at Lisa. “Hello.”

“Hi,” she said, suddenly shy. She felt a lot more confident when they were screaming at each other…or fucking. She glanced towards the lobby and saw Lara standing with Brian. “Let’s go in. I’m starving.” When she reached the lobby, she wove her arm through Lara’s. “Doing okay?”

“No,” Lara said with a tired smile, watching Nick give Howie and Kevin a good morning hug.

“We’ll work it out,” Brian said, smiling a hello at Lisa. “He’s just being a dumbass. Happens all the time.”

Lara laughed out loud and Nick turned to look. He looked from Brian to Lara, then walked into the restaurant.

“Hey, sexy lady.” Ari felt a pair of arms go around her and she squealed. “Miss me?”

“Like I’d miss breathing,” she told him, allowing his tongue to duel with hers in a good morning kiss.

“Good answer. Let’s plow. Someone kept me up all night.” He tugged her towards the restaurant.

“Are you crazy?” Lisa looked at Kevin’s plate in amazement. It was piled high with scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, sausage and potatoes. “We will be on rollercoasters and rides within the next hour.”

“And?” His elbow brushed against her breast as he reached across her for the salt.

“And…um…won’t you be ill?”

“If you even hurl on me, Train, I will kick your ass from here to Tuesday,” Nick growled.

“I won’t hurl. My stomach is like steel.”

“I see,” Lisa said, remembering how the muscles of his stomach rippled under his smooth skin. She blushed and suddenly became very interested in pouring maple syrup on her Belgian waffle.

“Save some for the rest of us, please,” AJ said, grabbing the syrup from her hand and smothering his pancakes with it.

“Sorry…I like syrup,” Lisa apologized.

“Don’t know why. You are already sweet,” Kevin murmured in her ear as he replaced the salt. Lisa forced her mouth to close as her bottom jaw hit the floor.

“You like coasters?” Howie asked Kelley with his mouth full.

“Sure, Neanderthal,” she replied, wiping some egg from his chin.

“How about you?” Brian asked Lara. He was seated on her one side with Kelley on the other. Nick was towards the other end of the table, next to Kevin and Lisa.

“I like all rides,” she replied shyly, taking tiny bites of her pancakes. She wasn’t very hungry.

“Liar,” Kelley said. Ari and Lisa laughed. Lara begged them with her eyes to shut up, but they ignored her. “Lara hates the Wheel of Death.”

“The Wheel of Death?” AJ asked, confused.

“The Ferris Wheel,” Lisa told him. AJ laughed out loud.

“The Ferris wheel? You’re afraid of the Ferris Wheel? I don’t know anyone who’s afraid of that,” he said. Howie kicked him…hard. “I mean…that’s cool. Lots of other rides,” he said quickly.

Lara blushed and looked down at her plate. Nick stood. “I need more food.” He walked behind AJ, making sure his elbow caught AJ right below his hat.

“OW!” AJ yelled, glaring at his friend.

“Dammit, we never should have let AJ go up and change,” Howie grumbled as he, Kelley, Ari and Brian stood out in front of the hotel. “It might be tomorrow before we get to the Park.”

“I told him to find something normal…that probably takes a while.” Ari looked at Howie. “I want him to look like you.”

“No one can look this good,” Howie joked, striking a pose in his black tank top and black denim shorts.

“Damn skippy,” Kelley replied, sliding a hand under the tank top and caressing his chest.

“You’re gonna have fun,” Lara sang to herself quietly as she jogged down the steps. “You’re gonna have fun and not even…ooof!” She exhaled quickly as a wall of person stopped her song. “Sorry…I…” she looked up into Nick’s blue eyes. “I’m, uh, I’m sorry.”

“No problem,” he replied shortly, holding the door to the lobby open for her.

Brian looked up to see Lara and Nick walking into the lobby. He smiled as he thought maybe they were together, but the stubbornness was still prevalent in Nick’s eyes, so he knew it wasn’t true. “You look nice,” he said to Lara, eyeing her blue halter and denim shorts. She blushed.

“Just something I threw on,” she said. As soon as Nick turned his back, Lara dragged Brian aside. “Stop it! Stop being so nice! No wonder he thinks we’re…you know…if you keep talking that way!”

“A little jealousy never hurt anyone,” Brian smirked, then sauntered back to their friends.

Lisa grabbed Kelley’s arm. “It’s not fair. Life isn’t fair. Purely unfair.”

“What? What the hell…oh…” Kelley smiled as she watched Kevin stroll through the lobby, wearing a white wifebeater and khaki shorts. “Sorry, chick.”

“Damn,” Lisa said, barely remembering to exhale. He smiled at her.

“Ready to be all coastered out?”

“Definitely,” she replied, surprised that she could form words.

“I’m gonna go get that van we rented,” Howie said with a sigh, checking his watch. “AJ should hopefully be down before the next millennium.” He went outside with Kelley.

“Is D whining again?” AJ asked, walking through the lobby seconds later. Ari ran over and gave him a hug.

“Wow…you look…normal.” She was amazed. AJ wore a plain white t-shirt and low-slung denim shorts that reached his knees.

“It is possible, my dear,” he replied in his Johnny No-Name accent. “Let’s go out so Howie doesn’t have to wait a second longer.”

Brian noticed Nick lagging behind the group, and he pulled him back. “You gonna talk to me?”

“Sure…we have a lot of time to spend together,” Nick said curtly.

“Are you gonna forgive me?”

“For what? According to you there is nothing to forgive,” Nick replied. Brian heaved a sigh.

“You are such a child sometimes. Nick, she has no interest in me as anything more than a friend. Did you see her eyes? I bet she spent all last night crying about you. YOU not ME.”

“Whatever.” Nick sulked out to the van and climbed into the way back seat.

Lara practically skipped from the parking lot to the front gates of Hersheypark. AJ and Brian had to hold her back. “Whoa, girl! Calm down!” AJ laughed, digging in his heels and pretending to pull her back with all his might.

“I’m sorry…I haven’t been here in a while and I like showing new people around,” she told him, pulling against his hold. She flashed her season pass at the gate while the others paid.

“Okay…what first. I’m ready for some serious coasters,” Howie said, rubbing his hands together.

“Why don’t we walk out to the other end and work our way back,” Lara suggested. “By the time we get through the coasters out there, it will be warm enough for the water rides, which are out there as well.”

“Water rides,” Lisa repeated faintly, thinking of a soaking wet Kevin in his white wifebeater.

“Come ON.” Kevin took her hand and started to drag her, totally oblivious to her dream state. “You don’t have to go on them if you don’t want.”

“No…water rides are fine. Water rides are wonderful,” Lisa said blissfully.

“Which one do you recommend?” Brian asked Lara as they reached the Midway section of Hersheypark.

“How about the Wheel of Death?” AJ suggested snidely. Ari slapped him across the back of the head. “Ow!”

“Well…” Lara looked around. “The Wildcat is my favorite, but around here there is also the Lightening Racer, the Whip, the Music Box, the Wild Mouse…the Chaos…”

“There ya go, Nicky,” Howie said, laughing.

“Well, I won’t go on the Chaos or the Wild Mouse, but the Wildcat kicks ASS,” Lara continued, ignoring Howie’s reference to Nick.

“Then we’ll do the Wildcat first.” Howie took Kelley’s hand and led her towards the ramp for the wooden rollercoaster.

“Damn, that looks fast,” Kevin observed as the car raced by them.

“It is,” Lara said happily. “It’s awesome. You get the hell shook out of you.” She pranced up the ramp with Brian at her heels.

“Pretty high grass under there,” AJ murmured in Ari’s ear. She giggled.

“I’m sure we could find our way there, later,” she whispered, licking his neck before walking up after the others.

“Okay…who rides alone on this one?” Kevin asked, leaning back on the wooden fencing along the side of the line. Everyone looked at one another.

“I can’t…I get too scared,” Lara confessed.

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” AJ said quietly. “Ow!” He yelled once more.

“Oh, sorry, AJ, was that your foot? My bad,” Nick said calmly, looking up at the tracks above them.

“I’ll ride alone,” Brian offered. Nick looked at him quickly.

“No, I will.” Brian opened his mouth, but Nick gave him such an angry glare that he didn’t say anything.

“Arms up, right?” Kevin said to Lisa as they climbed onto the ride.

“Right,” she said nervously.

“You gonna be okay?” Brian asked Lara.

“I’m fine. Just don’t talk to me until we’re over the first hill,” she told him. “Then I’m fine.”

The car started up the hill and the men yelled and cheered, throwing their arms up into the air. Lara grasped the safety bar firmly, closing her eyes. Once they were over the hill, she’d relax.

“Okay, you were right. That SO kicked ass!” AJ told Lara as they ran down the exit ramp.

“Yeah, kicked ass,” Kelley said ruefully, rubbing the side of her head.

“Baby, I’m sorry! How many times do I have to apologize?” Once they were outside the exit gate, Howie took Kelley’s head in his hands and examined it.

“What happened?” Lisa asked.

“We went around that last wicked turn and since my arms were up I accidentally elbowed Kelley in the side of the head.”

Everyone laughed as Kelley gave them an evil glare. “Yeah…real funny. All fun and games until someone gets a concussion.” They laughed harder.

“Ooh…I wanna go on THAT,” Nick said, pointing up at the Wild Mouse.

“Okay…have fun. I’ll be right here.” Lara plopped down on a bench. Everyone stared at her. “What? I hate that freaking thing. It’s like The Whip but a hundred feet up. I swear to GOD the car takes the corners on two wheels.”

“I’m there.” Nick started up the ramp with Howie and Kevin close on his heels. Lisa and Kelley gave Lara an apologetic glance, then followed the men. AJ and Ari casually strolled up behind them.

“Sure you’ll be okay?” Brian asked.

“Yes! Go! I sit rides out all the time. GO!” She shoved him towards the ride.

Lara watched the eight people stand around and joke while waiting in line. She noticed that Nick made sure he was as far from Brian as possible and she sighed. This just wasn’t right. Even though they were at least civil to each other, she had caused a rift in their friendship. She smiled as she watched Ari, AJ, Howie and Kelley pile into one car, and Brian, Nick, Lisa and Kevin go into the next one. She knew that the men would have fingernail marks in their knees after this ride.

About fifteen minutes later, something cold dropped down her top and she screamed. She opened her eyes to see AJ cackling with laughter as only AJ could. “What was that?” She gasped, trying to get it out of her shirt.

“Ice cube,” Ari told her, motioning to a vendor nearby that had a cart full of bottled water settled on ice.

“Your man is a CHILD!” Lara shouted, glaring at him as he cackled like a madman.

“And?” Ari said, smiling at him maternally.

“Let’s go on that one!” Howie said, pointing across the Midway to a wild maze of wooden beams and tracks.

“That’s the new coaster…Lightening Racer. It’s pretty cool,” Lara said.

“I wanna go there next!” Howie started to drag Kelley towards the coaster. She looked over her shoulder in pretend fear.

Lisa stumbled over an empty soda bottle on the ground, and Kevin caught her arm. “You okay?” He asked her. She nodded.

“Yeah…wasn’t watching where I was going,” she said, blushing furiously. He kept his hand on her arm for a moment, then slowly slid it down to her hand.

“Do you mind?” He asked almost nervously.

“N-n-no,” she said, unable to keep from smiling. He intertwined his fingers with hers and they followed Howie and Kelley.

AJ, Nick and Brian chatted as they walked to the coaster. Ari hung back with Lara. “You okay, honey?” She asked sympathetically.

“No, but I’ll survive.” Lara stopped walking and just watched Nick laugh and joke with AJ. “He’s so beautiful. I was so stupid!”

“Lisa told us what happened,” Ari said gently. “You weren’t stupid. It is totally not cool to do something you’re uncomfortable with, just to keep someone. It will all work out. He really likes you, Lara.”

“Yeah, right,” Lara replied. “Then how comes he was so quick to assume I was using him to get to Brian?”

“Because he knew he fucked up…and then he got jealous,” Ari told her. “He’ll come around.”

“Doubtful,” Lara sighed, walking after the rest of their friends.

“Oh, look…it’s the Ferris Wheel,” AJ said when they walked off the Lightening Racer. Everyone glared at him. “What?” He asked innocently. “It is!”

“We can go on it,” Lara said slowly. Everyone turned to stare at her. “I can do it,” she said bravely.

“Lara…this is like the equivalent of a shark standing and smiling at you,” Kelley said slowly.

“Did B-Rok’s elbow hit you in the head on that last coaster or something?” Howie asked her.

“No…I can do it,” she insisted, determined to get AJ to stop making fun of her.

“Let’s go,” Brian said suddenly. “She wants to go on it. Let’s go before she loses her nerve.” They walked up to the line for the Ferris Wheel. Brian made sure that Nick was in front of he and Lara, but that the three of them were last in line of their group. Nick looked behind him and sighed, realizing who he would have to ride with. He knew that the other three couples would want to ride alone. When the car approached them, Brian held up two fingers to the attendant, motioning to Nick and Lara. Nick climbed into one side, Lara to the other, and the attendant shut the door and waved for the operator to put the wheel in motion.

“Hey!” Nick yelled. “Wait!”

“I’m kinda hungry. I’ll catch up to you guys later!” Brian called, smiling at the furious looks Nick and Lara were sending him as they rose into the air.

“We should ride this again later on tonight,” Kevin said to Lisa as their gondola rose into the air. “I bet the park looks really neat with all the lights on.”

“That would look cool,” she agreed, looking out over the side. They were about a quarter of the way up when they stopped to load more people. She looked at Kevin. He was looking at her.

“Look, Lisa, I’m sorry. I guess I was acting like a real dick…and you did nothing to deserve it.” Kevin ran his hand through his short hair. “It’s just…she really hurt me…like I’ve never been hurt before.” His green eyes gleamed with pain. “I never thought someone could do that to me, and once it happened I was determined to never let it happen again. That meant not being even remotely nice to any female within a ten mile radius,” he said with a small smile.

“I’m sorry,” Lisa said, totally understanding where he was coming from.

“Don’t be. It totally doesn’t excuse how I treated you. I just…I was just so attracted to you from the very first minute when you made me spill my coffee and…”

“I MADE you spill it? I don’t think so. I think YOU weren’t looking where you were going!” Lisa interrupted angrily. She expected Kevin to snap back, but he only smiled at her.

“You realize what happens every time we start fighting, don’t you?” He asked, his eyes filling with desire.

“Up here on the Wheel of Death?” Lisa asked, her insides turning to butter.

“Well, maybe not all the way…” Kevin moved to sit next to her. His hand slid up her thigh. “…but I’m sure we could do SOMETHING to keep from yelling at each other.”

“See? Right there…that far corner. Grass looks way high there,” AJ observed, pointing to a spot underneath the Wildcat.

“Alexander James McLean, I am not having sex with you under a rollercoaster in broad daylight!” Ari exclaimed.

“Okay then…we’ll wait until it’s dark.” AJ nuzzled his face in Ari’s hair. She whimpered. “Is sex with me such an awful idea?”

“Um…well…um…no…” Ari moaned as he sucked on her ear.

“Ya know, no one can see us up here.” AJ’s hand came up to play with her breast, smiling as he felt her nipple push at the fabric of her tank top. “We could…”

“Alex, don’t,” she sighed, her fingernails raking down his back. “We can’t do that here…and I can’t take much more of this teasing.”

“Don’t worry…when I get done with you, the teasing will be nothing but a memory,” AJ whispered as he kissed her neck.

“How can Lara hate this ride?” Howie said as the gondola lazily made its way around. Kelley was snuggled close against him and he was playing with her hair.

“She’s probably not being held and kissed the way I am,” Kelley replied.

“What do you mean?”

“You men are the most unobservant creatures sometimes,” Kelley sighed.

“Sorry…I have a one track mind today and you are the only train on it,” Howie told her. Kelley shivered.

“She and Nick had…um…they…they had a falling out.” Kelley knew Lara would not appreciate her telling Howie the whole story.

“Really? Damn. That sucks. He really likes her.”

“I thought so. She really likes him, too.”

“Well, maybe Brian can find a way to get them together.” Howie brought his fingers down to stroke her neck.

“Maybe,” Kelley replied absentmindedly, closing her eyes and sighing.

“How much will it take for you to make this ride extra long?” Brian asked the attendant. “There’s no line…and there are two people who NEED to talk.” He waved a twenty in front of the high school boy who was running the ride. “Another ten minutes, maybe?”

“Dammit!” Nick swore, leaning back against the seat.

“Don’t!” Lara screamed.

“What? I didn’t even do anything,” Nick said angrily.

“Don’t move so fast…or so hard,” Lara told him, closing her eyes and gripping the pole in the middle of the gondola.

“What is…” Nick put one foot on his other knee.

“STOP IT!” Lara yelled. “DON’T MOVE!”

Nick stared at her. Her face had gone completely white and she had a deathgrip on the pole. “If you hate these things so much, why the hell did you even suggest it?”

“I wanted to be brave…and I wanted AJ to stop picking on me,” she said, tears starting to inch out of her eyes.

“I am SO gonna kick his scrawny white ass,” Nick mumbled. He shifted towards her one inch, and he saw her flinch. The car continued to move, and as it gently swayed in the breeze he took advantage of the motion and moved closer.

Lara gasped as she felt Nick close to her, but she didn’t open her eyes. “You moved…you moved!”

“And the car is still attached, and we’re still in the air.” Nick placed his hands on hers and she screamed.

“Don’t…TOUCH…me! Besides, aren’t you mad at me or something?”

“No, I’m not mad at you. I’m jealous as hell,” Nick said before he thought.

Lara’s eyes flew open. She flicked them over to look at him before closing them again. “Wh…what?”

“I was jealous. You wouldn’t let me make love to you, but I walk into Brian’s room and there you are wearing his shorts,” Nick said, prying her hands away finger by finger as he talked.

“He knew I’d feel weird sitting and talking to him wearing only your shirt,” she said, sniffling back more tears. Nick pried her last finger away and winced as she dug her hands into his.

“Why couldn’t you talk to me?” Nick asked, sliding closer. He put an arm around her, and Lara buried her face in his chest. The car stopped moving and rocked. She let out a small yell into his shirt. “Shhh…it’s okay. I’ll protect you.”

“You…you called me a tease. I wasn’t teasing you, I swear!”

“I am such a bonehead,” Nick said almost to himself. “I was just…I…I didn’t know what I did to scare you away.”

“You didn’t scare me!” Lara’s head flew up and she looked him right in the eye. She decided to be honest. “You…you’re Nick Carter. Beautiful women are throwing themselves at you all the time. I’m not beautiful.” She lowered her eyes. “And I’ve been told that…well…just some very not nice things about how I am in bed…and I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Nick pulled his hand from hers and tilted her head up. “You are beautiful. You are beautiful to me.” His thumb stroked her cheek. “And you couldn’t disappoint me. You had me so turned on last night…and all you were doing was kissing me. If you weren’t ready…all you needed to do was tell me.”

“I tried,” she reminded him gently. Nick groaned and closed his eyes.

“Yes, you did. And I wouldn’t listen. Can you possibly forgive me?”

Lara smiled, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Yes…if you can forgive me for running and not talking to you.”

He wiped away her tears. “Are you still afraid?”

“Yes, but these are happy tears. I…” she was interrupted by his lips on hers. She moaned, pressing herself against him. His hands wove through her hair, and her fingers gently stroked his neck. He was first to pull away.

“Dammit, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” she said, realizing how crazy that sounded after only knowing each other such a short time. Nick seemed to read her mind.

“I don’t care how long it was. I missed you like crazy, and I am not letting something so silly ever get between us again, understand?” She nodded, and his lips met hers once more.

Brian smiled as he watched Nick and Lara embrace when the car flew past him. He waved another twenty at the attendant.

Lisa and Kevin were the first ones off the ride. “Where is everyone?” Lisa asked.

“That was the longest freaking Ferris Wheel ride I have ever been on,” Kevin said. “Didn’t that seem long to you waiting down here, Bri?”

“I didn’t even notice,” Brian said innocently.

“Was it such torture being up there with me for so long?” Lisa asked Kevin. He pinched her backside.

“Hardly.” They watched AJ and Ari come off the ride, followed by Kelley and Howie.

“Where are Lara and Nick?” Kelley asked as soon as she reached the others.

“Um…there,” Lisa said, pointing to a gondola that was just unloading. Lara and Nick slowly made their way down the ramp. He had his arm around her and she was snuggled against his chest. He laughed at something she said, and then he bent and kissed her nose.

“Oh, thank God,” Lisa said.

“What? What’s going on?” AJ asked, confused. Ari sighed and tugged at his arm.

“Let’s get going. I wanna get in line for the dolphin show and it’s way over there.” She started walking away.

Brian waited for Lara and Nick as the others started walking. Nick just looked at him. Lara said nothing, but walked over, grabbed his face in her hands, and gave him a long deep kiss. Brian gasped when she let him up for air. “What…what…” he sputtered.

“Thanks for being smarter then we were, Frick,” Nick said. He put an arm around Lara’s waist and they followed the others, leaving Brian standing with his mouth gaping open.

“SO glad you wanted to stand in front. Thanks so much, Ari,” AJ said in disgust, wringing out his shirt.

“Didn’t the sign say Splash Zone?” Ari asked the others. They nodded as one. “I said I wanted to be in the front for the dolphin show. You said it was okay. Do NOT blame me that the one dolphin felt you needed a bath,” she snapped at him. The others laughed.

“Since AJ’s already wet, why don’t we go on the water rides now?” Kevin suggested. Lara and Kelley as they watched Lisa turn red. They knew what she was thinking.

“I don’t really feel like getting sopping wet. I’ll sit it out,” Lara said.

“Me too,” Kelley added quickly.

“Ditto,” Lisa said.

“I’m with them,” Ari said. “We’ll sit outside the Canyon River Rapids and wait for you.” They waved as the guys jogged ahead of them.

“Okay…you guys WILL make sure the ambulance doesn’t hit any bumps right? I will most definitely be passing out when Kevin gets off this ride,” Lisa informed them, flopping onto a bench.

“Do you get one hundred percent wet or something?” Kelley asked. Lara nodded.

“Oh yes…hell yes. We will have five soaking wet Backstreet Boys walking around with us.” They looked at each other and sighed as one.

“Okay…that kicked ass,” Brian announced as the guys exited the ride.

“My hair,” AJ moaned as he shook his head.

“You don’t HAVE any hair,” Howie reminded him, wringing out his ponytail.

“Oh my GOD!” Kelley grabbed Lara’s arm.

“What? I…oh…” Lara remained in a respectful silence as she watched Howie wring out his hair. She strained to find Nick and Kevin on the exit stairway. As they turned the corner and started down, she grabbed Lisa.

“Remember to breathe,” Lara whispered to Lisa, having a Kevin moment as she looked at the way his wet white tank top clung to his chest. “Breathe.”

“Breathing, right, yeah,” Lisa mumbled weakly. Nick stopped at the bottom of the steps and shook his head side to side like a dog. When he stood up straight again, his wet hair was matted to his forehead and face. Lara swallowed deeply.

“Was this a bad idea sending them on that ride?” She murmured.

“Um, yes. I mean, no. I mean, it depends,” Ari stammered, watching the five men walk around looking for them.

“How many more water rides are there?” Kelley demanded.

“Um, um…” Lara tried desperately to count. “The Tidal Force is over there, and the water slides…and…um…one kinda lame flume ride out by the front…”

“Can we keep them wet all day long?” Kelley wanted to know.

“Maybe,” Lisa whispered. The men finally found them and made a beeline for them.

“Um, have fun?” Ari asked, smiling at AJ and Brian.

“Yes. That was very cool,” Brian said. The girls stood up.

“Miss me?” Howie asked, pulling Kelley to him in a big hug.

“Howie, no!” She squealed as he plastered his wet body against hers. “Stop…please…” she said faintly, making the others snicker.

“I’m hungry,” Nick said, kissing Lara’s cheek. “What time is it?”

“Noon. Definitely lunchtime,” AJ said, glancing at his watch.

“Everything here is so freaking expensive. I wish…” Lara began, then stopped as all five men turned to stare at her. “Oh…guess money isn’t an issue, is it? Sorry.” She strode ahead of everyone.

“What was that all about?” Kevin asked.

“No clue,” Lisa said as Kelley ran to catch up to their friend.

“What’s up?” Kelley asked.

“Isn’t this weird, Kel? I mean, the clothes they are wearing right now are worth more than my entire closetful of Kmart clothes. These are the BACKSTREET BOYS. They are fucking MILLIONAIRES. Doesn’t that make you feel weird?”

Kelley thought for a moment. “Kinda. It is weird knowing that if I said to Howie, rent out this whole park for me, he could. But it’s fun, too, you gotta admit.”

“I think I’m still too weirded out about the strange part to enjoy the fun,” Lara told her. “I don’t want him to think I only am with him because of the money.”

Kelley took Lara by the shoulders. “Lara, if he was just some guy you saw at a pool, wouldn’t you think he was hot?”

“Well…”

“I mean, the lips, the hair, the smile, the eyes…the fingers…” Kelley got a dreamy look on her face.

“HEY!”

“Oh, sorry…anyway, you’d like him just because he was him, right? Just because he’s Nick. The other stuff is just an added bonus.”

“Everything okay?” Nick reached them first, a concerned look on his face.

“Everything’s fine,” Kelley told him, walking over to Howie. Nick turned to Lara.

“You okay?” Lara nodded. “Good. I am STARVING. Where’s lunch?”

“I can’t ride anything big…not yet…” Howie groaned as he finished off the last of his cheeseburger.

“Me either,” Brian agreed.

“Aw, come on you guys. Don’t be such wusses,” Kevin said, eating the last of Lisa’s fries.

“We don’t have stomachs of steel, Kev, haven’t you realized that?” AJ stretched out on the bench, laying his head on Ari’s lap. She had a blissful smile on her face.

“Kissing Tower or Monorail?” Lara asked.

“Kissing Tower,” Nick, Kevin, AJ and Howie answered. The girls laughed.

“Brian…you decide,” Kelley said.

“Monorail,” Brian declared.

“You’re an ass,” AJ told him.

“What? It’s lunchtime. Everyone will be on the Kissing Tower because it hardly moves. Do you really want to try to kiss your girl with some mother and three kids beside you?” Brian pointed out.

“True,” Howie replied. The group walked down the hill to the Monorail.

“Man, does EVERYTHING here have steps or ramps?” Nick whined as they climbed the steep entrance ramp.

“Baby,” AJ said, jogging up the ramp.

“Can I please give him a beatdown sandwich? He deserves it for how he was treating you,” Nick said to Lara. She shook her head.

“Sorry. He’s your friend and you love him.”

“Oh, yeah. Shit,” Nick mumbled, and she laughed.

The group spread out, each couple sitting in a different car. Brian joined Lara and Nick.

“I’m beginning to feel like a fifth wheel,” he said with a smile. Lara patted the seat next to her and he sat down. She snuggled up to Nick but put her hand on Brian’s knee.

“If it wasn’t for you, Nick would still be acting like an ass.”

“Hey!” Nick said, insulted.

“Thank you,” Lara continued.

“You’re welcome,” Brian said, giving her hand a squeeze.

“No, really, I’m FINE,” Lara insisted. “I’ve been on the Great Bear once or twice and it’s really not my thing. I will just sit here and soak up the sun.”

“I could sit with you,” Nick suggested. She shook her head.

“Get your ghetto booty up in line, Carter,” she ordered.

“Ghetto booty?”

“Never mind. Come on.” Lisa started to tug on his sleeve as they walked up the hill to the entrance of Hersheypark’s suspended rollercoaster.

Lara sat down on a bench and closed her eyes, tilting her head back to get some sun. The last couple of days had been unreal, and she wasn’t sure WHAT to think. Nick Carter wasn’t staying in Hershey forever. What would happen when he left? Was she really just a fling for him…or was it something more? It felt like more, that’s for sure. When he looked at her and smiled, she felt like she was the only person in existence for him at that moment. She could see it in his eyes. She wasn’t sure how serious things were for Kelley and Howie, or Ari and AJ, and she didn’t even want to THINK about the relationship forming between Lisa and Kevin. All she knew was that she really REALLY liked Nick Carter more than she ever thought possible.

Nick stared off into space as he leaned on the fence of the ride. “Nick…yo…Earth to Nicky…line’s moving, dude.” AJ waved a hand in front of Nick’s face.

“Huh? Oh, sorry,” Nick said absentmindedly, taking a few steps forward.

“You okay, Nick?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah. Fine.” Nick stared into nowhere once more.

“You like her a lot, don’t you,” Brian said softly, moving to the other side of Nick so the others couldn’t hear.

Nick turned and looked at Brian for a long moment. “Yeah. It’s like she sees past the shit, ya know?” Brian nodded. Nick turned away again. “I don’t want to leave at the end of the week. I don’t want to go back.”

“You know we have to, right?” Brian asked gently. Nick nodded. “And you know she won’t just up and follow you, right?” Nick nodded again, running his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

“Okay, he likes her,” Kelley murmured to Ari. They were at the end of the group, with AJ and Howie up talking to Kevin and Lisa.

“Of course he likes her,” Ari replied, sighing as she watched AJ throw back his head and laugh at something Howie was saying. “How could you help liking someone like him?”

“Ari, I was TALKING about Lara. Pay attention,” Kelley snapped. “Get your head out from under the rollercoaster, okay?”

“Oh, sorry.” Ari gave a bashful smile.

Lisa made her way back to the other girls. “What are we gonna do when they leave?” She said almost fretfully.

“They’re not leaving,” Kelley said forcefully. “They are never leaving, and I’m not going back to Minnesota, and they are staying here forever.”

Ari tilted her head to the side. “What’s it like, living in your world?” Kelley smacked her. “Let’s not even think about that, okay? Let’s enjoy today.”

“Did you see me? I waved at you,” Nick said as soon as he reached Lara. She smiled and nodded.

“Did you like it?”

“I loved it, except for AJ’s screaming like a maniac,” Nick replied, playfully glaring at his friend.

“That wasn’t me. That was Kevin,” AJ said.

“I’m not a screamer,” Kevin replied, giving Lisa a meaningful look. She turned crimson.

“I wanna ride that kissing thing now,” Howie said, pulling Kelley close. Lara sighed and rolled her eyes.

“You are impossible.”

“Don’t you wanna ride a kissing thing with me?” Nick said, pretending to pout.

“I can kiss you just fine on the ground, thank you, but we can go up if you want…but I have to kiss Brian, too. Can’t have him feeling left out,” Lara said, smiling as Nick’s mouth fell open.

“You’re right…can’t let Rok be left out,” Ari said quickly. AJ glared at her, then at Brian.

“What? All I’m doing is standing here,” Brian protested, though his face was wreathed in smiles at the looks on Nick and AJ’s faces. “Come on, ladies.” He put an arm around Lara and an arm around Ari. They got in line and quickly moved to the front. AJ got on first, followed by Ari, Brian, Lara, Nick, Lisa, Kevin, Kelley and Howie.

As soon as the ride started to go up, Lara kissed Brian sweetly on the lips, then gave Nick a passionate kiss. They both stared at her. “Thought I’d freak out the people around us a little bit,” she whispered.

Nick smiled big, totally ready to get her back for kissing Brian. “Good idea.” He turned to his other side and kissed Lisa before she knew what was happening.

“Um, what was that?” Lisa gasped.

“Lara thought it would be fun to freak out the other riders,” nick said simply, putting an arm around Lara.

“Oh, okay,” Lisa said, reaching up to gently touch her lips before turning to Kevin. “This is from Lara through Nick…pass it on.” She gave him a long sensuous kiss. Kevin stared at her for a moment.

“Um…okay…” he turned to Kelley and kissed her quickly, and she turned to Howie.

“From everyone else,” she murmured, running her fingers through his still damp ponytail as she kissed him long and hard.

Brian turned to Ari. “Guess I should pass this down to you, then,” he said, putting a hand on the back of her neck. He kissed her teasingly, letting his tongue run along her lips.

“Okay. Enough. Long enough. Whoa, Rok, I said enough!” AJ growled, yanking Ari’s face from Brian’s. He captured Ari’s lips with his, making her moan as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. “You are so in trouble once it gets dark,” he murmured against her hair when they broke the kiss.

The group made sure to hit all the rollercoasters at least once, riding again and again until even Kevin started to look green. They stopped to grab a quick snack at around six-thirty.

“What time does the park close?” Kevin asked Lara as he munched on french fries.

“Um…ten, I think,” she said absentmindedly, watching Nick attack an ice cream cone.

“I think we should stay til ten, don’t y’all?” Brian asked.

“Um…yeah,” Lara replied, unable to tear her eyes away. Nick was in happy oblivion, licking circles around the Raspberry-Vanilla Flavorburst cone he was holding.

Lisa elbowed Kelley. “Hey, Lara…did you see that? I think Lance Bass just walked by.”

“Cool,” Lara said faintly, barely remembering to blink as Nick took a lick and then ran his other hand through his hair. Ari snickered.

“And I think he had Aaron Carter with him!”

“What?” Nick looked at her strangely. Lara’s head snapped up. Even the other men were laughing at this point. “What about my brother?”

“Nothing,” Kelley said cheerfully, taking a bite of Howie’s pizza. Lara glared at her friends and then blushed a furious red.

“I say we split up,” AJ suggested suddenly. Everyone stared at him. “Why not? It’s easier to get on rides that way.”

“But then Brian will have no one to be with,” Ari protested, smiling at Brian. AJ’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh, that’s okay…Brian can hang with us. Right, Nicky?” Lara asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Nick said absentmindedly, still confused about the reference to his brother.

“There. All settled.” Lara stood up and brushed crumbs from her shorts. “Let’s go over to the zoo.”

“That sounds cool.” Brian stood as well.

“How about we all meet at the Wheel of…I mean, the Ferris Wheel at eight-thirty?” Kevin suggested.

“Excellent. Later.” AJ grabbed Ari’s hand and practically dragged her off.

“Um…where are we going?” Ari asked.

“We’re on a mission…we have to find the perfect place before it gets dark.” AJ started looking around corners and behind rides.

“Alex, you’re serious about this, aren’t you? Why can’t we just wait until…”

AJ pressed her up against a tree, grinding his lithe body against hers. “I don’t want to wait if I don’t have to. Do you want to wait?”

“Um, no,” Ari barely answered. “But what if someone…”

“That’s why we have to find the perfect place. Come on.” He drug her away once more.

“Could I call you…I mean, once I’m back in Florida?” Howie asked Kelley suddenly as he leaned over the railing to feed the ducks. “We’re gonna be busy working on this new album and tour, but I could call and email.”

“Of course,” Kelley said, unable to hide the immense smile that wreathed her face. “I hope you come to Minnesota…on the tour, I mean.”

“Oh, I’ll be coming to Minnesota with or without the tour…if that’s okay with you.” Howie’s dark eyes were serious. Kelley ordered herself NOT to do cartwheels up and down the bridge.

“Yes, it’s okay,” she whispered just as his lips met hers.

“I’d love to get a ranch, ya know? Someplace out in the country where I could have horses and long fields to ride them in,” Kevin told Lisa as they strolled back towards the front of the park.

“That sounds wonderful,” she sighed. “It sounds like a great place to settle down and raise a family.”

“Do you want a family?” He asked, taking her hand and holding it.

“Yes…very much,” she replied almost shyly.

“Me too.” He stopped walking and pointed to the small photography studio. “Feel like dressing up?”

Lisa giggled. “Of course.”

They walked over to the studio, where people could get pictures taken in Civil War garb or clothing from the old west, or even gangster outfits from the twenties and thirties. “What should we do?” Kevin looked at the same pictures.

“Hmmm…I think you would look incredible as a soldier, but I like the idea of you as a gangster even better,” Lisa said with a smile.

“Well, I like the idea of you as an old West bargirl,” he said, pointing to the skimpy outfit and fishnet stockings.

“No, thank you,” Lisa replied. Kevin laughed.

“Okay…gangster it is.”

A while later they walked away with two 5x7 pictures, laughing as they looked at them. “This is crazy!” Lisa said. “We definitely look like we robbed a bank.”

“I like them.” Kevin stopped at a gift shop and asked for a pen. He took the picture from Lisa’s hand and wrote something on the back. “Okay…here’s my home number, cellphone, pager and email. If I don’t hear from you, it won’t be because you have no way to get a hold of me.”

Lisa stared up at him and swallowed deeply. “You want to hear from me?” All confidence was forgotten. Kevin looked surprised.

“Yes, I want to hear from you. You’re not getting rid of me that easy. I don’t know where I’ll ever find someone who will put up with all my shit the way you have these last few days.” He handed her the pen. “Do I get YOUR digits?”

“Um…of course!” With a shaking hand Lisa quickly jotted down her numbers and email address. She handed him the picture.

“Good. Let’s go sit down for a while.”

“Wait.” Nick stopped walking and abruptly turned around.

“What is it?” Lara asked, confused. He walked over to a game and slapped some money down. Lara looked at it and groaned. A basketball game. “I’ve seen you play on TV,” she teased. “The park is only open until ten.”

Nick gave her a dirty look as he sank three shots in a row. Lara’s mouth dropped open. He took the stuffed basketball he was given and handed it to Lara, who handed it to Brian. “Cool! Thanks, Frack,” Brian said with a smile. Nick frowned.

“I wanted to win something for YOU,” he told Lara.

“Thanks, but what would I do with a basketball?” She asked him.

“Hey…I’m gonna mosey off on my own for a while. I’ll hook up with y’all later,” Brian said, turning the other direction.

“Brian, you don’t have to…” Lara began.

“Yeah, Frick, you could hang with us for a while,” Nick added. Brian shook his head.

“Nah…I’m tired of playing the third wheel part. See you two later.” Brian disappeared into the crowd before they could stop him.

“Let’s sit over there,” Nick suggested, pointing to a secluded bench in the shade. Lara sat down on one end and Nick plopped down next to her, stretching out and laying his head on her lap. His sky blue eyes stared up at her and she unconsciously sighed. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Just happy.” She gave in to the temptation and allowed her fingers to play in his soft golden locks. He purred.

“I will give you like five hundred years to stop that,” he told her.

“Guess I'll have to move to Florida then,” she said lightly. “Can’t exactly do that from Pennsylvania, can I?”

“Really? You’d move to Florida?” Nick sat up excitedly. Lara’s eyes grew big.

“Um…well…I don’t know…I…”

“Oh, right…you were just joking. I’m so dumb sometimes. I’m like a living blond joke.” Nick lay back down with a sigh.

“Nicky, you are not dumb. I promise you that. You are smart at a lot of things,” she told him.

“Name two.”

“Well…” Lara stared off into the distance. “You are very smart at making someone feel comfortable. The fact that you were a famous singer really intimidated me, but I felt at ease with you immediately. And you’re smart at making someone feel special,” she finished softly. Nick blushed slightly.

“You know, I like when you call me that.”

“Call you what?”

“Nicky. I hate it when AJ and D call me that, but I like the way it sounds coming from you.”

“Well, I’ve been calling you Nicky for a long time,” she confessed. He smiled. They sat in silence for a moment.

“Have you ever been to Florida?”

“No, never. Never really had the urge.”

“Never had the urge? What about Disneyworld?”

“No urge. I hate that mouse,” she confessed. Nick’s mouth dropped open. “I love the movies, love Tigger, but Mickey Mouse annoys the shit out of me.”

Nick laughed so hard he almost fell off the bench. “Don’t let Kevin hear you say that.” He brought a hand up to caress her cheek. “Do you think you might want to visit sometime? I promise that if we went to Disney, I wouldn’t let Mickey or Minnie anywhere near you.”

“I’d like to visit you,” she replied shyly, gently kissing his palm.

“AJ, we have been all over this park. Not that the idea of jumping into the shadows with you doesn’t melt my butter, but I’m getting tired,” Ari whined. “Let’s just go back to the hotel and…”

“No. I want to make you feel so good that you’ll want to scream, but can’t because someone will hear,” he said, sucking on her earlobe. Ari moaned. The sky was finally dark but she had told the truth…she was exhausted. “And I…” he looked over her shoulder. “Come on.”

“AJ, what the hell?” Ari asked, exasperated, but she followed him one last time.

AJ dodged around some bushes to a small utility shack behind the Sidewinder rollercoaster. The shack blocked the area from the road behind Hersheypark and the bushes they had dodged around blocked the small area from the park itself. He pressed Ari up against the wall of the shack, grinding his body against hers. “Perfect,” he muttered, his hand sliding up to cup her breast through her shirt. “Outside, but secluded at the same time.”

“AJ, I…oh…God…” she gasped as he ferociously bit her neck. His hand yanked at her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. Clothes quickly ended up on the ground until they were both naked. AJ gently laid her down on the soft earth by the shack.

“You are so beautiful,” he told her, kissing his way from her neck to her toes and back up. “Last night I was going crazy. I wanted you so bad…but I wanted the yearning to intensify.” Ari could only gasp as he flickered his tongue between her legs. “Did it intensify, Ari? Do you want me more than you did last night?”

“I…didn’t think…it was possible…but fuck, yes,” she whispered, arching off the ground as his fingers slid inside of her. He pulled them out to suck on them. He moved up to lay across her body.

“Do you want me now, Ari? Do you want me inside of you?” AJ gave the patented smirk.

“Oh…Alex…please…” she begged. With a swift motion he was inside of her, covering her mouth with his to quiet her screams of passion. Her fingernails dug into his back as he slammed himself inside of her again and again.

“Ari…shit…that feel so good,” AJ moaned. He buried his face in her neck, doing his best to keep quiet.

“AJ…oh…God…” Ari’s voice rose and AJ kissed her as she came. He felt her buck underneath him, and that was all it took to pull him over the edge.

Nick and Lara spent the rest of the evening on that bench, kissing and talking.

Kevin and Lisa strolled around for a long time and ended up on another bench, kissing and talking.

Howie and Kelley rode the carousel, kissing as they curled up in one of the sleighs.

AJ and Ari eventually made it out from behind the bushes, only to find their way under the Wildcat.

“This has been a wonderful day,” Kelley sighed as she and Howie walked up to the Ferris Wheel. “I don’t want it to end.”

“Tomorrow will be just as wonderful,” Howie told her, smiling at her.

“When do you have to leave?” Kelley asked the dreaded question. Howie stopped smiling.

“We’re here for five or six more days. How about you?”

“I’ll be here three more days.”

“We’ll make the most of them,” Howie promised, kissing her nose.

“There are Kelley and Howie,” Lisa observed as she and Kevin trudged up the hill towards the Ferris Wheel.

Kevin pulled back on her hand. “Hey…I had a great time today. It was great just being with you.”

Lisa smiled. “I had a good time, too.”

Kevin pulled her into his arms and took her head in his hands, passionately kissing her. “And the day isn’t over yet,” he whispered.

“If I have grass stains on my ass you are SO in trouble,” Ari grumbled to AJ as they sighted Kelley, Howie, Lisa and Kevin.

“Wait, let me think.” AJ stopped talking and put one forefinger against his cheek. “Hmmm…nope…don’t remember you complaining.”

“Smartass,” Ari snapped, but smiled as he gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.

“We don’t have to go on that if you don’t want,” Nick told Lara. He saw her swallow deeply as she looked up at the Ferris Wheel.

“You could always eat another ice cream cone,” a voice behind them said. “That sure as hell distracted her.”

They turned to see Brian walking up behind them. “Shut up!” Lara said. “I didn’t know anyone saw that.”

“They couldn’t help it,” Brian replied, giving her a half-hug.

“What did I miss?” Nick asked, confused.

“Never mind,” Brian and Lara said at the same time.

“You riding with us?” Nick asked Brian.

“Nope…waiting it out here…I hope whatever we do the rest of the week doesn’t involve being paired off. I’m about to fly back home to Florida,” Brian said, plopping down on a bench.

Lara followed Nick onto a gondola. The others were already in their own little Ferris Wheel worlds. She snuggled close to him, trying not to think about where she was. He pulled back so he could cup her face in his hands. His thumbs gently caressed her cheekbones as his eyes seemed to drink in every inch of her face. His lips took hers hostage, gently kissing and tugging for a long while before he flickered his tongue against them. With a moan she parted her lips, and his tongue teased her, snaking in and out in quick motions, then tracing her lips long and slow. She sighed as she melted against him, letting her fingers dance across his neck and up into his hair. Nick shivered. His neck was ticklish, but this was causing sensations in him that were NOT tickle sensations. One hand settled on the back of her neck while the other hand slid up and down her back.

Lara swung her legs up onto his lap so that he was basically holding her. She didn’t notice the sudden dip of their gondola as he leaned her back until he was almost laying down with her in his arms. He didn’t move his hands but continued to kiss her again and again. By the time they felt the wheel slow down once more, they were both breathing heavily.

“We…need to get off,” Lara panted, sitting up and adjusting her shirt.

“Tell me about it,” Nick said without thinking. Lara’s mouth dropped open and he smacked his hand onto his forehead. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. I…” he stammered, remembering the night before.

“Don’t apologize,” Lara said as she walked off the gondola. “I totally agree with you.” She walked down the exit ramp, swinging her hips so tantalizingly that Nick almost ran after her.

“Man, I’m tired,” AJ yawned as they climbed into the car to go back to the hotel.

“I wonder why?” Kevin asked with a knowing smile. AJ gave him a big view of his middle finger.

Kelley leaned her head on Howie’s shoulder and he put an arm around her. “You gonna stay with me tonight?” He asked her. She nodded.

Lisa snuggled close to Kevin, almost falling asleep against his shoulder. He smiled as he kissed the top of her head. “Somebody’s worn out.”

“All that walking…made me tired,” she said drowsily.

“Any plans for tomorrow?” Brian asked.

“We could just go for a drive out into Amish country or something,” Lara suggested. “Do something random like that.”

“I like that idea,” Ari agreed. “No real plan, just a spontaneous day.”

“How about we set alarms for like ten-thirty?” Nick suggested. “That way those of us who sleep in can actually get some sleep?” Everyone agreed.

The car pulled up in front of the hotel. Ari, Kelley and Lisa headed up to their room to get some things before going to sleep with AJ, Howie and Kevin. Lara and Nick dawdled in the lobby. “I don’t expect you to sleep with me tonight,” Nick told her, shocking her. “I mean, I wouldn’t try anything, but I just want you to know that I don’t expect it. Somebody should actually stay in your suite, since you’re paying for it.”

“True,” Lara said with a smile. “But…”

“Come on.” Nick placed a finger over her lips. “I’ll walk you up.”

Lara flopped onto the bed and watched the other girls scurry here and there. Lisa stopped and stared at her. “Aren’t you gonna pack some stuff?”

“Nope.”

Ari said, “Ah…Nicky must be sleeping here then.”

“Nope.”

They all stopped. “You’re staying here…alone?” Kelley asked.

“Yep.”

“Okay, why do I suddenly feel like El Trampo?” Lisa asked.

“Because you are,” Ari told her, and was rewarded with a pillow in the face.

“He told me he didn’t expect me to sleep with him, even just sleeping, and someone should stay here. I mean, hell, we’re paying for it. I’m fine with it,” Lara said. “Go. Get out of here. Go jump your men.”

Kelley shook her head. “You are mental. See you tomorrow.” She was first out the door, followed by Ari. Lisa looked at Lara for a long moment.

“It’s more than a fling, Lara,” she said. “I watched him with you. He really likes you. If that’s what is holding you back…”

“Nothing is holding me back. I just don’t want to sleep with him.”

“Yeah…sure…and I don’t want to breathe,” Lisa said before walking out the door.

Nick had just finished taking his third shower when the phone rang. “Hello?”

“Nicky?”

“Lara? What’s wrong? What is it?”

“I need you to come here,” she said tearfully.

“I’ll be right there.” He hung up, concerned at the fear in her voice. He threw on a pair of dark green shorts, not even bothering with shoes or a shirt.

He jogged down the steps to her floor, wondering what was wrong. He had tried to stop thinking about her all night. Nothing had been on television, and he had started taking showers just to alleviate the boredom, and to keep from calling her. He pounded on her door.

Lara opened the door, taken aback by the sight of a slightly damp Nick wearing only a pair of shorts. “Um…that was quick.”

“I was worried. Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Lara blushed a furious crimson. “It’s really dumb. I shouldn’t have called you.”

“What is it?”

“Well…I was watching TV…and there was this scary movie on, and…”

“What movie?” He led Lara to the living room of the suite.

“Um…Jaws?” She said in a tiny voice. He slowly turned and looked at her.

“Kelley told me you hate sharks…almost as much as the Ferris Wheel.”

“I do,” she said in the same tiny voice.

“Then why…”

“Because I was trying to be brave!” She retorted. “I was trying to be brave but I was all alone and it was scary.” Lara blushed once more and Nick smiled.

“Well…let’s turn it off then.” Nick reached for the remote.

“No! I mean, I want to see what happens.” She grabbed the remote from him. “They kill the shark, right?” Nick nodded. She smiled with satisfaction. “Good. I wanna see that.”

“It will give you nightmares to watch this, won’t it?”

“Probably. But they kill the shark.”

Nick shook his head. “No logic in any of this.” He plopped down on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. “Come here. I will protect you.” Lara sat down next to him, and he immediately pulled her close. “No, wait. Get up.” She stood and he stretched out on the sofa, laying so that she could lie between his legs, leaning back on his chest. She lay back on him and he crossed his arms around her. “Here you go. I’ll cover your eyes at the scary parts.”

“Okay,” she whispered. She closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of clean Nick Carter.

“You did very well. I am very proud of you,” Nick said a few hours later as he turned off the TV.

“I hid my eyes the whole end,” she confessed.

“But you saw them kill the shark, right?”

“Oh, yes,” she said enthusiastically, and he laughed.

“I don’t like sharks very much, either,” he told her. She turned to face him, her face inches from his stomach and chest.

“Then why did you get this?” She lightly traced the shark tattoo on his left bicep.

He shrugged. “To help overcome the fear, I guess. Kinda like why you go on Ferris Wheels or watch Jaws.” She laughed. Nick looked down at her and their blue eyes met.

“Thank you for coming down here,” she said softly. “It’s late and I am sure you wanted to get to bed.”

“I wasn’t sleepy,” he told her. “And I didn’t mind coming down here. I was worried about you.” He ran a hand through his hair and she swallowed deeply. “Besides…I was practically here anyway.” She gave him a confused look and he blushed slightly. “I…uh…was thinking about you like the whole entire time.”

“Really?” Lara whispered.

“Really,” he answered. “I didn’t want to come down here and bother you, but I wanted nothing more than to be with you. I was so happy you called, even if it was just to get protection from evil fake sharks.”

She poked his stomach. “Shut up. I wanted to tell you to stay…but I felt shy.”

Nick looked at her for a long moment, then grabbed her by the arms, pulling up until she was face to face with him. He turned so that she was pressed between his body and the back of the sofa. “You don’t have to be shy with me,” he whispered, brushing hair from her face. “I don’t care what we’re doing, as long as we’re together. I love the way I feel when I’m with you.”

“You hardly know me,” she said softly. “How could I possibly make you feel?”

“You make me happy…content…silly…comfortable…brave…tonight I felt as if I could protect you from the whole world when you were in my arms, laying back against me.” His thumb kissed her lips. “And there are a whole lot of other feelings that I won’t embarrass you with.”

“Embarrass me,” she murmured, flicking her tongue out against his thumb. She barely heard his moan.

“When you smile at me…at only me…it tickles my stomach,” he confessed shyly. “Not a thing a guy is supposed to admit, I know, but it’s true. And I like the way your eyes light up when you are excited about something…and I like the way you flirt even when you don’t mean to.”

“I do not,” Lara replied, mortified.

“Yes, you do, and it is adorable.” He picked up her hand and held it. “I like how soft your hands are. I like how huggable you are.”

“Wow…I might not be able to fit through the door tomorrow, you’re swelling my head so much,” she said, blushing.

“And I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.” Nick’s voice was almost a whisper.

“G-good part?”

His hand ran from her neck down her arm to her hip and back up again. “I like how the curves of your body move. I like the way your hips sway when you walk. I watched it all day.” His thumb caressed her lips once more. “I like the fullness of your lips after I kiss them. I like the softness of your skin.”

Lara moaned. “Stop…I mean, don’t stop…I mean…kiss me.”

Nick leaned forward and gave her a chaste kiss on each cheek and then her nose. He felt her hands wind up around his neck and he let his lips slowly slide down to hers. Her lips eagerly met his as her fingers stroked through his hair. “Dammit, I love when you do that,” he mumbled against her mouth.

“What?”

“Run your fingers through my hair. I love it.”

“You cannot even imagine how much I love doing it,” she told him.

“Then don’t stop,” he told her, moving down to kiss her earlobe and down her neck.

“No…don’t stop…” she gasped as he hit the extremely tender spot where her neck and shoulder met.

Nick smiled against her skin as he felt her body unconsciously arch up against his. “Note to self,” he whispered. “Remember that spot.” He felt her giggle. “No laughing,” he ordered, moving back up to kiss her once more. The kisses started tender but quickly became passionate. His tongue slid into her mouth and he felt her tongue eagerly meet his. Her body arched towards him again and again, and when he tentatively placed a hand on her breast through her tank top, she did not pull away. He moaned against her mouth, letting his hand explore through the fabric.

Nick’s large hand slowly slid down across her stomach to the outside of her thigh and back up again. He painstakingly moved his hand until it settled between her legs. Lara whimpered and moved against him. “Nicky…” she whispered, biting his earlobe. Nick moaned and hissed in a breath. His hand slid up and under the waistband of her shorts. His cock hardened painfully as he realized she wore nothing under the shorts.

Lara sucked hard on Nick’s neck as his long fingers carefully made their way down between her legs. She arched against his hand as he slowly caressed her, rubbing small circles until one finger slid inside easily.

“Oh…fuck…you are so damn wet,” he groaned, moving so he could capture her mouth in a kiss. He continued to thrust in and out of her at a steady pace until he heard her gasping for breath in short gasps.

“Oh…Nicky…don’t…stop…” she pleaded, pulling him closer.

“Don’t worry, honey…I wouldn’t do that to you,” he told her, adding a second finger.

“Nick…oh GOD!” Lara moaned as her fingernails clutched into his shoulder blades. Nick drew in a deep breath as he felt her spasm around his fingers. He looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back against the sofa. He pulled her close, covering her face with kisses as she relaxed. “Oh…damn…” she whispered.

“I hope that wasn’t…I mean…maybe it was the wrong time and…” he began. Lara’s blue eyes fluttered open to look at him.

“No apologies,” she told him quietly. She pushed against him until he sat up. She slowly sat up, then got to her feet. She stood and reached a hand out to him. “Come on,” she said. He took her hand and she led him to the bedroom. She closed the door behind them and locked it, just in case someone would decide to come back for something. Lara stood in front of Nick, staring up at him. His arms immediately went around her, and she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. She planted kisses along his bare chest, loving the feeling of his bare skin against her face. “Make love to me, Nicky,” she asked softly. “Please.”

Nick needed no second invitation. His hands tugged at her shirt until she allowed him to take it off. He slid the shorts down as her hands pulled at his own shorts. They fell to the bed, bare skin pressed against bare skin. “You are so beautiful,” he told her, his hands roaming over her entire body.

“No,” she whispered. “Don’t say that.”

He glared at her. “It’s what I think so I’ll say it if I want. It’s not a line.” He bent his head to her breast. “So beautiful.”

Lara forgot to contradict him as he sucked and played with her. He covered her body with kisses, moving up and down from her head to her toes. “Nicky…God…you make me feel…I can’t explain it…” she gasped. He moved up to kiss her once more.

“Now you know how I feel,” he told her, moaning as her hands slid down his chest to lightly caress his erection.

“You feel wonderful is how you feel,” she told him, letting her hands slide up and down, sometimes teasing at his head, sometimes firmly stroking the entire shaft.

“Oh, God…stop, Lara…please,” he told her. He rolled over on top of her, kissing her forehead as he slowly slid inside of her.

“Holy…shit…” she mumbled. She had not expected him to feel so good, even in her wildest dreams.

“Baby…you have been driving me so crazy…I don’t think…” Nick began to apologize, doing his best to hold back the orgasm he could already feel starting to build.

“Don’t…I want to feel you cum inside of me, Nicky,” she told him. “I want it. I want you.”

“Fuck,” he growled, burying his face in her neck as he thrust into her. “I…oh shit…Lara…baby…” he gasped as he came inside of her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close as humanly possibly. She kissed his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and finally his red lips. He moved to lay next to her, pulling her head onto his chest. “I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“Do NOT apologize,” she ordered, kissing his chest.

“Why in the world were you so self-conscious? That was amazing,” he told her. She blushed.

“Well, I’ve been told that…well…not all the feedback I’ve gotten in this situation has been positive,” she said sadly.

“They are assholes. You…well…damn…” Nick trailed off, making her smile. “That’s better.” He sat up. “Come on. Let’s take a shower.”

“Aren’t you tired of showers yet?”

“Not when I get to shower with you.” He swung her up into his arms and carried her to the bathroom.

When Howie and Kelley made their way down to the brunch in the hotel’s back garden at eleven-fifteen, Lara and Nick had already made two trips to the buffet. “How early did you two get up?” Howie asked as Kelley wandered off in search of coffee and tea.

Lara and Nick exchanged looks. “Um…I don’t know…six?” Nick replied.

“I think it was around seven for me,” Lara replied, reaching over and stealing a strawberry from Nick’s plate.

“Wench,” Nick growled, slapping her hand. She reached up and traced his lips with it before slowly feeding it to him. He purred and kissed her, letting her tongue lick the strawberry juice from his lips.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Howie moaned, going off to the buffet.

Lisa and Kevin appeared, quickly followed by Ari and AJ. AJ stared at Nick before making his way to the food. “Um…you know you don’t really match, right?”

Nick looked down at his green shorts and the grey and blue Penn State tshirt Lara had loaned him. “For one thing, AJ “Fashion Police” McLean, it is my vacation, I can dress how I want. Number two, I could care less.” Nick stood, kissing Lara’s forehead. “Want anything, baby?”

“I’ll go with you,” Lara said, hopping to her feet. She and Nick went off to the buffet as everyone else grabbed food and made their way back to the table.

“Something weird is going on,” Howie observed.

“What?” AJ slid his sunglasses down an inch.

“Okay, they like each other and everything. Fine. But he can’t stop kissing her and if she is anywhere near him she has to be touching him.”

“They did it,” Brian announced, plopping down between Lisa and Ari. Everyone looked at him.

“They told you that?” Kevin wanted to know.

“Nope. But I can tell. Nick is like my little bro. I know him very well.” Brian dug into his ham and cheese omelet.

“Anyone notice that the sheets from the bed that Lara and I share were wadded up onto a pile for housecleaning?” Kelley pointed out to Ari and Lisa.

“Hmmm…very true…” Lisa said.

“Good. I’m glad.” Ari took a big bite of waffle. “She’s only been lusting after him for like two years now.”

“And how long have you been lusting after me?” AJ asked, opening his mouth for a bite. She shoved food into his mouth.

“Too long.”

THREE DAYS LATER

“I don’t want to go,” Kelley said mournfully to Howie as they stood by the limo in front of the hotel. The guys had insisted on letting Ari, Kelley and Lisa ride to the airport in style.

“I don’t want you to go,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “Our plane leaves in a few hours. I’ll call you as soon as we’re home, okay?”

She nodded and hugged him tight. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too, baby. Get in that limo before I make you stay here,” he said quietly. She gave him one last passionate kiss, then climbed in the back.

“So…when do you get vacation again?” AJ asked Ari as they loaded her bags in the trunk.

“Not for a few months, I don’t think. Nothing substantial anyway,” she said with a sigh.

“You know, there are TONS of radio stations in Orlando and Tampa that are in dire NEED of brilliant sales associates like yourself,” he told her, wrapping his arms around her. “I think you need to consider a new market.”

“I will definitely consider it,” she replied, smiling broadly.

“And then I think we’ll have some free time in a few months, and I was planning on coming to Kentucky to scope out land for that ranch I was telling you about,” Kevin was saying to Lisa. “Maybe we could meet up then.”

“Maybe,” Lisa said, trying not to sound to eager. Truthfully, however, she was dying inside. She hated to see Kevin go.

“I will miss you. Everything about you. The fighting…the lovemaking…the talking and just being together…I feel like I’ve known you forever,” he said softly, his green eyes staring down at her. She swallowed deeply. To hell with not sounding eager.

“Oh…Kevin…I’ll miss you.” She sobbed against his broad chest.

Finally Ari and Lisa got into the limo with Kelley, and the remaining six people waved as the limo went down the curving hill of a driveway. Lara sighed. “That will be you guys in a few hours.”

“Nope.” Brian threw an arm around her shoulders. “We need a van for all AJ’s suitcases.” AJ cuffed him on the back of the head. “Come on in. Let’s hang out by the pool until we have to get ready.”

“I don’t see why you have to leave early!” Lara sulked as she watched Nick throw the rest of his things into a suitcase.

“It wasn’t fair to the other guys, baby, or Brian. I’m sure he’s sick of watching us all paired up, and the guys didn’t really wanna be here without Ari, Kelley and Lisa.” Nick zipped the suitcase shut and put it on the floor. “Come here.”

“I don’t care WHAT they want,” Lara pouted, but sat down beside him on the bed. “I just…I just…”

“I know.” Nick stroked her hair as he felt her tears dampen his green wifebeater. “I know, baby.”

“Will I ever hear from you again?” Lara pulled back suddenly, staring into his blue eyes. “I’m serious, Nick. If all this has just been a fling, I want to know NOW.”

Nick’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? You thought this was a fling or something?”

“I just…well…I…I mean, you’re Nick Carter and…”

“If you give me that ‘you’re Nick Carter and I’m no one’ crap again I swear to GOD I am going to smack you,” Nick yelled. Lara drew back as if he actually HAD hit her. “Dammit, Lara, get it through your head that it’s not like that, okay? Nick Carter is not all that special. I thought you of all people had finally seen that. To quote the movie, I’m just a boy standing in front of a girl, asking her to love him.” He looked down at her sadly. “Guess I was wrong.” He grabbed his suitcase and stormed out, leaving Lara staring after him.

“Oh…my…God…” she sobbed, unable to run after him. “He’s gone,” she whispered. “He’s gone and he hates me. He’s gone and…”

Nick rushed back into the room, grabbing her in his arms. He smothered her face with kisses. “Baby…shh…don’t cry…don’t cry…I couldn’t leave like that. I’m sorry I yelled…I just hate to hear you put yourself down like that. I love you…I love you just the way you are…you are way too wonderful for a stupid blond doofus like me…I…”

“Wait…” Lara pulled back. “What did you say?”

“I said you are too wonderful for…”

“Before that.”

“I said…oh.” Nick turned red. “I said I loved you, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” Lara stared at him. “Did you mean it?”

“Oh…yes…baby…I meant it.” He kissed her everywhere he could reach. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Lara said, still not believing what she had heard. “I guess I’ll have to deal with the Rat, if I’m gonna be visiting Florida a lot.”

“Or you could just move there,” he said, only half-joking. “I’d protect you from Jaws, the Rat, whatever.”

“Is there room in Tampa Bay for me?”

“Only at my house…that’s the only place that’s good enough for you.” Nick looked down at her. “You’d really move to Florida?”

She nodded. “I want to be where you are. Or where you are whenever you’re actually at home, that is.”

Nick cupped her face in his hands. “Life as a Backstreet Boy girlfriend isn’t easy. I’m never home, and then there are the fans…”

“I already am a fan,” she reminded him gently. “I know it won’t be easy…but I can’t handle being without you.”

“I’ll call you when we get home,” Nick said excitedly. “And then I’ll start making plans for you to move in.”

“See you soon,” Lara said, hugging Brian as they packed the van.

“Soon?”

“Lara’s gonna move to Tampa,” Nick said, unable to keep from smiling as big as humanly possible. “She’s moving in with me.”

“You DO realize what you’re getting into, right?” Howie asked, amazed.

“He’s a bear in the morning,” AJ told her.

“He loves practical jokes,” Howie added.

“He is a total mess…never cleans up,” Kevin threw in.

“Eats like a pig,” Brian offered.

“Okay, guys, thanks a lot,” Nick said, glaring at them in turn.

“I’m glad you’re coming down,” Brian said, hugging her again. “See you soon.”

Lara hugged everyone, leaving Nick for last. “Love you,” she said, squeezing him tight.

“Love you, too,” he replied. He tugged his gold ring off his finger and handed it to her. “Keep this safe until you come down,” he said. She slipped it on her thumb but it was still too big.

“I’ll get a chain for it,” she whispered. He gave her one last kiss, then climbed into the van. Lara sighed as she watched the van disappear down the driveway.

EPILOGUE

Lara moved to Tampa and lived with Nick in his big house. She got a job doing promotional writing for Jive Records. One year later they got married…three years later they had a set of twins, Rebekah Nickole and Justin Aaron.

Howie and Kelley flew back and forth between Minnesota and Florida until Kelley finally moved there six months later. They “lived in sin” for another year, then finally eloped to Cancun. Kelley became an assistant with Howie’s lupus charity, helping to organize the different fundraising events.

Ari moved to Florida two months after the vacation where she met AJ. She immediately moved into his house, and got a job with one of the prime radio stations in Orlando. They married in a surprise ceremony that Christmas.

Kevin eventually found his perfect piece of land and built his ranch. He and Lisa married eight months later and Lisa almost immediately became pregnant with their son, Scott Gerald Richardson.

The End

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