The sea is calm in its crystal clear blue way. I’ve never been any place so exotic before in my life. The living is tame when you’re just a kindergarten teacher in rural Mississippi. Howie still teases me from time to time about my obvious “twang” as he calls it. Not nearly as much as his older brother does…

No bother. John won’t be here and neither will anyone else from either his real family or his Backstreet family. It’s just Howie and me for seven glorious days.

The doorbell rings and the beat of my heart quicken.

He’s here!

I race from the veranda of the condo he’s rented and yank open the front door with eager anticipation.

“Hey, don’t look too disappointed, he’s just a few steps behind Mom and Pop.” Howie’s older brother laughs as he carries bags into the condo. He sets them down with a chuckle and turns to face me. “I can tell by the look on your face you weren’t expecting us.”

“Well, I…” I begin to stammer.

“Hi, dear.” Howie’s mother is standing in the doorway, looking a little travel weary, but nonetheless her cheerful self.

“Hi, Mrs. Dorough.” I smiled accepting her hug. I look over her shoulder. “Mr. Dorough.”

“Well, hello, honey.” He smiles good-naturedly. “Howie’s just getting the last of our things.”

“I think I’ll go help him.” I scoot through the door and down the stairs before he has a chance to stop me. I wait at the bottom of the stairs, arms properly crossed over my chest and my toe atappin’ as he pays the cab driver. The cab pulls away and he finally looks up at me, throwing his hands up in surrender.

“Don’t even get me started…” He sighs, slinging the last two bags over his shoulders.

“What the hell happened?” I groan as he stands on the curb before me. “What are they doing here?”

“They sort of…invited themselves along…” Howie closed his eyes against my pending onslaught. It’s such a sad picture before me, I just don’t have the heart to rip him a new one.

“Honey, this was supposed to be our time. Our first vacation since you got back from tour. Just you and me…”

“I know, I know. Trust me I know. But what could I do?”

“We’re not even going to be allowed to sleep together with your parents here.” I step closer to him and involuntarily my hands both grip the front of his shirt and my nails dig into the fabric. “I don’t think you understand how much I really need this.” My face is inches from his. “How much I need you…”

“Well, if my hard on right now is any indication, I think I’ve at least got a clue.” He whispers as I cut off his air way. “I swear, I’ll make it up to you. I swear.” Now I know he’s simply pleading for his life and I let go of him.

“You have no idea, Dorough. You have no idea.”

The housing situation as it was, had Howie’s parents in the room between ours with John on the other side of Howie’s. Any way we arranged it, we’re screwed. Our first couple days were filled with sun drenched activities and equally hot nights apart. The first night, I tried sneaking into his room, but John caught me on the way down the hall. Howie heard us talking, make the excuse to want a drink on the deck with me and we spent some time there together. Cuddled, but clothed. The second night Howie headed toward my room and actually made it in, but for some bizarre reason he can’t explain he had brought his cell phone and it rang. The ringing woke his parents and they wanted to know who the hell was calling so late.

I hate Nick Carter.

The third night we were both too tired to even try. Come the fourth night and we opted to go out to dinner alone, but still couldn’t ditch John. We had a pleasant evening, just the three of us.

I hate John Dorough.

The fifth night we damn near both got lucky, but then we heard noise coming from his parents’ room and Howie got seriously turned off. I told him, well I begged him to ignore it, but he couldn’t stand to stay in the room any more. We both slipped back out to the deck to finally just talk away the night.

The next morning we slept in and took in some sites together and alone. Absorbed in each other’s company and beautiful island we were on, we settled for just that for that day. It was a wonderful day I’ll always remember. A day filled with warm, sun inspired kisses and old-fashioned flirting. We returned to the condo, simply kissed in the hallway and said ‘goodnight’.

“So, it’s our last day here, what do you two have planned?” John asked me as we shared a pot of coffee on the deck in the morning.

“I have no idea.” I smiled over at him.

The four of us ended up just staying at the condo, doing laundry and other things to prepare for the trip home. We ate light meals and played Scrabble until the day was gone and we didn’t even know it. The day ended with just Howie and I sitting on the deck watching the reds and oranges paint streaks against the sky.

“Been a week, huh?” He chuckled, looking over me as his thumb caressed my fingers.

“I’ll say. Not how I had planned it to be.” I chuckled back.

“I’m sorry about that…”

“Naw, don’t even bother.” I wave him off with my other hand. “I think you’ve suffered enough. Heck, I think we both have.” Howie laughs with me.

Suddenly he lets go of my hand and gets up to snuggle with me on my chaise. I feel his lips begin a lazy trail from behind my ear, where he knows it drives me insane, down to my collarbone.

“Howie!” I gasp and then groan. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

He slips a gentle hand over my mouth. “Shhh, don’t say a word. They’ll never know.” And with that he presses his erection into my thigh and my eyes widen.

Oh, he is not…oh God, he is!

With his one hand planted firmly over my mouth, his other begins its assault on my senses. His fingers slip under my skirt and take me. I clench my teeth tight behind his hand. He smiles wickedly at me and begins to loosen his own fly, and I reach to help free him. I touch him and he groans and I clamp one free hand over his mouth and he almost bursts out laughing. His legs nudge their way between mine and as he sinks into me, he forces his breath into my mouth, pressing his lips to mine as his groans of pleasure rumble through me. Each stroke is slow and deliberate and our silence is erotic as hell.

Who knew that understatement could be so hot?!

Our bodies perform perfectly and we have the harmony we have always had, even without a word or a sound.

Howie lifts his head and looks over my shoulder and into the condo.

“No point in checking now.” I giggle as he gets up.

“I’m more concerned about you.” He smiles.

“I still have my clothes on.” And I reach down and straighten my skirt like nothing happened.

“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes at me as he pulls on his shorts.

“Well, at least we got one moment together. It’s just a shame we’re going home tomorrow.” I sigh.

“This trip. There is always time to plan another.” He sits on the chaise next to me. “Or we could just solve the sleeping arrangements another way.”

“I can’t imagine how we can do that, unless your folks get their own condo.” I laugh.

“You could marry me.”

Dead silence.

“What?”

He dropped to his knees before me and took both of my hands. “This wasn’t how I planned it, but it does seem like the right time. My family loves you, the guys think you’re way too hot for me and I just love you too much to be without you like this last week. Marry me and nothing will ever keep us apart. I swear.”

“Oh, God…yes, Howie, yes!” I squeal jumping up and he stands and I’m in his arms in flash.