Miami
JC had begun to watch the calendar. It was a silly notion, but he wanted to be available with chocolate and sex when Clare needed them. As bad luck would have it, he was scheduled to go to Miami when her next cycle rolled around.
“Clare, what are you doing for the next few days?” JC asked one morning as they lie in bed before breakfast.
She lifted on shoulder in a shrug. “It’s a light week.”
“Light enough you could maybe get away?”
“Mmm…possibly. Why do you ask?”
“I have to be in Miami for some CFTC stuff. I was hoping I could get you to come along.”
Clare leaned up on one elbow and traced his lower lip with her finger. “I suppose as long as I have my laptop...What would I be doing in Miami?”
“Trying out a different bed,” he offered impishly.
“Ooh, Chasez, you have a dirty mind. I like that in a man!”
JC laughed. “Then you’ll go to Miami with me tomorrow?”
She nodded. “I’ll ask Camellia to pick up my mail.”
Hooking his hand around her neck, he brought her head down to his for a lingering kiss.
“For now, let’s try out this bed,” she suggested.
Clare had never traveled with anyone like JC before. She discovered JC as a seatmate was like traveling alone. She read while he slept. Off the plane, he was as solicitous and mindful as he normally was.
In Miami, JC had a rental car waiting for him so he wouldn’t have to rely on limos or taxis.
“Umm…very…tropical…” Clare noted as he drove to their hotel.
“You like the ocean. This is just a different one.”
“I’ve been to both and I prefer my ocean.”
“Is that your subtle way of saying you’re a Cali girl?”
“I like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and I love Sunset Beach, North Carolina – but Florida?” She wrinkled her nose.
“Orlando is supposedly starving for ITs.”
She snorted inelegantly. “You are misinformed, sir. I am not an IT. I have a doctorate in computer sciences with a bunch of letters behind my name.”
“I bet they’d still need you.”
“I’ve no doubt, but I like where I live.”
“So nothing could move you to Florida?”
“Why are you even asking? It isn’t as though we are attached at the hip. We aren’t getting married or anything stupid like that.”
He shrugged. “I guess I just want you to like my adopted home state.”
“I am sure Florida is wonderful.”
JC had forgotten himself. He and Clare were lovers, physical intimates. He had no reason to think of her in the long term… “Why don’t you call yourself a doctor?” he asked.
“Because people assume you are a medical doctor. People want you to diagnose every ailment under the sun at parties.”
“Doctor Clare Gatlin…”
“I’ll stick with CG, thank you.”
The one thing Clare could appreciate was that the name JC Chasez seemed to be magical in the hotel. The employees practically fawned over him!
“Anything you need for the room, Clare?” JC asked as he signed in.
“How should I know? I haven’t been in there yet,” she joked.
“If you or your guest want anything, you simply have to call down,” the desk clerk assured JC.
“Uh…Thanks.” Touching Clare’s elbow, JC guided her to the elevators.
“My bags…”
“Already in the room.”
Once in the room, Clare was impressed by the welcome gifts – a glorious fruit basket and a large box of fine, assorted chocolates. “You won’t even have to feed me!”
JC grinned. “I plan on feeding you, Clare.”
She kicked off her sandals and reached for the back zipper of her dress.
“I’ll get that.” JC moved behind her and eased the zipper down. “You are such a girlie girl,” he told her softly. “I think I’ve seen you in jeans only that once.”
“Is that a problem?”
“None whatsoever. It suits the Clare I know.” He swept her hair aside and nibbled on her nape. “You’re being all girl is a turn on.”
She reached back to rub one hard thigh. “I like you being all guy.”
Urging the dress from her shoulders, he sent it to her feet, leaving her in the pale pink satin of her bra and panties.
“Umm…JC don’t you have a dinner meeting?”
“Yeah.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Clare was a stickler for punctuality.
“I’m not dressing up.”
“But if we get started, you’ll be all sweaty.”
He chuckled. “I can take a shower.” He turned her within his arms. “Anything wrong, Clare?”
“You slept on the plane. I’m a little tired, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t even think—“
She smiled teasingly. “It’s okay. Just hold that thought for later.”
“I have that meeting…Want me to come back and take you somewhere?”
“No.” She shook her head. “When you get back, I’ll be ready to rock your world.”
He grinned. “And you do it so good. You order from room service for dinner.”
“I’ll eat something nutritious before I dive into chocolates,” she promised.
JC couldn’t resist the temptation of her sweet mouth so close. “See that you do. Woman does not live by sex and chocolate alone.”
“Wanna bet?” She winked at him. “But I don’t feel the need for chocolate as much if I can have you.”
“You got me whenever you need me.”
“This time of the month you should wear a pager!” she teased. She pulled back the covers on the bed. “I’m going to nap, then take a bath and get ready for you.”
“Should I call you when I’m heading back?”
Clare shook her head as she climbed on the wide mattress. “I’ll see you when I see you. If you’re early and I am in the tub, I’ll just pull you in with me.”
“Sounds interesting.” JC bent to brush a kiss across her lips. “Sure you’re okay with this? All it would take is one phone call to change the dinner reservations…”
“I’m fine. I’m more than happy to lounge around this evening.”
He looked skeptical. “As long as you’re cool with it…”
“I am. I promise.”
Clare was asleep when JC arrived back at the hotel, so he went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. If she was that tired, they could wait for morning to play. He noticed she had unpacked some of her toiletries, so maybe she had gotten her bath in. He wondered how she would feel if she knew he’d asked her along to keep and eye on her hormone-driven libido. Probably not very charitable. Could he even broach such a subject with a woman he was supposed to be having a ‘no strings’ affair with? He had come to realize there were plenty of strings attached to him. He cared about Clare. She was more than a hot body for sex. He tried not to name the exact emotions her had for her; he didn’t want to analyze them too closely. At the very least, he cared about her as a friend.
“You look very good naked,” Clare announced from the bathroom doorway. “But that frown detracts from your appeal.”
“Clare! Did I wake you?”
“Nope. I was just dozing, waiting for you.”
JC took in the barely there little nightie she wore. The film pale pink fabric barely touched the top of her thighs. Though veiled, he clearly saw her pink nipples and the golden curls below her belly. “You look, as you are fond of saying, fuckable. Beautifully fuckable.”
Coming to him, she ran her hands up his chest and rested them on his shoulders. “What do you plan on doing about it?” she demanded teasingly.
“I plan on making love to you all night.”
“Hmm…a lot of the night is gone.”
“Then I’d do you into the morning.”
“Oh, goodie!” She stroked him with one sure hand. “Let’s get started then.”
He groaned at her firm, arousing touch. “What? Against the wall?”
“That’d be okay for starters.” She reached for one of the handful of square packets she had left on the vanity. She rolled the condom down his hot length. She smiled up at him. “Ready when you are, Chasez.”
JC bent his head to take her mouth in a hot, intimate kiss. While their tongues dueled and mated, their hands roamed hungrily over the other’s body. Dropping his hands to her waist, he lifted her until her legs went around him. “Put me in when you’re ready, honey girl,” he told her huskily. He gasped when she immediately led his manhood into her hot center. Instead of the wall, he set her on the bathroom counter and drove into her. Clare’s head dropped back as she clung to his shoulders. “Clare…baby, does it feel good to you, too?”
“Mmm…yes…wonderful!” she purred. “No one has ever done it better.”
Leaning on his hands, he had leverage to thrust deeper and harder. He listened to the soft moans that told him he was hitting all her spots just right. He continued the slow, deep movements even when she urged him to go faster. “Take it easy. We’ll get there.”
“JC…”
“There’s no rush, babe. We got the whole night. You’re always so impatient; I never get to prolong your pleasure. You’re all about the big bang. Not tonight, Clare. Tonight, we’ll do it my way.” She let out a strangled noise of protest. She tried to push her hips up; his hands moved to hold them down. “Not tonight.” Just as he felt her begin her climb to completion, he stopped.
“JC!” she complained.
He bent to kiss her seductively. He kept still within her until he felt her relax. Once again, he drove her up, then stopped, gentling her with his hands and mouth. The third time, he didn’t stop. They rode slowly and steadily to the edge of rapture – and took the leap together into the blinding ecstasy that awaited them. Their cries echoed in each other’s ears.
Clare was drained. She had never experienced such a cataclysmic explosion before. It left her limp and dazed. JC pulled away, disposing of the condom. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to bed. It wasn’t like Clare not to make a comment or recover slowly. Now she was quiet and clung to him. Had he miscalculated and drove her too far? He stretched out beside her, crooning and stroking her hair.
“JC…” Clare finally ventured to speak.
“Yeah, honey?”
“It-it’s never been like that before.”
“Because you always rush me.”
“No, it has never been like that – ever.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“I-I don’t know…”
“It’s okay not to know. You’re all right.”
She lifted troubled eyes to his. “Why do you want to be memorable?”
“Baby, every guy wants to be memorable. No guy wants to be just another man you’ve passed under.”
Clare managed an uncertain smile. “You’re not. We’re in dangerous territory here.” He was making her think about him way too much. That hadn’t been part of her plan. He was supposed to be hot in bed and invisible out of bed.
“Quit thinking so much and go to sleep.”
“We were going to do it all night.”
“We can, but is it really what you want?”
No. She wanted to sleep safe in his arms; something else she shouldn’t want. She gave her head a small shake.
“There’s plenty of time for that later.” JC reached to switch the dim light off. He was surprised to find Clare burrowing against him to sleep. She usually slept apart from him. “Night, honey girl.”
“G’night.”
Clare was the first to awaken the next morning and quick to take back the reins she unwittingly surrendered the previous night. She barely gave JC time to open his eyes before she was mounting him and riding him into mindless glory. Now that was the way it was supposed to be! But somehow…it didn’t feel the same, didn’t feel quite right anymore. Thrusting away the notion, she faced JC. “Good morning!” she said brightly.
He gave her a lazy smile. “It sure is.”
“I’m absolutely famished.” She reached over him to grab the room service menu. “What would you like?”
Burying his face against her neck, he murmured, “Some more of this.”
“That’s on the menu for later,” she told him. “Mmm…fresh melon sounds good. I’m not into fancy eggs. I prefer mine over medium. Bacon? Coffee?…”
JC snatched the menu and tossed it across the room.
“Hey!” Her complaint was short-lived. His mouth came down over hers.
“You’re all sexy and naked and all you want is food?” he demanded teasingly.
“Uh-huh. You know I like a big breakfast.”
“Later.”
“Later?”
“Uh-huh.” He dipped his head low to nuzzle her breasts.
“Oh…kay…”
JC showed Clare the venues for Challenge for the Children. First he took her to the Home Depot Center. He showed her around, explained what would be taking place there. She asked questions to express her interest. Next, they went to South Beach. He told her the events scheduled for the beach and how things would be set up. Once again, she asked questions and he’d been able to give her the answers.
“One would think you’d leave these details to staff,” Clare said as they returned to the car.
“Most of it is, but I feel a responsibility to make sure things are going smoothly.”
“I admire you for that.”
JC wanted to beam at her compliment. Her approval meant a lot to him.
“So, JC…what’s next on your agenda?”
“I have an afternoon meeting, then I’m going to take you to dinner.”
“You don’t need to. Room service is fine.”
“I didn’t bring you to Miami so you could look at hotel walls.”
“No, basically you brought me so I could look at the hotel ceiling,” she taunted. “You brought me to Miami so you could service me during my PMS.” JC halted opening her door. “You didn’t think I knew that?” She chuckled. “I thought it was very sweet of you.”
“Then you aren’t mad?”
“Do I look mad?”
No, she looked relaxed and inviting. “What would you like to do for lunch?”
Clare’s smile was wicked. “I’d like to do you.”
He laughed and brushed his mouth to hers. “You could wear a man out, honey.”
“Am I wearing you out?”
“Nope. Let’s go back to the hotel, order lunch and do the nasty while we wait for it.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
JC usually slept on flights, but not on their return to Los Angeles. Clare had pushed the armrest up between them and snuggled against him to catch up on the sleep she had lost the previous night. Her sweet weight against him kept him awake. Something subtle had shifted in their relationship while in Miami. Once he had shown her slowing down made making love more potent, she no longer forced him to a faster pace. In sleep, he didn’t have to seek her body out to hold her. They met in the middle of the bed and held each other. He didn’t know what to think. Was it because they were away from home – a vacation aberration? Or had they taken steps towards a deepening of their relationship? He guessed he’d find out in a day or two, when the Miami feeling met L.A. reality.