Chapter Two
Tina restlessly paced the hotel room. Every once in a while her silk nightgown would twine around her legs, nearly tripping her until she slowed down to untangle it.
Where the hell was he?
She'd stayed to the end of the concert, and returned to the hotel with the Boys. Kat and Howie disappeared together. No big surprise there, Tina thought jealously. If only AJ would...she shook away the thought. Brian and Kevin took off immediately for the lounge. AJ had kissed her cheek, and told her he'd be up in a minute.
That was over an hour ago.
She pivoted on her heel, pacing off the distance from the bed to the door...again. With a shake of her head, she turned her thoughts away from AJ to Nick. She sighed. Nick had been distant to her all day. She had to admit she was going to miss him almost as much as AJ. They had spent a lot of time together as she updated her webpage, and worked with him on his. He really wasn't the 'dumb blond' that she'd so often teased him of being. Once they'd reached the hotel, he'd retreated to his room, ignoring her completely.
She sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh, and clicked on the TV. She started flipping through channels. Her breath caught when a face she knew very well appeared on the screen.
Amanda was on a local rebroadcast of Entertainment Tonight.
Tina listened as Amanda discussed her newly released album and her hit, 'Still Not Over You' that was steadily climbing the charts. Mary Hart filled the screen. "When I asked her about her on-again/off-again relationship with Backstreet Boy AJ McLean, all the singer had to say was that they were still very good friends."
Tina clicked off the TV and threw the remote control across the room. It wasn't enough. She got up, started to pace again. What she wanted to do was break something, preferably Amanda's face, but she resigned herself to her pacing. She wondered if Amanda had any idea of the depths of AJ's love for her. If only AJ could feel as much for her instead. He was probably down in the lounge right now, watching the rebroadcast instead of being up her with her.
She sank down onto the bed, curled her knees up to her chest.
Her head popped up when the door opened and AJ walked in. She caught the guilty look on his face, and knew she was right. She wanted to cry. She shook away her melancholy. It was their last night together. She sat up, pasting a smile on her face. "Hi. Have a few too many with Brian and Kev?"
Relief flashed across his face before he masked it with a smile. "Yeah, I guess," he said, kicking off his shoes. She watched him undress. She'd left only one light lit, and it framed his body in a soft golden glow. Her heart threatened to thunder out of her chest. She could never get enough of looking at him. He'd finally put on a little weight, so he no longer looked like he'd blow away in a strong breeze. He'd fleshed out in all the right places, and there wasn't any fat at all on him. His tattoos stood out in stark relief, and her eyes fell on his right arm. His broken heart. The chinese characters. Amanda's image floated in her mind again, and her throat closed up. If only he could...
She watched him leave the room, padding barefoot to the bathroom.
With another sigh, Tina pulled back the covers, and climbed in. Closing her eyes, she settled into the pillow.
In short order, the bathroom door opened, and she listened as he crossed the room. The bed dipped beneath his weight, and he clicked off the bedroom light. She felt the sheets rustle, then he was beside her, pulling her into his arms.
He wasn't lying about the drink, she decided, smelling the alcohol on his breath. She rested her head on his chest, and his heart beat reassuringly beneath her ear. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. His scent filled her, and she felt tears prick her eyes. Damn, but she was going to miss this...miss him.
His hand in her hair tilted her face to his. "Don't go."
Her eyes were misty with unshed tears when they met his. "Alex..."
"I care about you," he interrupted. "It's you I'm with, not her."
But if you had your choice, it would be Amanda, Tina thought, but didn't say. "I can't stay, Alex," she sighed. "The book..."
His hand tightened in her hair. "To hell with the book! I need you."
She wanted to believe him. She didn't, though. She was only temporary until Amanda came back to him. She didn't want to be around when Amanda reappeared. Her heart couldn't handle it. "I don't want to fight tonight, Alex..."
"They stay," he interjected.
She shook her head, and his hand fell away. She rose, straddling his hips. She smiled down at him. "I can't stay, Alex," she reiterated softly, then bent and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. "It's our last night together." Another soft caress of her lips on his. "Make love with me, Alex." Love me, Alex, she added silently.
His hands were in her hair, pulling her down to him. His mouth met hers, and she groaned into his mouth at the hungry assault. There was no finesse, no gentleness. Just fire. Her body writhed on his, and it was his turn to groan. He rolled them so she was beneath him. The long black silk nightgown she wore for him bunched between them. He pulled back long enough to rent it down the middle, exposing her before him. He climbed between her legs, once more capturing her face in his hands. "Stay with me," he ordered, his erection sliding across her swelling folds.
She shook her head, opened her mouth to argue with him, but he wasn't in the mood to listen. His mouth covered hers, cutting her off. His tongue filled her mouth, tempting hers to mate with his. He moved down her body, his mouth driving her insane as he sucked her nipples into his mouth, nipping them gently, rolling them around his mouth. He nibbled his way down her body, flicking his tongue into her navel. He punctuated his caresses with a command for her to stay with him, but she could only answer him in moans. He played her body as he would an instrument, knowing just how to make it sing for him.
His mouth came down on her clit, and she screamed his name. Her hands fisted in his hair as her hips rose to meet his mouth. His tongue tortured her, toyed with her, dragging her higher and higher until her world rocked on its axis, blinding her with heat and light.
When she finally came back down to herself, he had risen between her legs, and she could feel the long, hard length of him where she still throbbed from his assault. His hands were in her hair again, forcing her gaze to his. "Stay with me," he ordered again.
Once more she shook her head, and again his mouth came down on hers even as he filled her body. Gone was the gentle lover she'd come to know over the past five months. AJ pumped and flexed his hips, filling her over and over, as his mouth devoured hers. His assault continued, his hips driving into hers. His mouth came down hard on her neck as she felt him shudder. The hot wet splash of his seed within her forced her once more into the blinding light.
Her last coherent thought was that maybe he was just trying to ensure that she wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow.
Something woke her, but she wasn't sure what it was. She blinked, then blinked again, realizing the room was starting to lighten. It was almost morning. She turned to face the man beside her.
AJ slept restlessly, brows pinched in a frown. One hand reached out. "Amanda," he called.
Tina rose from the bed, wincing at the discomfort between her legs. No matter how bad the pain was, she was leaving today.