Without You

Follow You Home

*Chapter Four*

He stayed a few feet behind as he continued to follow her. He could feel his palms sweating as his hands clenched the steering wheel. He watched as she pulled up into a driveway and as soon as she did, he quickly sped up the street. He didn't want her to think he was stalking her...he sure felt like he was. He had never done anything like this before, so what had possessed him to do so now? What was it about her? She lured him in like a moth to a flame. He wasn't used to feeling like this, but in a strange way it thrilled him. He shut off the headlights and turned around the car as he began to slowly drive down the street; just a few feet away from the driveway she pulled into. He idled his car and prayed she didn't notice him...if she did, she was probably going to be scared shitless. God knows he was.

Kimberly pulled up into her driveway and watched as the car behind her sped up the street. She felt somewhat relieved once it had stopped following her, but panic began to take over once more when she noticed that the same car was hiding in the corner of her street; just feet away from her driveway. She could feel her heart beat rapidly; she thought it was going to burst from her chest. Someone was following her! She wasn't just paranoid anymore. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't just stay in the car, she had to make a run for the door. She could make it. The mysterious idled car was all the way at the end of the street...she could do this. She gripped the steering wheel tightly and took a deep breath; she began to feel nauseous. She was stalling, but she kept on thinking what if they decided to come up to her while she was still in the car? What if they had an axe? She lived in a terrible part of Tampa and it wouldn't surprise her if she attracted a serial killer or rapist. She gained enough courage and quickly jerked the car door open and jumped out, not looking behind her as she rushed into her apartment.

She slammed the door shut and locked it. Her chest ached from her heart thrashing against her ribcage. Her back was pressed against the door and she was just waiting for the loud bang as the person attempted to break in. Her trembling hand gripped her cell-phone and she was debating whether or not to call 9-1-1. She peeked out her window to see that the car was still there. After a few minutes she came to realize that no one was coming after her and laughed at herself for even thinking someone was trying to kill her. Maybe they were lost and were on the phone asking for directions. Since when was she so paranoid?

Since you moved into the ghetto with Vicky.

She tried to ignore watching the news, especially lately. There has been so many shootings at malls and movie theaters. It terrified her. Florida certainly wasn't as glamorous as Vicky made her believe.

She walked over to the faded blue couch and took off her sandals and rubbed her feet. She was so thankful the day was over and she had the next few off. Lord knows she needed it. She shook her head as she thought about Vicky and how her friends treated her today, but what bothered her the most was that Vicky didn't stick up for her...not even once. She wanted to call Toni and complain about her horrible day, but she knew she probably had better things to do than listen to her friend whine about how her terrible roommate was at it again. She hadn't even texted her back from earlier so she must've been busy. Toni would never ignore her texts messages, even if they were ridiculous.

She sat down on the couch and looked over the photo and to her surprise, saw that there were more than just signatures. She picked it up and saw that the guys had actually written little messages. She smiled as she thought about them...even though Vicky had pretty much ruined it; it was still worth it. She got to meet Nick Carter.

As she thought about him, her smile stretched. He wasn't close to being a jerk. He was actually really sweet...something she wasn't expecting. AJ on the other hand...she shook her head in disappointment. He was a little on the asshole side. She figured it was probably just to impress Vicky. She hoped that he didn't treat all his average fans like that on a regular basis.

She tried not to think about it and began to read what the guys had written her. She was absolutely baffled by how long the messages were.

Hey sweet stuff! I hope you didn't take anything I said to heart. I wasn't trying to be a dick. I think it's cool you like your own style. Style is what makes us all different and if we all looked the same, we'd be boring. I'm really glad you enjoy our music and are a fan and I hope I didn't scare you off today. But if you ever decide to change your style up, hit up my friend Sarah McKan she's dope! Take Care – AJ!

I love this City, I love this state! It's beautiful. It's where we first started all those years ago. Thank you so much for being a Backstreet fan. I'm sorry your friend was being so mean today. She wasn't very nice. Don't listen to her, you looked lovely. Keep smiling. Love, Kev

Kim, thanks for being one of our fans. You keep us alive! No lie. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for people like you. You looked a little sad today. Chin up. Don't let mean words get to you you're very pretty. Love ya, B-Rok

Hey, Hey girl! Looking fly with your style, ignore AJ he thinks he's the God of style, ha! I thought you looked great! Don't let anyone bring you down...remember what makes you different makes you beautiful! BSB forever, all love, babe! – Howie. D

Hey! So I'm really glad that you decided to come to the mall today. I almost bailed out but I'm glad I didn't because I never would have met you. Corny line I know. So I hope you're feeling better, I hated when I saw that you were upset. I don't know the reason but I just hope you're okay now. I'm a guy that hates seeing girls cry...especially pretty girls. And you are very pretty! Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise, that girl was a real character. Man, I'm like writing an essay on here! Something about you caught my eye tonight, I think you're beautiful. I think you need to hear that more than you receive it. Don't show this to your friend or whatever she is, but I'd love it if you gave me a call. I would have asked for your number but I never got the chance since that girl kept on hounding me. So no joke hit me up at (555) 310-9500 I'm running out of room on this thing, ha. Talk to you soon – Nick

Kimberly just stared at the photo; her jaw had completely dropped down onto the floor. She blinked her eyes a few times. She was sure what she just read couldn't have been real. She shook her head and stared back to the photo and the same words were still there. Nick Carter had just given her his personal phone number. He even took up all the space on the photo from writing that message. This could not be real...it just couldn't be. She ran her hands through her hair and realized it was still up in a bun; she aggressively yanked out the hair tie causing her to wince as a few strands got pulled with the elastic. Once her hair was freed, she shook her head and it bounced around and it felt loose. She then continued to gape at the photo. It just couldn't been real. Nick Carter...the man she has lusted over since her teen years thought she was beautiful? Was she in some sort of dream? She pinched herself and didn't wake up in her bed. The only other explanation was he must had been high during the meet and greet.

Her mind raced with thoughts; she was trying to understand how he even thought she was attractive. She knew she wasn't ugly, but certainly not beautiful. She thought that Vicky was more his type since she had the model status...however it did seem he did not like her. She couldn't believe the death stares he was giving her. A small smile spread out across her lips as she thought about it. Was it possible that he was being sincere? The smile then quickly vanished as she thought what if this is just some sick joke? What if he and AJ thought it would be funny to play a prank on her.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door and once again she felt her heart go into her throat. What if it was the person with the mysterious car that was lurking around? There was another knock and she was debating whether or not to answer it. What if it was Vicky? But she was at the club. There was no way she would be back already...unless they bailed and she brought Nick or AJ home.

She sluggishly stood up and walked over towards the door and took a deep breath. She had to stop being paranoid, no one was trying to kill her. What was her problem? She was never this uptight.

Once she opened the door, her eyes shot open as she stared at the person who was standing on the stoop, smiling awkwardly.

She didn't know how to react; she lost her voice as she continued to gawp at the blonde man in front of her.

"Uh...hi," his voice flowed with apprehension and she was pulled from her trance.

Nick Carter was outside of her apartment. Was this for real? Was she in a crazy delusion or something? And if she wasn't, what was he even doing here? How did he get the address? Did Vicky give it to him? "H...hi." She cleared her throat and tried to control her jitters as he was only inches away from her at her very own apartment...which confused her since she thought Vicky was supposed to meet up with him. He didn't smell of booze and didn't look drunk. Hell, there was no way he could have made it to the club and then back to her place. She tried to rack her mind with answers...maybe they had a change of plans and decided to meet up at the apartment instead.

His smile went from lopsided to completely upward, "Hey."

"I thought...I thought you were going to the club?"

He looked at her dazed, "Club?" He then remembered the conversation where AJ had invited her friend to Kush with them. He didn't even plan on going, not since he met her anyway. "Oh that. Nah, I'm not in a clubbing mood tonight."

Not in a clubbing mood? Did that mean Vicky was going to be coming home early? The whole situation didn't make sense to her, "Oh...well unfortunately that's where Vicky is and yeah..." she trailed off.

He cocked his eyebrow and tilted his head, "Who?"

Her eyebrows rose as he began to play the stupid card. She knew that he knew who Vicky was...he must have. She gave him her number...and address! How else could he be here?

"The girl you met at the mall with me. I assume that's why you're here, right?"

He looked at her uneasy and his hand rubbed the back of his neck up into his unkempt hair. Suddenly he began to think maybe this was a bad idea. He should have just gone to the damn meeting, but fuck he wanted to talk to her. Really talk to her...but now he began to get the fear of rejection. Maybe she wasn't mauling him earlier, because she just wasn't interested.

"Uh...maybe coming by was a bad idea. I'm-I'm sorry," he stampeded. He glanced inside the apartment and skimmed around to see if a boyfriend was lingering, "I guess you didn't read the photo yet," he said with a nervous laugh. "Uh, I think I'm just gonna go..." he continued as he pointed his thumb behind him. "I left you my number so...maybe you can call me sometime..." he felt stupid and his stomach began to tie up. What the fuck. He never acted like this. He was never the one to get rejected.

Kimberly continued to stare at him in complete dumbfound. How was he not here to see Vicky? Was he being legit with what he said on the photo? He really liked her? But how? When she didn't reply he turned the other way and slowly began to walk down the cracked stone steps. Her eyes shot open as she realized that he was actually leaving.

"Wait! Don't go," she shrilled more loudly than she intended. He turned around and tried to hide the smile that twitched around his lips. She tried to hold back the leer when he turned to her, "Um...do you...do you want to come in?"

His smile enlarged, "Yeah."

He walked inside the apartment and she watched as he strolled over towards the worn couch and sat down. She slowly shut the door, still not believing what she was seeing.

Nick Carter is sitting on my couch. 

He glanced up and smiled and she felt her heart skip a beat. He was gorgeous; his hair slightly messy and she watched as he ran a hand through it and she silently moaned. She decided to stop gawking at him like he was some sort of Greek God and she slowly walked over and sat down next to him. Her body was having convulsions and she did all she could to hide as she looked up at him and smiled.

"So...hi," she felt as the words trembled off her tongue.

He grinned as he could hear the trepidation in her voice, "Hi."

She could feel her hands trembling like a leaf. She dropped her head, not knowing what to say.

He looked at her and smirked; he loved how shy she was. He chuckled to himself when he startled her by placing his hand on top of hers, "Are you okay?"

Not even close. She swallowed hard and nodded, "Y-yeah. I'm just in a little bit of shock right now. Forgive me. I just need time to recompose."

He laughed, "Recompose?" She couldn't help but think he had a nice laugh, "I guess this is a little strange for you. I know it is for me. I've never done anything like this before."

"Anything like what?" As she spoke to him she couldn't help but get lost in his blue eyes. They were so blue...so alluring. She couldn't believe she was sitting on her couch and staring into Nick Carter's eyes. Soon apprehensive hit her as she was afraid she was being too fanish. She had to be normal...but what was normal?

He liked how she was gazing at him...she was staring at him like he was the most enticing man on the planet. Most fans looked at him like that, but the way she ogled him, it made his stomach flip. That was something he hasn't felt in years.

"This," he answered with a short laugh. "Knocking on a girl's door. I guess I even surprised myself."

She had a million thoughts sprinting through her mind like a race track, "What...what are you exactly doing here? I mean, if you're not here to see Vicky. Did you need a cup of sugar or something?"

He laughed again and she weakly smiled. She was cute...yeah he wanted sugar, but not the kind he put in his coffee, "I uh...well I came to see you honestly. I guess I was hoping you would have read the photo...now I feel kind of like an idiot."

She could feel her face burn as she looked up at him, "Well...I did read the photo. At first I didn't really believe it, because...well it's me," she said with a short laugh. "I guess I'm just trying to make sense of it." She shrugged, "I don't...I mean...I could tell AJ didn't like me much and I didn't know if this was just some joke or something. It wouldn't have been the first time."

He tried not to look upset over her comment about it being a joke. He knew she was confused; not that he blamed her. He was even confused. He looked at her with caring eyes, "No. I would never do that. AJ..." he let out a sigh and shook his head, "I know he can be a dick, but don't take him too personally, trust me." His knuckles then began to rub the top of her hand and she felt as her stomach constrict, "I'm really here to see you...because I wanted to." His phone then beeped and he pulled it out to glance at it, only to see an angry text message from AJ demanding where he was. He knew he shouldn't have bailed like that, but he didn't want to go to a fucking club. He ignored it and put it back in his pocket and looked back to her; the smiling still hadn't faded from his face.

She was trying to take it all in. He was really here to see her?! She just couldn't seem to comprehend that. She ran her hands through her tangled, layered, long honey brown hair; she hadn't even had a chance to brush it. She must've looked horrible, "Um, wow." She looked at him muddled, "Okay, so if you didn't go to the club and get my address from Vicky, how...how did you know where I lived?"

That time he looked away in ignominy and his eyes dropped to his feet, seeing the hard wood floors needed to be cleaned. They had small black smudges in the creases. What was he supposed to tell her? Hey, so since I saw you, I felt an immediate attraction and I had to see you. That sounded a bit creepy. Was he turning into a creep? "Um, well..." he looked back up to her and once again rubbed the back of his neck, "I...uh...I kind of followed you."

Her green eyes expanded as she looked at him bewildered, "You followed me?" Surprise filled her voice and the discomfiture was beginning to show on his face.

He knew he should've lied, "Uh...yeah. Look, I know how crazy this sounds...trust me I've rethought it over and over again in my head. After we left the mall, I was supposed to go to some stupid meeting with the guys and then AJ wanted to go to a club, which I didn't even want to go to. He's sort of pissed at me right now," he said with half a smile. He then shrugged, "But I ditched...and so here I am."

He ditched? For her? What alternate universe was she living in? "You ditched? Won't they be upset?" She tried to keep her breathing under control and was doing her very best to stay calm. She kept needing to pinch herself just to make sure she wasn't drugged and having one hell of a trip.

He shrugged and gave another smile, "Eh...they'll get over it."

He knew he was going to be in for it later, especially from the hard glare Kevin was giving him once he raced away in the car. He could feel his gaze burn through the back of his head as he sped off. He had a feeling there was going to be yet another big blow out. It seemed that's all they ever did anymore. If they weren't singing, they were screaming at one another, but Nick felt what he had done would be worth getting reamed at. He wasn't even regretting his choice slightly. Hell, AJ did it more times than he could count...what was one time going to do?

It then hit her...that car that was following her from the gas station was him the whole time. "Wait...so that was you?!"

Relief swept over her and she leaned against the couch and tilted her head back. Her hand ran through her hair and she brushed it away from her face. She couldn't even describe how terrified she was that someone was going to end up breaking in while she was asleep. Soon a soft laugh escaped her as she looked up at him. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought Nick Carter would follow her home.

She couldn't comprehend that this was really happening. It was like something from a dream; a dream she used to think about daily when she was a teenager. She was so infatuated with him when she was a kid and now it was actually happening in her adult life. She turned to look at him and she could see the unsure look on his face. She could see he felt doubtful and maybe even a little concerned that she thought he was some psychopath. She had to let him know that she wasn't freaked out...just flattered. Beyond flattered! Once the laugh left her mouth he looked puzzled and she smiled trying to reassure him.

"I kind of let my imagination run away with me," she explained with a small chuckle. "I was like why is there a car following me? I thought someone was trying to kill me," she laughed again.

He looked at her with sympathetic eyes, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you." He weakly smiled, "I just really wanted to see you again."

She just couldn't seem to apprehend that. Why did he want to see her again? It made absolutely no sense. She looked at him skeptical, "I'm sorry but I am still finding this really hard to believe."

"Why?"

"It's just...well I was there with Vicky and when she's around, men kind of don't notice me. I mean, come on, you've seen her...she's gorgeous."

Both of his golden eyebrows arose as he stared at her in incomprehension, "You're kidding me, right?" She just shrugged and he shook his head and stared at her intently, "I noticed you, Kim." She could feel her heart flutter out of control when he said her name, "And I can assure you, it's you I'm interested in....not Vicky."

She swallowed hard as his eyes scorched through hers; making her feel hot all over, "Um...wow."

He laughed, "What?"

"You're just the first person to ever say that to me."

She was joking right? Did she really think she wasn't attractive? How did men not swarm her? She was gorgeous. She had the pouty full lips, the jade green eyes, a nice curvy body that he would do anything to get his hands on.

"Well, I can guarantee I won't be the last." He looked at her bemused; still not believing she didn't think she was beautiful, "I really can't understand how you think Vicky is prettier than you. I just....how?" He asked with a laugh, "Kim, you're fucking hot."

She tried to fight the smile that grew out across her face. He couldn't be serious, but by his facial expression he was dead serious and that made her heart want to fly. She was still in disbelief that he was so unattracted to Vicky. She would have thought that he out of all people would be drooling over her. Especially from her being in that skimpy outfit...or maybe he wasn't into that? He did tell her at the meet and greet a girl in jeans and a nice shirt is what he liked. She never would have thought that about him. He dated Paris Hilton; she thought he would have loved to see girls wearing barely anything.

She turned her head so he couldn't see her turn a beat red, "Um...thank you."

He laughed, "What? You don't like compliments?"

She looked back to him and shrugged, still trying to fight the smile, "I'm just not used to them. I'm just really...I can't believe you think I'm hot." She laughed, not convinced, "I mean...I just can't grasp it. Usually when I'm with Vicky, I'm kind of invisible."

This friend of hers was just not good for her. The way she spoke about herself; he couldn't understand it. He had a feeling this girl liked to brainwash her so she could keep getting attention. Well, he was going to do all he could to show her what she really looked like. She was blinded.

"First let me say, that's not true. You were not invisible to me...and to be honest it kind of pisses me off that you think that. Look, I saw Vicky today and I saw her very clear. She reminds me of my ex and I'm not into the whole sluty, fake attitude thing. I mean I know she's your friend...I'm just not really sure why," and he coughed out a rough laugh.

It was starting to make more sense now why he wasn't interested in Vicky...maybe after dating Paris, it put him off to girls like that.

She looked at him in flabbergast, "Wow...I don't even know what to say."

"Why do you seem so surprised?"

Did she too think he was a shallow son of a bitch like most people? Paris really ruined his reputation and he regrets ever dating her. She fucked him over; got him into some bad shit...rehab was not fun. He was thankful he could kick the habit, but now everyone thought he only liked the skinny, fake girls. It was actually the complete opposite. He liked a woman that had meat; not too much, but just enough to where he could hold onto.

She shrugged, "I don't know...because well let's face it...you're gorgeous, she's gorgeous. I figured she'd be perfect for you."

She was going to be learning a whole new side to him; he was going to make sure she knew that everything the media said about him was false. She only knew what the public knew, but not for long. He wanted her to see who the real Nick Carter was.

"No...not even close. Look, I know that you're shocked...I think my relationship with Paris kind of gave me a bad name. But believe it or not, I'm not into girls that wear lingerie out in public. I know I act like I love it when girls throw themselves at me and everything, but that's just part of my job. A lot of girls do it and for me, it's a huge turn off...I mean yeah, if I've had a few drinks and some girl wearing barely anything comes onto me, I will probably do shit I shouldn't. Damn me for being a man."

Kimberly looked at him completely mesmerized; she liked knowing he didn't like the sluty girls...maybe there was hope for her. She softly snickered, "Yes, how dare you for being a man."

He snorted, "But for real, I would just like to see a normal girl for once, someone that isn't trying to put on an act, ya know?" He paused for a moment and smirked as he looked her up and down. He shrugged before saying, "Maybe someone like you."

She could feel her heart beat faster as his eyes locked on hers and his lips turned into the shape of a hook. She couldn't even fathom the words as they rushed through her mind. He was interested in her and she couldn't even begin to describe the way it made her feel. He was completely put off by Vicky and she was just absolutely perplexed by that. She's never met a man that was immune to her beauty before. However, Nick has been around and seem plenty of people; he knew a phony when he saw it.

She couldn't hold back the smile that made her lips twitch, "Um...wow." She then cleared her throat and stood up, "So um...would you...would you like a drink or something?"

He looked up at her and smiled, "Yeah, sure. Do you have any beer?"

She scrunched up her nose, "No, can't say that I do."

He laughed at her facial expression, "What? You don't like beer?" It then occurred to him, what if she was too young to even drink? He hadn't thought about her age. He suddenly began to get concerned, what has he gotten himself into? What if she wasn't even eighteen? She looked young, but not that young. She did say she liked him when she was a teenager...but what if she was still a teenager?!

She shook her head, "Nah, I don't. I hate the taste...I prefer mixed drinks or Redds, they're my favorite. That's actually technically still a beer...just flavored and tastes much better," she informed with a small smile.

He was thankful she had cleared up his fears and she was above the proper age; it lifted a great weight from his shoulders. It wouldn't have been the first time he caught himself in a mess with an underage girl. Some girls have actually lied about their age; after a close call a few years ago he learned to be more cautious.

He chuckled, "Redds? Really?" He then shook his head and smirked, "I hate to burst your bubble, but that's more of a hard cider. They're not bad, but they're more of a girl drink."

She softly laughed, "Well...last time I checked I was a girl."

A smirk formed around his lips and his eyes gazed down to her low cut shirt, which exposed a good amount of her breasts. It was nothing too revealing, but since she had such a large set, it was nearly impossible not to take notice. The crease of her cleavage was teasing him and he couldn't help himself as he would occasionally take a glimpse. She had a great rack, there was no doubt about that and the fact that she wasn't showing it off made her much more appealing to him. He wondered how they would feel in his grasp, his mind kept on thinking unclean thoughts on what he wanted to do with them.

His eyes then met hers and he could see her face was a bit flushed and his smirk grew into a full grin. "Mmm yes, I can see that."

She could feel her face heat up from his gape. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she began to chew on her lower lip. Was he actually checking her out? Her stomach felt like it was doing flips off a diving board. She looked back at him and his eyes were no longer glued to her chest, but her face and he had a smug leer. It caused her to trembled.

"Um...I have...I have Sprite. Do you...do you like Sprite?"

He couldn't contain the smile in his voice, "Yeah, I like Sprite." The smirk was stretching out across his face. He thought this girl was way too cute. He was glad he decided to take the leap and follow her ...although that made him almost feel like a stalker.

She smiled, "Okay. Let me...let me go get some then."

The grin had not disappeared from his lips, in fact it had grown. He loved how utterly shy she was and how her words shuddered off her tongue and not to mention how flustered she was becoming.

"Okay, I'll be waiting here."

"Okay...awesome. I'll be right back," she began to walk backwards and tripped over on a pair of Vicky's pink heeled sandals in the process. Luckily she caught herself before she fell onto the hardwood floor. He gave out a small chuckle and she dashed into the kitchen as she felt her heart beat rapidly; she thought that it was going to combust. She ran her hands through her hair roughly as embarrassment overcame her. She just made a fool out of herself in front of him. She quickly looked herself in the window's reflection. Her hair wasn't as bad as she thought. It was a bit wavy from the elastic and still damp. She took a breath and allowed her heart to calm down.

She walked over towards the refrigerator and opened it, pulling out a two leader of Sprite and put it on the table. She opened the dishwasher and found only dirty dishes, she groaned. Vicky was supposed to run it. She shook her head in annoyance. When did she ever do anything she was supposed to? She opened the cabinet where the cups were stored and saw there was barely any left. She looked up and saw a few on the top shelf. She went on her tippy toes, but still they were out of reach. She let out another groan. She glanced in the living room to see Nick just sitting on the couch, looking at his phone. She was debating whether or not to ask him to help her, but decided against it. She jumped up on the counter so that she was on her knees and prayed that she wouldn't lose balance. She reached in and grabbed two cups and placed them down on the side of her on the marble counter. Her fear then became a reality when she felt herself begin to lose balance and she awaited the feeling of pain of the floor against her face.

Suddenly she felt two hands on her back pushing her forward. She turned to see Nick standing there and she could feel her face flush, "Um...thanks."

He looked at her dumbfounded and gave a small laugh, "You know if you needed help, you could've just gotten me."

She shrugged and sheepishly smiled, "Sorry...I guess I thought I could do it on my own."

His hands were still on her back and he slowly glided them down to her waist, causing her to get the chills. He felt her shudder and he couldn't fight the smile as he helped her down. She turned to him and they were face to face. She could feel her heart rate increase as he stared down at her. He was tall; she barely reached his shoulders, "Well, I rather you ask than you break a leg."

She smiled weakly, "I know...sorry."

He softly snickered, "You don't have to keep saying sorry."

She could feel her smile spreading out across her face, "Well thank you for catching me." In more ways than one. Her eyes then drifted back towards the floor as she could feel her face turning red once again. She should just change her name to Rudolph.

He just shook his head at the girl; she was so ambrosial, "No problem. I'm just glad I looked over at you when I did."

She just couldn't seem to rid the leer from her face, "Yeah...me too." She then walked over to the table and poured the Sprite, she handed him the blue plastic cup. She took the red one and they both sat back down on the couch in the living room. As she drank the soda, the carbonation was starting to cause her to feel nauseous. She really should have eaten. She prayed the sick feeling would pass. Finally after a few minutes, the nausea faded and that was when she noticed Nick staring at her. It was actually causing her to feel uncomfortable; almost diffident. She thought maybe he would look away after a few seconds, so she took another sip of her drink, which was probably a bad idea. She glanced back to him and still his eyes had not left her. He was making her feel way too self-conscious.

"Okay, so...what are you looking at?"

Did she look bad? Did she have something in her teeth? Was he wondering what possessed him to even be here? Maybe he was having second thoughts? She wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. She actually was expecting it.

He shrugged and half smiled as he said, "You."

Okay so maybe he wasn't having second thoughts, "Me?" The words almost squeaked as they came out of her mouth, causing him to snort. She once again began to feel unsure about herself, "Well, I think there are better things to look at than me." He frowned from her response and she glanced around the room, "Like those roses on the nightstand. I love them." And a small sigh escaped her, "One of Vicky's admires got them for her," she couldn't hide the sullenly in her voice.

He picked up on the sadness and it bothered him. He didn't like how she felt so unwanted because of this girl. How could she even consider her a friend? She made her feel horrible. Why the hell were her roses here anyway? To make her feel even worse about herself?

He looked back to her and shrugged, "Eh, they're alright. They look kind of wilted actually." He then grinned as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, causing her to quiver, "What I'm looking at is more eye candy."

She gave out a nervous laugh and turned away, "Thanks," she mumbled. She took a deep breath and she could feel her stomach was being used as a summersault party.

He put the cup down and scooted closer towards her, "I just don't get it."

She looked back to him and didn't realize he was so close. She could feel her stomach spinning out of control as she looked into his blue eyes, "Get...get what?"

"How you don't see it. I mean how do you not see how hot you are?"

No matter how many times he's told her, it still didn't make sense to her. How did he find her so attractive? She could feel her body shiver from his words. She began to chew on her lower lip; she did that whenever she was nervous. She glanced at him and caught him smiling. She half smiled and it felt like her body was going through mini tremors, she then just shrugged.

"I...I don't really know what you're talking about. Like wow...I feel so flattered, but come on, let's be realistic here. If you put me and Vicky together, who do you think is going to most likely be picked for a date...you can't tell me you don't find her attractive."

When was she going to get it? When was she going to see he didn't care for Vicky? He shook his head in disbelief, "That girl has you brainwashed. I already told you I don't like her...sure she's hot..."

So he admits it she thought bitterly.

"But," he continued, "Once she opens her mouth she turns ugly. I mean, really ugly." She looked at him baffled, "Dude, she's a bitch," and he forced out a hard laugh. He then looked up at her and smiled, "But you...you're so different. Either you believe it or not, I think you're gorgeous and sweet. Those two combinations are pretty rare together."

She could feel more chills run down her spine and she was speechless. Did he just call her gorgeous? "Thank...thank you..." she turned away again as she felt her face heat up. He laughed and she looked back to him and the smile was growing across her face, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing." He leaned over and once again brushed a few more loose strands of hair behind her ear, "You're just really cute...especially when you get shy," he added with a smirk.

She could feel her face sear from his touch and the butterflies in her stomach were flying madly inside of her, trying to find some sort of escape. "Thank you. I have...I have my moments."

He smiled, "You must have a lot of them."

She gave out a soft laugh, "You're very charming."

He grinned, "Mmm, well...you're very tempting."

Her green eyes grew wide as she stared at him and he chuckled. Her tempting? Was he tempted to do things with her? Did she get into a major car accident and now was in a coma having the world's best fabrication?

She tried to be brave as she said, "Oh am I?" But her voice quivered and he smiled.

He absolutely loved how shy she was...how innocent she seemed. He hasn't had a girl like her since he was only a teen. He was always involved with the girls that wore too much makeup and wore too little. He was going to make a change...starting with her.

"Indeed," he replied as his thumb traced her bottom lip.

Her body felt like it was going through an earthquake. He smirked as he saw what kind of reaction she had towards his touch.

he inhaled deeply, wondering if the butterflies would escape from her mouth. She tried to contain the quails as they took control of her body. "Wow..." she finally managed to say.

He raised an eyebrow, "Wow?" He laughed, "I don't think I did anything...yet."

Her heart fluttered from the simple word yet, "I guess I'm still trying to comprehend that this is actually happening...that you're really here to see me. I just...I'm not used to this," she admitted with a nervous laugh.

She was going to be a tough cookie to crack. He knew it was probably unusual for her since she was a fan. He was going to change that...he was going to make her see what she did to him, how she made him feel. He wondered what she was thinking. He knew she was skeptical.

"Well, I really am here," he reassured her. He grinned as he looked her sweet face over. He loved her lips...he wanted those lips, "How about I prove it to you?"

"Ho-how?" She stuttered which caused his grin to turn into a full blown smile; showing all his white teeth.

The smile was still apparent upon his face and he murmured, "How about like this..." and he slid his hands into her wild, damp hair, gently cupping her head and within seconds, attached his lips onto hers. Her heart was beating out of control when she felt his tongue slowly slither inside her mouth and molest hers. He pulled away just for a moment and muttered, "I've wanted to kiss you since I first saw you."

Kimberly could feel as her breathing grew unsteady and he grinned when he saw the dumbstruck expression on her face. Within seconds his mouth was back on hers, kissing her like she had never been kissed before. He wanted this woman. He leaned her against the couch as his mouth engulfed hers; his hand gliding up her body. He couldn't help himself when he gently caressed her breasts over the red fabric. He wanted to feel them, he wanted to tease them...he wanted his face in them. Fuck it, he couldn't control the temptation and his hands snaked to the hem of her shirt, but before he could even feel what was underneath, to his surprise she took hold of his wrist and gently pushed him away.

"I'm...I'm sorry," and she slowly began to sit up. She ran her hands through her messy hair, feeling herself quiver. Did that just happen? Did she really just make out with Nick Carter? What the hell was the matter with her? Why did she push him away? Was she crazy? Ever since she was a teenager she would have given anything to do what she had just done. Hell, she would love to strip him of his clothes and do everything to him, but she also wanted to be more than just a girl on his fuck list.

He looked at her almost mystified...no one has ever said no to him, "Did I do something wrong?"

He knew she was feeling him, so why did she push him away? Couldn't she feel the heat and passion he had for her? All the things he wanted to do to her, most girls would kill to be in her shoes. She wasn't like the others...maybe that was why he was so drawn to her.

Was he crazy? Of course he didn't...her lips were still tingling from that kiss. God damn her and her morals. She shook her head, "No, definitely not. You did...you did everything right," a small snicker escaped her. She then looked up at him and could see the confusion plastered upon his face. Not that she blamed him. God she wanted him...wanted him more than she has ever wanted anyone, but she wanted to be worth more than just as a good lay. Lately that was all she felt she was good for. She sighed, "Um...well, it's just...I've been used and taken advantage of a lot. I don't think I could deal with it again." She then looked into his eyes and could see he was a bit baffled with her sudden accusation, "Not that I'm saying you would...I just know if we let it get any further, I would probably do things I'd regret later on." She could feel herself become ailing; did she just screw everything up? She finally had a chance to get with the man she has been lusting over since she was only a teen and she just turned him down. Was something wrong with her?

It's been awhile since he was alone with a girl that wouldn't spread their legs to him with the snap of a finger. In a weird sense it was almost refreshing. His muddled facial features quickly relaxed and he weakly smiled, "Nah, it's cool." He then shrugged, "I probably should have a little more self-control," he smiled apologetically. "I guess I'm not really used to it," and gave out a short laugh. He took in what she revealed and maybe that was why she felt so little about herself. He looked at her diligently, "But just so you know, I won't do something you don't wanna do. I'm sorry that happened, but I can assure you, I'm not like that."

She looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you...that actually means a lot."

Maybe she should let him know the reason why she felt so uptight about messing around so soon. She knew his history and she was worried if she didn't give in, he wouldn't want to talk to her anymore...however that was only what she heard. She somehow got the feeling everything she thought she knew about Nick Carter, was nothing but a false rumor. He didn't seem at all like the piggish, womanizer people have made him out to be.

"So I was seeing this guy a few months ago. I liked him alot, but he happened to be my supervisor," she said with a nervous laugh and glanced up to see if he was repelled, but his face was still composed. "And things turned sour when I wanted more than just a sex based relationship...well after that, he turned into a real jerk. I guess that's what happens when you mix business with pleasure," she concluded with a shrug.

Nick could see the memory still brought her sadness; she must have really cared for the guy. He shook his head as he looked at her, "Wow...what a loser." He got the impression that she somehow hasn't been that lucky when it came to men; he wasn't sure how though. Men should be clawing at her door; hell if he was just a regular guy he would be. He was doing it....he did follow her home after all.

"I'm sort of used to it by now."

Used to it by now? The thought just baffled him. Maybe she was scared to sleep with him because she thought he was going to be like that. He knew it would take much convincing, but he was going to show her that even if he got to fuck her tonight, he wouldn't ignore her or expect it on a regular basis. Or maybe she believed the rumors about him and his partying. They weren't really rumors since he was partying hard with AJ for the past couple of years after he broke up with Paris.

"Well, you shouldn't be."

"I know," she murmured before taking a sip of her soda that she had forgotten was evil. She could feel her empty stomach rumble as the bubbles of the carbonation settled in. Fuck she silently groaned, not now...please don't let me get sick. She took a deep breath and leaned over a bit, praying the feeling of nausea would once again pass.

She slowly breathed in and thankfully the feeling of vomit faded. Suddenly there was a loud noise that even startled her. Her stomach growled hungrily that even he heard. She looked up at him and could feel a rush of embarrassment fill her face.

Nick watched as she leaned forward and dropped her head. She didn't look good. Was she going to be sick? Concern filled his face, "Hey," he said as he placed a hand on her back. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him and nodded, "Yeah...I'm fine. The soda just didn't agree with me for a second."

She slowly breathed in and thankfully the feeling of vomit faded. Suddenly there was a loud noise that even startled her. Her stomach growled hungrily that even he heard. She looked up at him and could feel a rush of embarrassment fill her face.

He stared at her for a few seconds; he didn't seem too convinced. A thoughtful look then spread out across his face, "You know, I kind of could go for a pizza...how about you?"

He had absolutely no idea how wonderful that sounded. She couldn't deny anymore that she wasn't starving; hell she hasn't eaten anything all day. She should have known better especially since when she didn't eat she would get nauseous, even faint sometimes.

She weakly smiled, "Well...I suppose I could eat..." with that said, her stomach shouted once more and she placed her hand over her loud abdominal causing him to laugh.

"Oh you suppose?" He teased with a smirk as he pulled out his black smartphone, "What kind do you want?"

She shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me. I'm not picky." At this point she would eat anything.

"Does plain sound good?"

She smiled and nodded, "Plain sounds great."

Within a second he was on the phone with a local pizza place, "Yeah, hey. I'd like one large plain pizza sent to..." he glanced back to her, "Uh, where am I?"

She laughed, "168 Pave Road."

"168 Pave Road," he repeated into the phone. "Nope, that's all. Great, see ya then. Bye." He then hung up and smiled, "Okay, it's all set. They'll be here in like half an hour."

She returned the smile, "Awesome." She felt awkward not really knowing what to say. What could she talk about without sounding stupid? She turned her gaze to the floor when she could feel his eyes on her. He crossed his leg; throwing his ankle over his knee and his arm reached out over the back of the couch. "What?" She asked trying to hide the smile in her voice.

He loved how she sounded playful. It caused him to grin and he just shrugged, "Just sitting here...looking at you."

A soft laugh escaped her, "You are charming, aren't you?" It still baffled her that he was attracted to her...she almost didn't believe it. She had a feeling maybe he was lying to just butter her up. It wouldn't be the first time a man lied to try to get on her good side, "But you don't need to lie, Nick. You already have me sucked in...you can be honest now."

He raised both of his eyebrows from her accusation. What was it going to take for her to believe him? For her to grasp the truth that he was fully interested in her? He let out a frustrated sigh. His arm then wrapped around her shoulder and he pulled her into him, "Why do you think I'm lying?" His arm tightened around her and he pushed her against him. Her hands pressed up against his chest and their faces were just inches from one another. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage as she felt his breath hit her skin.

Wow...he's really close...and he smells amazing. She felt like a puddle as his eyes burned through hers, "I-I don't know," she murmured.

"Look, I don't know how you don't see it, but I think you're beautiful," he huskily muttered. His lips then brushed up upon her jaw line and she could feel herself quiver. His eyes then met with hers again and he smirked, "Do you always shiver when someone gives you a compliment?"

She swallowed hard and once again tried to keep her breathing leveled, "Trust me...it's not the compliment I'm shivering from."

Damn, this girl is going to be in for one hell of a treat. He loved how the slightest touch caused her to shudder. He grinned to himself this is going to be fun. He hasn't been with a fan in a while...sure, he was with Cindy for a few months, but she was just a whore. The only thing she wanted was sex and he got tired of that fast, but Kimberly was different; he didn't even know how to explain it. Just in the way her body gave her away; it excited him in a way he hasn't been in a while, "Oh, I see." His mouth then went to her ear and kissed her earlobe and her breathing increased; he loved it. He wanted to see how much he could get away with...he wanted to see how much she could take. His mouth then went down to her neck and he left a trail of kisses around her collar bone. He felt her trembling out of control and he tried to control the grin as his lips touched her skin. He was having way too much fun. Finally he sat up and smiled a very devious smile, "I guess I should stop. I don't want you to go into a seizure or something," he teased and rested his arm up on the back of the couch again.

She laughed, "Thanks, that's so thoughtful of you."

He grinned, "What can I say, I'm a thoughtful kind of guy." His mind soon wandered back to the mall when he saw her crying...and as much as he knew he should let it go, he couldn't. He wanted to know why she was so upset...especially since she seemed happy earlier within the day. He just hoped the question wouldn't ruin the time he was having with her.

"So...I wanted to ask you something."

She could feel as her stomach tied into a tight knot and her breathing slightly increased as the tone in his voice had changed from playful to serious. "Okay....um...sure. What's up?"

He licked his lips and thought hard before blurting out the question. Should he even ask her? She tried to brush it off earlier when he mentioned it; maybe something tragic happened. What if someone close to her died? Should he just ignore it and cover it up by asking something else? Why did he want to know so badly? He hated that she was so upset...seeing her cry made him feel...empathetic.

"I don't mean to pry and I know I asked you earlier...but why were you so upset today?" He saw her face suddenly change and she looked away and he wanted to kick himself. He never should've brought it up, "I'm sorry..." he quickly said, "You really don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

She would have loved to avoid this question all night if she could; she hated that he saw her cry. She shifted her eyes from him and wondered if she should just make something up. She knew telling him that he caught her crying because Vicky and her friends were making fun of her, would make her look oversensitive. She almost wanted to lie. She then looked back to him and when she looked into his eyes she could see the care. He did see the way Vicky treated her today; maybe he would understand. She would feel the guilt eat at her if she lied.

A sigh escaped her as she uttered, "It's really stupid. I shouldn't have been as upset as I was...I mean in all honesty I should be used to it by now." Nick's eyes still guarded her as he awaited for her reasoning, "I overheard Vicky and her friends talking about me...and normally I don't let what they say get to me...I don't know why I broke down like that." She shook her head in animosity as the memory flooded her mind, "I guess it hurt because she once was my friend...now she's just a stranger to me."

His face turned sympathetic as he looked at her with sorrowful eyes. He just didn't understand how she could be friends with such an ugly person. Kimberly seemed far too nice; even for her own good. He could see that people walked over her, probably without her even realizing it.

"Okay, I need to know...who is this Vicky? When Mike told me you had to get another girl I assumed it was your best friend or something...but then I saw how she was treating you." His face slightly tensed up before continuing, "I was like there's no way that can be her friend...I was fucking pissed when I heard the way she was talking to you. It was really hard to be nice to her."

It pleased her to know he was angry with how Vicky was acting. She could feel her insides tingle as she recapped how he defended her. "She hasn't always been like this...she changed once we moved here." She then looked at him puzzled as she remembered the conversation the guys had about Mike and the VIP winner, "Wait...let's go back for a second. So that whole VIP winner thing was that just some excuse so that you could get me in the store or something?" Did he really want to meet her that badly that he lied to his band members? He's told her more than once that he was attracted to her, but she still couldn't seem to perceive it. A small chuckle escaped her, "So that's what Kevin was talking about."

He could feel as apprehension slowly began to fill up within him. Did that make him seem too desperate? He has never wanted to meet a girl this badly before and it even in a way frightened him. He looked at her and could see there were no signs of being put off. Hell, she was a fan. He had to keep reminding himself; he hasn't been around a fan that was so laid back in a while. She wasn't screaming her head off and was just normal. Since she was a fan she was probably thrilled...surprised....maybe even thunderstruck.

He suddenly began to feel a little more confident and grinned, "Guilty." His eyes warmly met with hers and she could feel as her heart began to tremble and the grin enlarged as he caught onto the way her body gave her away. "I really don't know what it was...no one has ever had the effect you have on me. When I saw you today, the only thing I could think was who is that? What's her name? And the only thought I had in my mind was that I had to meet you. I didn't care how."

She looked at him completely bedazzled; she couldn't comprehend the words he was saying. It still astonished her that it was really her he was interested in. She cleared her throat as she could feel as it began to slowly close up, still looking at him in dumbfound, "Wow...I...I don't even know what to say." She coughed out a laugh, "I know I've already said this a few times, but things like this never happen to me."

A smirk tickled his lips as his hand moved to her knee and he gently rubbed it with his fingertips. She could feel as butterflies swarmed inside of her, "You really don't see how beautiful you are."

She once again could feel as her face began to burn. She shifted her eyes away and her lip was yet again in between her teeth, "Thanks..." she mumbled.

He softly laughed; she was adorable. He loved how her cheeks turned pink, "I mean it, Kim. Vicky has nothing on you."

She looked at him astounded; he had absolutely no idea how much of a compliment that really was. He smiled once they made eye contact and he nimbly pressed his lips upon hers once more. His tongue slowly snaked its way into her mouth and she could feel herself melting into the kiss; her body began to feel hot all over. She loved the way his teeth would graze her lower lip and how his tongue would intertwine with hers. When he pulled away he grinned as he saw the effect he had yet again caused.

"You're the one that caught my interest. So do yourself a favor and stop second guessing yourself."

She was completely baffled to the point she couldn't even handle it. The butterflies in her stomach were causing her to quiver like a leaf in the wind. She exhaled in hopes her nerves would relax, "Wow..."

He snickered, "Damn, I make ya wow a lot, don't I?" A soft giggle escaped her, causing a smile to stretch out across his face. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, "So tell me...if she makes you feel so bad about yourself, why do you even hang around her? You mentioned once you moved here she changed. Do you go to college with her or something? Or are you just visiting?" He shook his head as he recalled the way Vicky tried to humiliate her, "I mean, I can't tell you how hard it was for me to bite my tongue when she was demeaning you in front of me. I know if I said something, it wouldn't have been nice and I probably would have gotten into trouble," a soft smile diverged on his lips.

She absolutely loved the fact how much he despised Vicky. Maybe it was a little juvenile that it brought her joy, but for the first time it wasn't about her. It was Kimberly that caught Nick Carter's attention and she didn't even have to throw herself at him.

A short laugh escaped her, "Yeah, you might have...it looked as though Kevin didn't have much patience." Once his name was mentioned, Nick's facial expression tensed up, but he quickly regained his soft features and it made her wonder why he turned so rigid. She tried to ignore the thought and continued with, "Vicky and I met about six months ago or so...she actually seemed like a really good person. Unfortunately I don't actually have the best judgment I've come to gather. Things at home haven't been good and well when she told me about her idea to move to Florida, I jumped the gun. Now I'm stuck with her...well, until the lease is up."

"Ohhh, she's your roommate?" She silently nodded and Nick thought for a moment, maybe this is a bad idea...a really bad idea. Fuck...why does she have to be so cute? I should dodge this bullet and leave while I can. He knew considering seeing her while she had a crazy roommate was going to be risky, but he didn't want to give her up. "Hmm...well I guess that explains why her roses are here."

She nodded again and mumbled, "Yeah...I'm sorry. I probably should have mentioned it earlier."

Fuck it, he didn't care. He's dealt with crazies before...hell it's what most of his job consisted of. He smiled reassuringly, "So...it looks like we shouldn't tell her about us quiet yet, should we?" His smile turned lopsided, "I have a feeling she wouldn't take it very well."

Us? Did he just say us?

"Um...I'm going to have to go with a no." She shook her head as she began to laugh, "Oh my, could I ever tell you stories. If she ever found out you were here, she would probably murder me and hide my body parts."

His eyes grew wide and nervously laughed, "Seriously? Is she that bad?" What has he gotten himself into?

She laughed at his fretful facial expression, "Okay, maybe that's stretching it just a bit, but she is infatuated with you. In fact she believes that you're her soulmate and you being in the mall today while we were there was fate."

"Hmm...well I do agree on it being fate. However, unfortunately for her, I have my eye on someone else."

Once again she could feel her face flush and she turned away, not being able to hide the smile that grew across her face.

Nick Carter has his eye on me...is this really happening?

He chuckled as he watched her get shy; he loved the effect he had on her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him as he laid against the arm of the couch. She comfortably snuggled up against him and they began to talk about everything that didn't involve Vicky. Nick wanted to know every little thing there was about her; not only did she fascinate him, but he could really hold a conversation with her. He loved how normal he felt with her. He didn't have to put up an act like he had to with most of his past girlfriends. With Cindy it was just about the sex, but he did try to give her a chance. It was then when he realized she only saw the Backstreet Boy title; that is what made her want to stay. That's why he had to end it and that is what made him depressed. Not that he ended it, but because that's all what girls would see; the title. He couldn't just be regular Nick Carter. No, he was Nick Carter the Backstreet Boy. But with Kimberly he felt different...he felt free...alive even. The feeling was almost scaring him. He's never been this content with a girl. Even with Paris it was an act, but with Kimberly it felt so natural. He even told her a little about his family and he rarely ever liked to speak about them.

They were so caught up in conversation when the doorbell rang it didn't even faze them until it rang a second time.

Kimberly pulled herself away and sat up, "Wow, the pizza is here already?"

He shrugged, "Guess so." She stood up and opened the door, but before she could even grab her purse, Nick had handed the kid a twenty. "Keep the change," he said to the teenage boy with the red Pizza hat on.

"But it only came to ten dollars," he informed in a high pitched voice.

He smiled, "It's your lucky day." He then took the pizza box and shut the door, "Mmm, smells good, I'm starving."

She looked at him surprised, yet pleased. She had forgotten how nice it felt when someone else would treat her. She sat down on the couch and looked at him in regard, "You didn't need to do that," she tried to hide the smile from her voice.

"Do what?" He asked as he laid the box on the wooden coffee table in front of them before sitting down next to her.

"Pay."

Nick looked up at her staggered; he wasn't used to a girl who questioned him when it came to money. It brought him a feeling he wasn't quite used to. He was becoming more and more intrigued with this woman.

The smile lit up his entire face, "Well, I am the one that offered." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek; she could feel her face tingle and she once again tried to fight off a smile. He grinned not believing he was lucky enough to meet her. She was a fan, yet she asked nothing from him; not even his money. He opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice and bit into it, not realizing how hot it was, "Shit!" Melting cheese dripped onto his plaid shirt, "Uh yeah, it's hot."

She put her hand over her mouth and tried to hold back her laugh, "You're a dork."

He grinned, "Oh, but you love it."

"Guilty," she replied as a smirk teased her lips. She then grabbed the blob of the cheese from his shirt and put it on the cover of the open pizza box, "It's only cheese, it should come out."

He looked down to see a wet grease stain on the breast of the shirt and shrugged, "Eh, I'm not too worried." He then grabbed his drink and took a long gulp to cool off his mouth. When he looked at Kimberly he saw that she hadn't grabbed a slice yet. Her stomach was screaming earlier so why wasn't she eating? Was she afraid to eat in front of him? He really hoped she wasn't one of those type of girls. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"I will when it cools." It was as if her stomach could speak and it made another loud growl and she put her hand over it, wishing she could make it be quiet. She then looked at him sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Here, try mine," he offered as he grabbed his half eaten slice and kept one of his hands under the bottom so it wouldn't drip on her. "It's kind of cool now."

It smelt so good; she could feel as her mouth began to water. She leaned over and took a small bite and once the food landed on her tongue, her taste buds had a frenzy. She normally didn't care too much for plain, but this pizza tasted absolutely delicious, "Mmm, that is good. Thank you."

He laughed, "Told ya," and he took another bite.

She could feel herself begin to relax around him and she no longer felt as shy. She was still completely flabbergasted and wondered when she was going to wake from this wonderful dream. Once he finished his slice of pizza she moved closer towards him, "So I have a confession."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And what may that be? Are you gonna confess all your sins to me, naughty girl?" He teased as his lips curled upward.

She snorted, "Not quite...but I will say this; I'm really glad that you followed me..." she realized how psychotic that sounded once the words left her mouth.

He laughed, "You mean stalked you." He then smiled, "But I'm glad I did too..."

She could feel as the butterflies returned from an idea that popped into her head. She looked up at him and tugged her bottom lip in between her teeth. She leaned in closer towards him and she slowly pressed her quivering lips against his. He smiled before engulfing his mouth over hers once again and his tongue slithered against hers. She leaned forward as their tongues danced with one another and it caused him to fall back against the couch. He slightly moaned as he pulled her on top of him, kissing her with such a need. He felt as her hands began to slowly move up his chest over his shirt and he could feel her nails dig into him gently. He loved a woman that would use her nails...he could feel himself growing aroused. His hands began to slowly move down her sides and he slid them inside of her shirt, in hopes she wouldn't push him away like earlier. They moved up her bare back and he so desperately wanted to snap off her bra...he wanted to do so many things to this woman. Once he felt her gently nibble on his lower lip, that was the end of it. He could feel his throbbing member stretching out, causing the indent to be seen perfectly through his pants. Fuck, the only thing he wanted to do was throw the pizza box on the floor and pound the shit out of her. His mouth left her swollen lips and he slowly moved down her jawline and to her ear and then neck. She let out a soft moan and once he heard that he knew that there was absolutely nothing stopping him from having his way with her. He was going to make her moaning turn into screaming. His hands glided to her large breasts and he gently squeezed them, but they were being shielded by her bra. He couldn't wait until he got that thing off of her, he couldn't wait until he was inside of her. Shit, he was so hard for her...he hadn't been this turned on in God knows how long. However, his dream was quickly shattered when she pushed him away.

"I'm sorry," she breathed.

Is she serious right now?!

"Sorry?" He looked at her thunderstruck, "Why? I'm not," he laughed. He couldn't get over how turned on she got him...how badly he wanted her. Hell, he hasn't been this horny in months. Sure, getting laid was nice, but it was more of a routine. Feeling like this...oh man did he ever forgot how good the feeling of yearning was...he needed her, he wanted her...he had to have her. "Damn, I never realized you were so...aggressive." He loved it...his member was throbbing; he needed to feel her.

His seductive smile made her slightly blush, "The funny thing is...well usually I'm not. Not since my last relationship ended anyway...if you even wanna call it that."

He sat up when he noticed the tone in her voice had changed. She almost sounded ashamed. Why the hell was she ashamed?! That was fucking fantastic! "You really shouldn't let that bastard get to you. I mean, he fucked up and lost out big, but don't change because of him. I mean, I want to say I feel sorry for him, but I don't, because if he never fucked up, I probably wouldn't be here with you right now." She weakly smiled and he smirked, "I thought what you just did was really hot...I mean, fuck...my pants are getting too tight. The things I want to do to you..." he let out a silent groan, "However I know that's not what you want..." he silently cringed to himself; that's all he wanted to do right now. How the hell was he even controlling himself? "I know if we continued, I most likely would not be able to stop myself from ravishing you," the smirk around his lips sharpened.

She could feel as her heartbeat quickened and she once again found her lip in between her teeth. She caught his gaze and she could feel her lower region longing for his touch. His messy hair and eyes screamed of nothing but sex and damn it, did she ever want him. She knew it would be far too easy to have sex with him tonight, but she wanted something to bloom between them. She knew if she just gave it up to him, he would probably think of her as nothing but another girl he fucked. It then occurred to her...did he even want anything to bloom?

"Can I...can I ask you something?"

He heard the sincerity in her voice and it caught his attention, "Yeah, babe. What's on your mind?" He asked as he grabbed another slice of the pizza.

She mimicked him and grabbed a slice of her own and took a large bite. Her stomach finally began to feel satisfied since there was food inside of it, "Um...well...what...what do you want to happen here tonight? I mean...were you just looking for some fun?" Once the question was out, she turned her gaze elsewhere; afraid of his answer.

He almost wanted to kick himself for not controlling himself earlier. After what she told him about the last guy she was with, and how she felt she was a target for men to take advantage of her. She probably thought he only wanted to get in her pants.

"I'm going to be completely honest. I didn't know what I was looking for when I came knocking at your door. I didn't...I mean, I don't expect to have sex with you, if that's what you're asking. Hell, I didn't even plan for this to happen...I certainly had a spontaneous moment," he said with a short laugh. He could see she wasn't entirely convinced, "Look, if I just wanted to get some pussy, all I had to do was go down to that stupid club with AJ, but I'm bored of that. I'm tired of sleeping around...I just want something different. Lately, I've been feeling lonely and it sucks. I just really want to hang with a girl that I can feel comfortable with and just have a good time." He then grinned as he looked at her, "So far, you're doing a pretty damn good job."

She could feel her heart flutter; was he saying what she thought? Did this mean that maybe...just maybe he wanted more? She didn't want to jump the gun...she was good at doing that; she didn't want to scare him away.

"So...does this mean that maybe you'd wanna see me again?"

He laughed, "Hmm...let me think about that." He paused for a few seconds to add a tint of suspense, "Uh...yeah!"

Her face lit up and she couldn't hold back the smile as it seemed to stretch out from ear to ear, "Really?"

He laughed. He loved how surprise she sounded. Did she not see how much he was enjoying himself? He loved her company and how she made him feel...he didn't think it was possible for him to feel like this about a girl again.

"Yeah...I mean...unless you're getting sick of me already," he teased.

She giggled, "No...not yet."

He smirked, "Good, I was hoping you'd say that." A deadpan look then came across his face, "But for the time being, how about we keep us on the down low, okay?" His hands rubbed up and down her arms, "You know damn well it's not because I'm embarrassed to be seen with you, because shit I'm not. I think you're fucking hot...but I think you already know that." She could feel her face burn from his compliment and he smirked when he saw her fight the smile that twitched around her lips, "I just don't want the public to know yet...the media can be vicious and my fans..." he groaned, "I love them, but they can be really cruel. I just don't want you to have to deal with that...just yet. Is that okay?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes. Since I am a fan I know how some girls can be. Don't worry, I won't say anything." He smiled and she continued, "Plus that way I'll live longer..." she softly laughed as she took another bite of her pizza. "I mean if Vicky ever found out about us..." she shook her head, "I don't even want to think about it."

He smiled and traced her bottom lip with his thumb, "Don't worry...I won't let her hurt you. I'd keep you safe."

The butterflies had returned and she could feel that they were more powerful than ever. She leaned over and gently pressed her lips against his and thought, please don't ever wake up. This has to have been the most amazing dream she has ever dreamt.

Hours had passed; the pizza box was empty except for three slices. Kimberly was lying on Nick as he laid on the couch and his fingertips ran up and down her arm. They had not stopped talking. He told her more about his family and recent ex-girlfriend, Cindy. He felt like he could really talk to her; it was a feeling he wasn't used to. He told her more about his personal life; things he didn't tell a lot of people. However he neglected to tell her about the problems he was having with Backstreet. He didn't want to even mention them and he liked that she didn't ask...not even once. It made him feel that maybe she really liked him for him not because of who he was. He told her more about his loneliness, she too told him about how she felt; living in the shadow of Vicky. They connected on a level he was unfamiliar with.

During their conversation, his phone rang a few times, after the third ring she asked who it was and he simply told her it was his brother. He hated to lie, but he couldn't tell her that it was Kevin...he didn't want to tell her how angry he was that he bailed. AJ had finally stopped texting when he wouldn't reply and he knew that he was also angry, but he tried not to think about them. He knew he would have to face them sooner or later, but he rather it later. He was enjoying his time with her far too much. For the first time in months, he was happy.

Kimberly felt so comfortable; she was in her own personal Heaven. She was snuggled against Nick Carter and her fingers were playing with the buttons on his shirt. She never wanted the night to end.

A yawn then unexpectedly caught her off guard and he glanced down at her, "Tired?" His voice low, it sounded as though he was tired himself. He too didn't want the night to end.

She shook her head, "Nope," but another yawn broke the words.

He laughed and ran his hand down to her back and gently rubbed it in a circular motion with his knuckles. A small groan escaped him as he knew it was time to say goodnight, "I guess I probably should get going. It's..." he grabbed his phone and looked at the time, "Shit...it's four in the morning," he announced and softly laughed.

She slowly sat up, "Oh My God, seriously?!

"Yeah." He then stretched, "Want me to help you clean up this mess?"

She softly laughed, "It's only a box and two cups. I think I can handle it." She then grinned, "Unless you're looking for a reason to stay longer?"

He smirked, "Maybe I am." He then pulled her into him again and his lips met with hers, "I really don't want to leave," he murmured over her mouth.

She smiled, "The feeling is mutual I can assure you." She sighed and rested her head against his chest, "Do you really need to go?"

His fingers combed through her hair and he groaned, "Unfortunately."

She looked at him and pouted, "Boo."

He smiled and put his hand on top of hers, "Want to walk me to the door?"

She smiled, "Of course." They both stood up and she walked him to the front door. Was it weird that he hadn't even left yet, but she already missed him? She wanted to see him as soon as she could, "So...is there any chance I can see you tomorrow?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

"Tomorrow?" He was quiet for a few seconds, "Well, the guys and I have this photo shoot to do for The Rolling Stones cover."

The Rolling Stones? Shit. That's huge, "Oh wow! The Rolling Stones? That's awesome!" She then shrugged with a small smile, "Maybe another time then?"

He could sense the disappointment in her voice, even though she tried to sound excited for him. He knew the guys probably were going to scold him for ditching the meeting, but he decided he didn't care. He hasn't been this happy in a while and he was going to do all he could to see her.

"Hey, is tomorrow after five good?"

She felt her lips stretch out into a full blown smile, "Yeah!" She then realized how excited she sounded and smiled bashfully, "That sounds great."

He snickered, "Good." He pulled her into him and his arms locked around her and she was pressed against him, "This sucks. I really don't want to leave," he said with a horse laugh.

She smiled and held onto him a little tighter as her head rested against his chest, "I know, I don't want you to go either...but I'm not sure when Vicky will be home."

He had completely forgotten about her...he wished that she lived alone. If she lived alone at least he would be able to spend the night...actually if he spent the night, he wouldn't be doing much sleeping that was for sure.

He let out a snort, "Yeah...that probably wouldn't be good if she came home while I was still here."

She shook her head and coughed out a hard laugh, "Nope...you would probably get raped."

His hands slithered down to her waist and his fingers hooked onto the belt loops, "If anyone rapes me, I want it to be you."

She smirked, "I thought you couldn't rape the willing?"

He laughed and his lips went to her ear, "Only one way to find out."

She felt as chills ran throughout her and her lower region once again yearned for his touch, "That was mean."

He laughed, "What was?"

She smirked and shook her head, "Like you don't know."

His lips turned lopsided and he gently pressed his forehead against hers, "You know...I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow."

She couldn't contain her smile as she replied with, "Me too."

His lips then connected with hers and her mouth opened like a rose. His arms constricted around her once more as his tongue went after hers. He lost his footing and his back fell against the door, but that wasn't enough to part their lips. His hands moved up to her head and tangled in her hair as his mouth engulfed hers. She softly moaned and that caused his throbbing member to stir.

"You're making it so much harder for me to leave."

"I'm sorry," she muttered over his lips. "Do you want me to stop?"

He grinned, "Not at all." He heavily sighed, "But if I don't stop now, I don't think you'll ever get me to leave."

"Is that such a bad thing?" She breathed.

He softly laughed, "You don't realize it...but you're a tease. I want to do so much to you...being on good behavior isn't as easy as it looks."

She laughed, "I'm sorry...okay, I'll stop."

He smirked, "Just for tonight."

His lips once again latched onto hers and she moaned as he grabbed onto her hips and gradually grinded against her so she could feel his rigid area. She tried to hold back the soft moan as he levitated his groin. She could feel as her lower region began to grow hot; she hasn't been this turned on by a man in a while. She refused to give in, she couldn't give in. But hell, she wanted to. He grinned once he saw the indulged look across her face.

"Mmm, see I can be a tease too." She looked up at him completely staggered and his lips curled upward, "Goodnight, Baby Angel," he murmured before pulling away. He stepped from the door and opened it, "Text me anytime."

She could feel her stomach tumble from the sweet nickname. She nodded, "You know I will. I'll text you before I go to sleep...goodnight."

He stepped forward to sneak one last kiss. His hand held her chin as his tongue gently flicked at hers, "Goodnight." He looked at her once more and smiled before he shut the door behind him.

She pressed her back against it and let out a loud sigh. Did that really just happen? The butterflies in her stomach were still flying madly within her. Her heart was beating out of control and she thought she was going to have a mini heart attack. Nick Carter was just in her apartment...and he confessed his attraction to her. He thought she was beautiful...he even kissed her and oh wow did he ever kiss her! She closed her eyes and touched her swollen lips. In between her legs felt hot as he rubbed up against her...she ran a hand through her tangled hair. She closed her eyes as she only could imagine how it would have felt if he actually touched her down there. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she thought about it...she was actually quite impressed with herself. She couldn't believe how much self-control she had. She knew if he stayed any longer, she would have lost it and ended up doing things to him that she would most likely regret later on. Or would she?

Suddenly she was yanked from her state of bliss when she heard a car screech into the driveway. She jumped up and before she had any time to react, the door flung open. She looked up to see Kenzie and Vicky stumbling in.

Nick couldn't have left a moment too soon, but she didn't have time to clean up the mess...there were two cups. Hopefully they were too drunk to notice, "What...what are you doing here?" She asked as she tried to control the anxiety in her voice, "I thought you were going to the club to meet up with AJ and Nick?"

"That fucker didn't even show!" Snapped Vicky.

"Who cares?!" Laughed Kenzie, "AJ was there...and my God was he nice."

"It's 'cause he wanted to get in your fucking pants!" Jealousy screamed through her words, "I can't believe you actually fell for that act."

She glared at her with her drunken green eyes, "What's your deal? I'm sorry he liked me, but that shouldn't matter to you anyway. Plus, I think it's a good thing Nick wasn't there. Ian would have felt really out of place." She then paused before saying, "You guys were in the bathroom awfully long," and a small smirk formed around her lips. "Hmm...I wonder what you were doing."

Vicky couldn't control the smug grin, "Let's just say that brother of yours can work it."

"Lovely," mumbled Kimberly as she grabbed the cups.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Shouted Vicky, "Sad that you'll never get any? Geeze."

She shot her a hard scowl. If only she knew the truth; she could have gotten plenty tonight. She decided to ignore her and ask, "So where is Ian anyway? Did you ditch him for AJ?"

"No," she hissed. "He got a call and now has to work early in the morning so he left early." Vicky stared at her suspiciously, "What are you doing up so late anyway?" She then noticed the two cups in her hand, "Why do you have two drinks?"

She could feel her anxiety become intense as she stared at her drunken roommate. She had to think of an excuse and quick. Finally she just shrugged, "No particular reason. The soda was flat in one of them and I didn't feel like washing it."

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Sneered Kenzie.

Vicky shook her head at her, "Wow. Can we say lazy?"

She rather them think that she was lazy than for them to actually know she had company. Her eyes then narrowed as she glowered at Kenzie, "Look, if you must know, I was hungry since I didn't eat with you guys. So I ordered myself a little pizza."

Vicky looked to the coffee table and laughed, "Little? You got a large, Kim! God, you need to cut down what you eat...it's no wonder why you're still single. You don't give it up and you're fat. If you're not gonna give it up then you better start working on your body. You're never going to ever get a man at this rate."

She could feel her eyes sting from her cruel words and even though she knew Vicky was drunk, she could still feel them cut her.

"Ooooh, there's a few pieces left!" Screeched Kenzie and she reached over to grab the cold pizza and bit into a slice, "Mmmm, soooo good!"

Kimberly quickly grabbed the photo from the table, "Well...I'm going to bed. Night, guys."

"You should do some sit ups, it'll help. Seriously Kim, I know what I'm talking about." Vicky looked at her, "I'm only saying this because I'm your friend; you need to lose weight. You're the only fat friend I have...and I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of embarrassing."

Kenzie laughed, "Um...can someone say Jenny Craig?"

She could feel the warm tears make their way down her face and she quickly turned to the staircase. She slowly walked into her room and laid down on the bed. She put a hand over her face and tried to stop the tears. She knew she shouldn't let what they say get to her; especially since she knew they were wrong...she could get a man. She learned that tonight.

She sniffed and looked at the photo of the Backstreet Boys and reread what Nick had written. A ghost of a smile hit her lips; he thought she was beautiful. She would never understand why Vicky tried to belittle her and make her feel less than what she was worth.

She quickly grabbed her phone and added his number that was written on the photo.

Hi Nick, it's Kim. I told you I would text you before I went to bed :-p I had a really nice time chatting with you...among other things ;-) You really made me feel great about myself. Basically...thanks for being awesome

She wiped her eyes and put her phone aside as she knew she probably wouldn't hear from him tonight. She got up from the bed and began to undress and shut off the light. She laid back and pulled the blankets over her. She could still feel the warm liquid run down her face and onto the pillow. She wished so badly she could just leave. She hated living with Vicky. She hated the way she treated her and how she made her feel. Her theories were true; since she wasn't a stick thin model she would never fit into her little circle of friends. She knew she shouldn't be too upset about that. All Vicky's friends were stuck up and didn't care about anyone else but themselves. She missed Toni so much...what she would do to be near her. The more she thought about her best friend, the more tears she shed. Her phone then beeped and she jumped and quickly grabbed it to see a text message. She could not contain the smile that broke out across her face as she read it.

I should be thanking you! You helped me get a lot of shit off my mind. I had a good time too. Mmm...boy, did I sure like those other things lol And don't give me all the credit. You're pretty damn awesome yourself. I'm glad I made you feel good. Like I said you're hot and I swear I'll make you see it. Mmm, thanks for messaging me before bed...that's a nice image. Goodnight Baby Angel I can't wait to see you tomorrow ;-)

Suddenly all the sadness she felt moments before had vanished. She could feel her stomach flip as she read his text message. She might not have been a model or one of those girls that could wear skimpy outfits, but she was the one that caught Nick Carter's attention. She still didn't understand it herself. She smiled widely as she closed her eyes and replayed the night over and over again in her mind. She could feel her body tingle with joy as she remembered their kiss, the way he spoke to her. Not even her roommate would be able to ruin the blissful feeling she felt.