“Wow, it’s loud in here!” said Rayanne as she sat down beside LeighAnne in their first row seats.

“Oh, this is nothing. Wait until it starts!”

They talked while they waited for the show to start. Rayanne was so excited she could barely sit still during the opening acts. Finally, about an hour and a half after they got there the guys came out. The concert was amazing, Rayanne loved every second of it. During “I Want It That Way” Nick blew her a kiss.

It came from behind her. Rayanne didn’t even bother to turn around to see who exactly the comment came from.

“Oh doesn’t she just think she’s special, getting to sit in the front and Nick blowing her a kiss. Right, she probably wishes they were real kisses and not ones that float through the air.”

Rayanne smiled to herself, keeping her secret. She did get real kisses, but it wasn’t any of that girl’s business. When the concert was over LeighAnne grabbed Rayanne’s arm. “We gotta go quickly.” she said. “Or we’ll get trampled.”

“OK.” Rayanne giggled.

Backstage Rayanne got to meet a few of the people who had been lucky enough to get passes. They were all really nice and calm, not at all like Rayanne had expected. She had fun, but started to get a headache after about half an hour. When everyone had left and only management and friends were left lingering, Nick reached over and took her hand.

“Well, that’s it. Three hours in the life of me.” he laughed. “The guys are going to a club tonight. Wanna go or just hang out in the room?”

“Let’s go.”

“I have to go upstairs and change quick. Coming?”

“Yeah.”

Nick found AJ and let him know they planned on going. They decided to meet in his room in half an hour.

*At the club*
The music was loud and the club was packed. Rayanne had taken off her sweater and was wearing her black skirt with the white tank top, and dancing with LeighAnne and AJ to Mambo #5. Nick and Brian sat at the table watching them, talking to each other. Kevin and Howie were at the bar getting everyone drinks.

“Vodka and lemonade for me.” Nick had said.

“Umm, how about a spritzer, red wine and 7-Up.”

“Ray, wine is pretty strong, ya sure that’s what you want?” Nick had asked cautiously.

“Yes.” she said smiling as she planted a kiss on his nose. “I’m only having one, don’t worry about me.”

Everyone was done with their first drinks and the guys had gone to get a second round. They walked back with a tray and set it on the table next to the one Nick and Brian were perched at watching their girlfriends dance. The song ended and the girls and AJ walked over to the rest of the group.

“I got everyone another drink.” Kevin said.

Rayanne looked at Nick. “Looks like I’m having two.” she smiled.

She sat on his lap as everyone sat around the table talking and sipping their drinks.

The song Too Close by Next came on and Rayanne jumped up. “Come on! Let’s dance!” She set her drink down, grabbed Nick by the hand and led him out onto the dance floor. Everyone followed.

The seven of them danced in a circle before Nick turned to face Rayanne and put one arm around her waist. He let the other one dangle at his side. She put her arm around his neck and let her other one hang at her side like his. He put his face close to hers and gave her a kiss. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. A grin crept onto his face.

“Ready to dance?” he asked.

“You know it.” she smiled back.

Nick pulled her body closer to his and rubbed against her. She put her head against his neck, running her hand up and down it, then his back. The rest of the group formed a circle around then singing and dancing.

When the song was over Howie and Kevin walked back to sit down at the table. There were two girls there waiting for them. They seemed nice enough so Kevin and Howie decided to sit and talk to them for a while.

We Like To Party was the next song the DJ played. Rayanne, Nick, LeighAnne, Brian and AJ danced in a circle. The song came to an end and I Want It That Way started.

“Oooh, I like this song a lot! Who sings this?” Rayanne joked to LeighAnne over Nick’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Howie and Kevin got up to come dance to the song and brought their new friends with them. LeighAnne and Brian danced close next to Nick and Rayanne.

“But we are two worlds apart, can’t reach to your heart, when you say, that I want it that way.”

When Nick’s part came on he sang loudly enough for the rest of them to hear him. The guys took the hint and AJ, Howie, Kevin and the two girls Rayanne didn’t know formed a circle around Rayanne, Nick, LeighAnne and Brian.

Nick slowed his dancing down and kissed Rayanne, softly and gently at first, then more passionately as the others sang around them. Rayanne heard AJ’s voice, close to her. “Am I, your fire, your one desire? Yes I know, it’s too late, but I want it that way. Tell me why...”

Nick pulled away from her to join the others in singing. “Ain’t nothing but a heartache, tell me why, ain’t nothing but a mistake, tell me why, I never wanna hear you say, I want it that way.”

Rayanne looked over to see Brian whispering in LeighAnne’s ear. She felt Nick’s warm breath against her neck as he sang quietly. His lips touched her skin softly, so softly she could barely feel them. She closed her eyes and held him close. He stopped singing and kissed her neck...her ear. She pulled away from his touch so they were face to face. She kissed his nose softly then brought her lips to his. She loved how soft his lips were and how special he made her feel. The song ended, but they didn’t pull away immediately, but held each other close for a few extra seconds.

During the walk back to the hotel Nick reached down for Rayanne’s hand, interlocking his fingers with hers. She leaned on his arm, exhausted from the long night they had had. She couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel and go to bed.

He unlocked the door and she stumbled into the room. She flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes.

“I have to pee, but I’m too tired to get up.” she complained with a giggle, her eyes still closed. She didn’t hear him coming, but she felt Nick’s strong arms reach under her and pick her up.

“Nickolas! What are you doing?!” she laughed, opening her eyes.

“Taking you to the bathroom.” he said with a grin plastered across his face. He didn’t seem to be very tired.

She lay back in his arms and enjoyed the 5 second free ride to the bathroom. He set her down and reached down to pick up his toothbrush. He carefully applied a line of toothpaste to the brush and began brushing his pearly whites. Rayanne sat on the toilet seat and watched him.

“I can’t pee with you in here.” she said matter-of-factly.

“And why is that? I’m not gonna stare. I am not a pig Rayanne Elizabeth Winters.” he said through his mouthful of Crest.

She couldn’t help but laugh. “He is my boyfriend, and he is busy brushing his teeth.” she reasoned with herself.

“Fine, I’ll go, it’s not like I can hold it anymore anyway.” she said pretending to be mad.

“Is everyday like today was?” she asked from her spot on the toilet. “Ahhh, now I feel better.”

“Yeah, basically, but we don’t always go out afterwards. We don’t get to sleep in everyday either, sometimes we have promos or meet-n-greets early in the day.”

Rayanne stood up and flushed the toilet. She walked over to the sink where Nick was putting his toothbrush away. She grabbed hers and started brushing. He walked out into the bedroom as she put her toothbrush away and pulled her hair back into a ponytail to wash her face. She heard the TV click on as she rinsed her face with warm water.

She switched the light off and walked out of the bathroom. She walked to Nick, sitting on the bed, and kissed him.

“I’m not tired anymore sweetie.” she smiled.

“Uh oh! Does that mean I have to entertain you?” he teased.

“Nope, it just means you have to stay awake and talk to me. By the way, do you have some shorts I can wear? I guess in that whole huge bag of clothes I brought I forgot to back any shorts to sleep in when it’s hot.”

“Yup. I sure do.” he said as he walked over and opened a drawer. “You have to wear green though.” he said with a sly grin on his face. He pulled out a pair of his boxers and threw them to her.

The boxers landed on the bed. She bent down to pick them up, took a seat on the bed and kicked off her clogs. She took off her sweater and pulled the shorts up under her black skirt. She pulled her skirt down over the shorts and put all her dirty clothes in her bag. She stood up on the bed.

“What do you wanna do?” she asked him, wide awake.

“You look so cute in those big green shorts and that little white tank top.” he said.

“Oh, ya think I’m cute do ya?”

“Yeah. Wanna make something of it?”

“You wanna fight, don’t ya Nickolas Gene.”

“I’ll take ya down Rayanne Elizabeth.”

“Brat.”

“Snot.”

“Dipshit.”

“Dumbass.” Rayanne was laughing so hard she could barely stand up. Nick jumped up on the bed and knocked her legs out from underneath her. She fell to the bed with him on top of her. He pinned her arms and legs to the bed.

“Whadya think you’re going to do now?” he asked grinning, his face close to hers.

“This.” she said as she lifted her head to kiss him.

He forgot he had her pinned and as he kissed her back, his hands came off her arms. She took advantage of his weakness and poked him in the ribs and tickled.

“No fair, you distracted me.” he said defensively.

“You’re gonna tell me you didn’t like it?”

“That’s not what I said. Come on, let’s turn off the lights and go to bed. You can distract me some more if you want to.” he grinned and kissed her nose.

They got off the bed and Nick went to make sure the door was locked and turn off the light. Rayanne pulled the covers back on the bed and climbed in. He got in next to her and used the remote to turn the TV off. She felt his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close. In the dark she reached up and felt his face gently. She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled his face close, and kissed him, letting her tongue slip into his mouth. He kissed her back, putting his hands on her back, inside her tank top.

“You looked beautiful tonight.” he said pulling away briefly.

“Thank you Nick. Not just for saying that, but for everything. I had so much fun tonight.”

He leaned in and kissed her again. His hands were inside her tank top, caressing her back. She put her hands on his chest, feeling his bare skin. She reached down and gently pulled his boxers down just a bit. She rubbed her fingertips lightly over the newly revealed skin. He pulled away from her lips to kiss her neck gently, moving to her ear.

“I love you Rayanne Elizabeth Winters.” he whispered in his ear.

“I love you too Nickolas Gene Carter.”

She kissed him on the lips, passionately. He brought his hands down from her back to the spot where his boxers met her skin. He gently pulled the shorts away with his hands and she felt his gentle touch on her stomach, then her thighs. She kissed him back, as she felt his fingers slip inside her.

“Mmm, Nick. I want you.” she said.

“Ray, I don’t think we should.” he said pulling his hand back up to touch her cheek gently.

“Nick, I love you. And I know you love me. Why shouldn’t we?”

“I think it’s too soon. I do love you, that’s not it. It’s not that I don’t want to do this, because I do. I just think we should wait, and anyway, the longer we wait the better it will be.” he said with a grin and kissed her forehead.

“I know baby. Thank you.” she said as she closed her eyes.

“Now let’s get some sleep.”

They lay in silence for a few minutes. Nick was almost asleep when Rayanne whispered something so softly he could barely hear her.

“I do want you Nick. To be my first.”