*I held back/ For so long/ I couldn't let go of myself/ Now I know/ That I was so wrong/ My life's not complete without you/ I'm giving you all of me/ My heart soul and mind/ I'm down on my knees/ Arms open to you/ You are all I need/ I'm nothing without you/ You're the air I breathe/ Oh I'm giving you all of me*
~Flashback~
"Ring!" The cry of the telephone pierced the relative quiet of the condo.
"Shit!" Kylie Reed ran into the kitchen, her sock clad feet slipping on the linoleum, long red hair flying and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" She said, breathless from her run down the stairs from her room.
"Ky? Is that you?" A pleasant male voice asked.
"Howie? Hey you!" Kylie's face brightened. "Where are you?"
"Over the Atlantic still, I think. We have about 40 minutes until we land in Orlando." He answered.
"That's great. I missed my best friend."
"I missed you, too." Howie said, thinking how long it had been since he'd seen his best friend. "I have a surprise for you."
"For me?" Kylie asked, surprised. "What?"
"Uh-uh! You'll find out when I get there."
Kylie pouted. "Okay. I'll see you in a couple of hours, I guess, hey?"
"Yep, that sounds about right. Later, girl."
"Bye Howie." She clicked the end button and placed the phone back on the charger. Normally it would take an hour to get from where Howie was to her home in Orlando, but then, Howie's life wasn't normal. Kylie always gave at least an extra hour to account for fans. That's what you get when you're best friends with a Backstreet Boy.
Almost exactly two hours later the buzzer for Kylie's condo rang. Once again she slid into the kitchen to hit the button on the intercom.
"Hello?"
"Hey Ky. It's me." Came Howie's voice.
"Hey Howie. C'mon in." Kylie said and hit the button to unlock the front door.
She held the button for a few more seconds to make sure he was in the building then ran to unlock the dead bolt on her door. Then she walked into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. A minute later there was a quiet knock on the door.
"You can come in, Howie. It's unlocked." She called. She heard the door open and shut.
"Ky? Where are you?" Howie called from the entryway.
"I'm in the kitchen. Come on in, Howie. You know it's not formal in my house." Kylie called from the kitchen. She turned towards the kitchen door when she heard him enter the room. She fought to cover her surprise when he was followed by a tall (compared to her), thin blonde with large breasts.
"Ky, I want you to meet my new girlfriend, Stephanie. Steph, this is my best friend, Kylie." Howie was beaming. Kylie swallowed her shock and smiled at the woman.
"Hi. It's nice to meet you." Kylie said, extending her hand towards Stephanie.
"Hello." She made no move to take Kylie's hand, a look of irritation on her face.
Howie was oblivious to this exchange. "Hey Ky, can I borrow your bathroom?"
"Of course. You know where it is." Kylie nodded and Howie walked upstairs, leaving the two women alone in the kitchen.
"So you're the one Howie goes on and on about." Stephanie sneered. "You can forget about having him now, because he's mine."
"Excuse me?" Kylie was shocked, disbelief at what she'd just heard on her face.
"You heard what I said." Stephanie said, her voice grating on Kylie's nerves. "You can forget about him."
Just then they heard Howie's footsteps on the stairs as he descended. The ugly look on Stephanie's face disappeared as he came into the room.
"You two girls getting to know each other?" He asked, oblivious to the tension in the room.
"Of course, baby." Stephanie simpered. "But don't we have to be at your parent's house soon?" She asked sweetly.
"Whoa. You're right." He exclaimed, glancing at his watch. "I guess we better go, Ky."
"That's okay. I guess I'll talk to you later, Howie." Kylie forced a smile at her best friend.
"Yeah. We will." He hugged her, while Stephanie shot an angry look at Kylie over his shoulder.
"Bye Howie." Kylie said as she let them out the door.
"Later, Ky." Howie called back as he walked down the hallway.
Kylie shut the door and turned to her cat, Shadow, who was lounging on the couch. "Can you believe it?" She cried, as though the cat would answer. "Oh my God! I never would have believed it unless I had seen it with my own eyes." She sat down on the couch, confused at the feeling of sadness and pain that coursed through her.
"That's it." She declared. "I'm phoning AJ." She walked into the kitchen and hit #2 on the speed dial, number one being Howie's number.
"Y'ello?" AJ's voice rasped through the phone.
"J? It's Kylie."
"Hey girl. Long time no see. Wassup?" He asked.
"Not much. Howie was just here." She explained. "J, this is going to sound a little funny, but what do you think of Stephanie?" She heard AJ sigh at the question.
"What do I think of Stephanie?" He repeated.
"Yeah." Kylie replied. "And be straight with me. Don't beat around the bush."
"Okay." AJ sighed again. "She's a bitch. Flat out. She's using Howie, but he won't listen to us when we try and tell him what she's up to. She wants him to get her demo in to Jive and that's all she wants him for."
"I should have known. Damnit!" Kylie cursed.
"But what can we do? He won't listen to us. I guess we just have to wait until he sees it for himself." AJ groaned. "And that could take forever."
~End Flashback~
~Two months later~
Kylie cursed as she stepped out of the shower. The phone was ringing. 'I need another phone' She said to herself as she ran down the stairs in her robe, almost falling as she slid across the kitchen floor to the phone.
"Hello?" She asked, out of breath.
"Kylie?" Howie asked quietly. Kylie stopped combing her wet hair. She'd never heard him sound like that before.
"Howie? What's wrong?" She asked, worried.
"I don't want to talk about it on the phone. Can I come over?"
"Sure. Come right over. I'm not going any where."
"Okay. I'll be there in about 15 minutes." Howie's voice was strained, making Kylie wonder what on earth could be wrong.
*You felt my tears/ Heard my cries/ You were there in my time of need/ But I turned away/ Ran to hide/ And now it's you/ That I wanna see/ Giving you all of me/ My heart soul and mind/ I'm down on my knees/ Arms open to you/ You are all I need/ I'm nothing without you/ You're the air I breathe/ Oh I'm giving you all of me*
After hanging up the phone Kylie raced back upstairs to get dressed. Digging in her dresser drawers she threw on her shiny lavender jeans and a plain white t-shirt. She left her long red hair tumbling free down her back and didn't bother with make-up. As she was making her way down the stairs the buzzer rang and she ran for the kitchen.
"Howie?" She asked, pressing the intercom button.
"Yeah, it's me."
"Come in. And my door's unlocked, come right in, okay?" She said.
"'Kay." He replied. Kylie pressed the button to unlock the door, then went to wait in the living room. A minute later she heard him enter the condo. She got to her feet and walked into the entryway. She gasped when she saw him. He hadn't looked that bad since Caroline had died. And his eyes. The look in his eyes shook her to the core.
"Howie?" She asked, worriedly searching his eyes. "What happened?"
"Can we go sit down?" He asked quietly, as though trying to hold back tears.
"Yeah. Come on." She took his hand, shocked at how cold it was, and led him to the living room and sat him down on the couch. "What happened? Howie, you know you can tell me anything."
"She used me."
"What?" Kylie asked, shocked.
"Stephanie. She used me." He repeated. "I thought she was something special but all she wanted was to get her demo in to Jive." His face crumbled and tears filled his dark brown eyes.
"Oh Howie." Kylie's blue eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around him.
That was all it took for him to break down. His shoulders shook as sobs racked his body, his face buried in her hair. Kylie caressed his back, murmuring softly to him, gently stroking his dark curls while he cried. After a few minutes his tears began to subside. He pulled away slightly, obviously embarrassed that he'd been crying.
"Howie. It's okay." Kylie said softly, gently brushing tears from his cheeks. "You have every right to cry. And don't ever think that I'd think worse of you because you gave in to your emotions." She whispered, reading his mind.
He looked into her eyes, tears still clinging to his eyelashes, feeling her soft hand brushing away his tears. Before he could stop himself he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers in a soft, sweet kiss. A second later he pulled away, and moved as if to get up, his cheeks red with embarrassment. Before he could get to his feet Kylie caught his hand and pulled him back to her, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was soft and deep. His surprise fading, Howie responded, pulling her closer to him and engulfing her slight form in his strong embrace. Slowly Howie's mouth left hers to trail soft kisses down her throat, a sigh escaping her lips as he did so.
Kissing his way back up to her mouth his lips parted hers as he slipped his warm tongue into her mouth. His tongue caressed hers gently unleashing a desire she didn't know she had.
"Howie." She gasped as his warm hands slipped under her t-shirt and slid up her back. Suddenly, she pulled away, slipping out of her t-shirt and returning to Howie's arms. His lips caressed the soft skin of her shoulder as she gently tugged his shirt out of the waist of his jeans. He pulled away long enough to slip it over his head and returned to his task. He laid her back on the couch, looking at her with new eyes. His lips kissed and caressed the tops of her breasts, his hands cupping them through her bra, causing her nipples to harden.
"Kylie." He groaned softly as she unbuckled his belt and undid his jeans, sliding them down his hips. At the same time he popped the button on her jeans and slid the zipper down, pulling them down over her hips and tossing them to the floor. Seconds later his own joined them. She sat up as he stood before her, his obvious erection tenting his boxers. He was beautiful, his tanned skin smooth and soft, his stomach muscles tight. Wordlessly she reached for him, pulling him down on top of her, gasping at the sensation of his bare skin against hers. His lips were on hers again, his tongue caressing hers gently, building the heat between their bodies. Kylie arched towards him and he slid his hands to her back, easily unhooking the clasp of her bra. He cast it on the floor, baring her breasts to his gaze.
"God, Kylie, you're so beautiful. So beautiful." He murmured, before cupping her breasts in his hands, taking a hard nipple into his mouth and caressing it with his tongue, gently rolling and teasing the other with his fingers. She arched into his mouth, shocked at the sensations he was causing in her. Without a word he moved his mouth to the other breast, giving the nipple the same attention he had given the first. Her fingers tangled in his soft curls, urging his closer.
"Oh God. Howie." She gasped. "I want you now. Please." She begged. Barely able to stand the wait himself, he complied, gently stripping her panties from her and sliding a finger along her wet slit. She gasped and rocked her hips towards his hand, begging him to put out the fire he'd started in her. He slipped his finger firmly into her hot core, gently rubbing her clit with his thumb. Without warning she exploded, waves of pleasure crashing over her body.
"Howie! Oh God. Howie!" She cried out with the force of her orgasm. When the waves subsided he removed his hand, giving her a moment to recover as he stepped out of his boxers, revealing his large erection. Without a word he knelt between her legs. But before he pushed into her he looked up into her eyes.
"Kylie. Are you sure?"
"Yes, Howie. Yes."
Slowly he pressed into her waiting body, burying himself up to the hilt inside her, gasping as he felt her warmth surrounding him. Once he was all the way in he stopped for a moment, kissing her swollen lips, allowing her to get used to his size. After a few seconds she couldn't take it any more and started to move against him.
"Howie. Make love to me." She breathed, caught with him in a web of passion. Gently he began to move inside her, his hard penis caressing her insides in a way she'd never dreamed possible. Kylie wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him deeper inside. She could feel her climax building as he stroked faster and harder as the minutes went by.
"Howie." Kylie cried out as the first waves of pleasure washed over her and her body tightened around him, leading him to his release. He thrust quickly, tensing as he poured himself into her warm body. Breathing raggedly they lay on the couch, covered with a fine sheen of sweat.
'It's never been like this.' A voice in his head spoke, echoing her thoughts.
"Kylie." He whispered, when he could speak again. "I love you. It took all of this to realize it, but I love you."
"I love you, Howie." She said softly. "I always have." She kissed him, a soft kiss that told him exactly how she felt.
*I was so smart/ Thought I could make it on my own/ Now I'm giving you all of my heart/ I can't do this all on my own/ All of me/ My heart soul and mind/ I'm down on my knees/ Arms open to you/ You are all I need/ I'm nothing without you/ You're the air I breathe/ Oh I'm giving you all of me/ You're all I need/ Oh I'm giving you all of me/ Oh you're all I need/ Oh I'm giving you all of me*
*Song credit: All Of Me by Streetnix*
