“Man, I seriously thought they were never gonna shut up,” Nick Carter exclaimed as he strolled out of the conference room with his bandmate after their never ending conference call did finally came to an end.

“I know right,” the older man agreed, pulling his pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans.

“Probably wouldn’t have been so long had you not been late,” he glanced to Alex as they headed down the hall towards the lobby, “they did it on purpose to punish us.”

Alex sighed and fiddled with the pack of his cigarettes. “I know and I’m sorry. I seriously thought the meeting was tomorrow.”

“Next time, check your schedule.”

“Thanks for the advice.” He chuckled low and pulled a cigarette from the pack, stuffing it back into his pocket.

“We can schedule reminder calls for you.”

Alex chuckled again and flipped his friend off in a good natured manner. “I’ll be on time for the next one.”

“Maybe it’s your old age; you’re getting up there, my friend.”

“If I may remind you, you’re right behind me.”

“No need in that; I know how old I am.”

“Good.” Alex stuck the unlit cigarette between his lips and withdrew his lighter. “I’m gonna step outside and have a smoke, you heading out?”

Nick shook his head. “Not yet, there’s a few things I need to wrap up first.”

“Aight, I’ll catch ya later then.” He gave a nod towards his younger friend then headed for the double doors and pushed them open, exiting into the bright sunlight.

Once again, cursing that he’d forgotten his shades, he stepped to the side and lit up his cigarette. The pain in his head from his earlier fall had faded to a dull ache which the bright sunlight wasn’t helping and his elbow had grown stiff. The jacket had done its job though and no one had seen or suspected anything about the tear in his shirt. He was hoping he’d run into this Karis chick again so it could be returned.

Karis. The thought of her made his breath catch and he could feel the pulse in his neck throbbing. The effect she seemed to have on him was puzzling and he was afraid to think on it too much. Why even delve into that when he was happy and content with his life? Never mind that they’d had two separate encounters within a few days. Happenstance? Maybe. But Alex wasn’t going to go there; not today, not ever.

“Thinking about me?”

He nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sudden voice that cut through his thoughts. Glancing over, he felt his stomach bottom out at the sight of the beautiful blonde perched on the railing.

“Did I scare you?” Amusement glinted in her eyes and Alex had to force himself to take a breath.

“You could say that.”

She gave a low giggle. “I thought you saw me.”

“I was in my own little world.”

“Somewhere important?”

Alex took a slow drag of his cigarette. “Not really.”

“It looked like you were in deep thought. You didn’t even hear my approach.”

He tried to keep a cool demeanor despite his racing heart. “It was just work stuff, really.”

Karis gave a nod, a tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “How’d the jacket work out?”

Alex flicked his cigarette ash, glancing to the brown leather jacket he still wore. “It was perfect; no one suspected a thing.”

“Told you.” She lifted a leg in a gesture towards him.

The grin wouldn’t stay away. “You’re so smart.”

“Mmhmm.” Her blue eyes danced. “So, are you done with your meetings?”

“I am.” He inhaled his cigarette, relishing in the feel of the smoke entering his lungs.

“Good.” She slipped from the railing and stood before him; the top of her head coming just under his nose.

Alex watched her, taking the last few drags of his cigarette before snubbing it out in the ashtray that encircled the nearby trashcan. “Why is that good?”

“Because meetings are boring.”

He had to chuckle. “That’s true.”

“And who wants to do boring stuff?” She reached out and caught his wrist in her hand. “C’mon.”

Alex blinked as she gently tugged him along towards the stairs. “Wh…where are we going?”

“Away from here.” She made it to the stairs then led him quickly down them.

“I…” He was speechless. Who was this girl and what exactly was going on here?

She continued through the parking lot toward her Jeep. “I… what?”

He shrugged, not sure what to say; his mind was clouding up already. “Do…um…what…where are we going?”

“Sometimes people think too much.” She reached her vehicle and unlocked it.

Alex chuckled low. “Are you kidnapping me?”

She gave a laugh that made his heart skip a beat and pulled the passenger door open. “If I have to.” Her eyes raked him over. “And I do have some very convincing ways.”

“Oh, I bet you do,” he muttered as he slipped into the Jeep, fully picking up on what she was implying.

“Mmhmm.” Karis shut the door then crossed to the other side and slipped in behind the wheel. She pulled a pair of shades from the console between the seats and slipped them on then started the vehicle and pulled from the parking spot. “I know you find me attractive.”

Alex blinked and looked at her, feeling his stomach pitch. “Um…say what?”

She gave a casual shrug and turned out onto the main road. “You find me attractive.”

His head was already reeling; had he given anything away that would make her think that? He hadn’t thought so. In fact, he’d been trying hard to show that he didn’t. Of course he did; how could he not? She was gorgeous and had a smile that could light up a room, not to mention her laugh sent goosebumps down his spine.

“Ooh, and he takes the silent route.” She chuckled low and ran a hand through her hair.

Alex gave a low laugh, rubbing his jaw. “I don’t even know you.”

“You have to know someone to think they’re attractive?”

“Well, no…”

“I think you’re pretty damn hot.”

“Well, that’s cuz I am.” He sent her a smirk.

“And cocky too.”

Alex chuckled. “I’m not cocky, I’m confident.”

“Cocky, confident, same diff.” She shrugged it off. “What do you think it means that we keep running into each other?”

“Is it supposed to mean something? Maybe just coincidence.”

Her sapphire eyes cut to him. “There are no such things as coincidences.”

“Oh really?” He shifted his body towards hers. “You don’t believe in coincidence?”

“Nope.” she took a corner, the air fluttering in through the open windows and blowing through her hair, causing the scent of her shampoo to fill his senses.

Alex had to force himself to take a breath again. “Why don’t you?”

Karis looked his way. “Because everything has a purpose, no matter how little or stupid it may seem.” She shrugged her slender shoulders. “Sometimes that reason isn’t known right away or even at all. But it’s there.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because it’s true. If you think about it, everything that’s happened to you that you believe is a coincidence….something good has come from it, but it’s also exactly what you needed.” She turned to him as she slowed for a red light.

He watched her. “You have a very interesting outlook in things.”

She shrugged some. “When you discover the real meaning of the things that happen in your life, everything changes.”

“So what does it mean that we keep running into each other?” He brought the conversation back to her question.

“I don’t know, but there’s a reason for it. We just don’t know yet.” Her sparkling blues met his cocoa colored eyes. “We may never know.”

“But it’s not just chance?”

“Nope,” she shook her head, “there’s a reason there somewhere.”

“Hm.” He rubbed his jaw, not sure what to think of that.

Karis chuckled low then started through the intersection once the light changed to green. “How’s your head?”

Alex touched the back of it, feeling the tenderness in the spot he’d smacked it on the ground at. “A little sore, but not bad.”

“That was quite a tumble. I really appreciate you breaking my fall.”

He chuckled. “No problem, it was the least I could do; even though you barreled right into me.”

“Well,” she tilted her head, “I wanted to make sure you saw me.”

He chuckled again. “What were you doing there, anyway? Are you in the business?”

“Nope. My uncle works there; I was dropping off some stuff to him that my aunt had asked me to.”

“Oh.” He nodded some, wondering who her uncle was, but not wanting to seem nosy and grill her for information.

She cast her eyes his way, steering the Jeep off the freeway and onto a two lane highway that ran near the coast. “What were you doing there?”

Alex blinked. “Do you not know who I am?”

“Am I supposed to?”

Of course she wouldn’t; not everyone did. He didn’t know what he’d been thinking assuming she would. Nearly laughing at his stupidity, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, for some reason I had it in my head that you recognized me.”

She laughed lowly, keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them. “Who are you?”

“Um…I’m a Backstreet Boy.”

Karis peeked his way and giggled. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He chuckled some. “AJ McLean, but my friends call me Alex.”

“AJ McLean…so you were the wild one, huh?”

“You know our stuff?”

She chuckled and maneuvered the Jeep off the highway onto a smaller path. “Your older stuff. I’ve danced around my room singing Quit Playing Games way too many times.”

“Somehow, I can believe that.”

She giggled again and finally brought the Jeep to a stop.

“Where are we?” Alex glanced around, noting the overlook they were parked at that probably dropped off over a beach or the ocean itself.

Karis unbuckled and took the keys from the engine. “You ever been cliff diving?”

“Cliff diving? No.”

“Then c’mon.” She slipped from the jeep and tossed her shades back in through the open window.

Alex climbed out, glancing around. “Um, we don’t have any swim suits.”

“Do we need ‘em?” She laughed at the expression on his face and pulled her top up and off, revealing an ivory cami underneath. “We have underwear. They’re about the same coverage wise.”

“True.” He chuckled and began stripping from his shirt.

Soon they were both in their skivvies and Alex had to control himself not to let his mind wander. She looked gorgeous on her pale pink lace bra and matching panties and it took quite a bit of willpower to force his gaze away and think about anything other than the nearly naked woman next to him.

“Are you ready?” She questioned, breaking through his thoughts.

Alex peered out over the edge of the cliff. “Is this safe?”

“Yes,” she gave a laugh that filled his soul and touched his shoulder, “I’ve jumped from here before. Are you scared?”

His dark eyes met her sparkling ones and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe a little bit.”

“You scared of heights?”

“Not so much as breaking every bone in my body from some jagged rocks.”

She giggled, her hand smoothing over his upper back. “There aren’t any jagged rocks, I promise.”

“Alright, I’m trusting you.” He eyed her.

She flashed her pearly whites. “Let’s do this.” Then her hand slipped down and found his. “On the count of three.”

Alex wasn’t really sure if he wanted to do this; it was a long way down and the water looked rather dark and murky. Besides, he didn’t know this girl and how in the world had he let her talk him into standing in his boxer shorts on the edge of a cliff? He had to be out of his ever loving mind. Despite that though, there was something that was keeping him there.

“Okay, count of three,” he finally relented.

She grinned. “Okay….one….”

“Two,” Alex joined in, feeling his heart hammering against his ribcage.

“Three,” they chorused together before leaping off the side and sailing through the air into the warm water below.

It enveloped him, surrounding him as he was propelled into the depths of the ocean. He kicked his legs and pushed himself back upwards, breaking the surface and taking in a breath of air.

“Woo, what a rush!” Karis exclaimed from next to him, pushing her long, damp locks from her face.

Alex laughed and shook his head, sending droplets spraying in all directions. “That was sick!”

“I told you!” She giggled and bobbed some in the water, using her legs to keep her afloat.

“You were right!”

“I usually always am.”

He laughed again and kicked his own legs to keep him above the surface. “You ready to go again?”

“You want to?” There was a gleam in her eye.

“Hell yeah! Race you!” He started for the sliver of a shore.

“Ooh, you’re on!” And she was hot on his heels.

They spent the next hour climbing the rocky cliff side and then diving off into the dark waters below, one after another until finally they lay sprawled on the small shoreline, backs in the warm sand and faces pointed to the sun.

Alex couldn’t remember the last time he’d had fun and excitement quite like that; it’d been a long time since he’d let loose and done something crazy and it felt so damn good.

“What are you thinking?”

Her voice chimed from his left and he turned to meet her lively eyes. “That I can’t remember the last time I did something like this.”

“Why’s that?” She shifted to her side, propping her head up with her hand.

Alex gave a shrug. “I don’t know; haven’t had time, I guess.”

“Well then, you have to make time.” She pushed herself up into a sitting position. “You really can’t let life bog you down, because then you’ll wake up at eighty-five wondering where your life went and why you’re some boring, old man who sits on his front porch every day watching the grass grow.”

He chuckled. “That sounds very boring.”

She nodded in agreement. “You have to live a little and not be afraid of doing something out of the ordinary.”

“Now that,” he sat up as well, “is definitely something I’m not afraid of. Look at me,” he held out his tattooed covered arms, “there is nothing ordinary about me.”

She peered him over, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Hmm, okay, I’ll give you that one. But, are you like that still? Or are all those tattoos just stories of a past life?”

He frowned some and studied his arms then brought his dark eyes to her. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “Was that someone you used to be? You said you haven’t had any crazy moments in a long while.”

“Oh,” he watched her a moment, “I just think that I’m calming down and getting settled in a routine.”

Karis made a face. “Routine’s are so boring. It’s the same thing day in and day out, over and over and before you know it twenty years have gone by and you’re still doing the exact same thing. You gotta learn to enjoy life and never take a single moment for granted.” She nudged his arm and flashed a beautiful smile. “Live each moment like it’s your last.”

Alex watched her a moment, mulling her words over in his head. She was right and he used to be that way back in the day. But now he had relaxed and settled into a life with Ainsley and he was happy. But sometimes he still found himself with that itch to let loose and be wild. He never acted on it though because Ainsley was not the type to live spur of the moment or on the edge and she always had to have their trips planned out in detail. Which was okay for the handsome, tattooed man and he didn’t mind it when she would make itineraries or do research on the places they were going to be traveling to, he just went with the flow. But every now and then, taking a bit of a risk or jetting off on a last minute trip sounded nice.

“Are you okay?”

Her words pulled him from his thoughts again and he shook his head to clear his mind. “I’m good, just thinking about what you said.”

“I didn’t mean to turn this fun moment into an in-depth conversation.”

“Hey, I’m still having fun.” He nudged her in a friendly manner.

A brilliant smile lit her face and her eyes seemed to dance at him. “You want to do something really crazy?”

Alex chuckled low. “Depends on how crazy.”

“We could go get tattoos.”

He laughed. “That’s not crazy.”

“Well, I was going to suggest hopping a flight to Vegas, but then thought that might be just a little too wild for you. So I had to improvise.”

“Vegas is my favorite place, what makes you think it’d be too wild?”

Karis shrugged nonchalant. “You said you’re calming down and settling into a routine. Vegas is neither calm or routine.”

“Oh I know all about Vegas, baby.”

Her brow rose. “Care to prove that.”

He couldn’t help the smirk that was tugging at his lips. “I could.”

“I think you should.”

He ran a hand over his face, remembering his girlfriend and thinking this probably was not the best idea. “I’d have to pack and we need to change clothes.”

“Pfft, that’s not spur of the moment live a little. That’s plan it out and call ahead for reservations.”

Alex chuckled. “I just don’t think right now I can do something that spur of the moment. Remember, I haven’t done it in awhile so we have to start with baby steps.”

She laughed low. “Aww, chicken, but okay.” Then she popped up onto her feet. “I have just the thing; come on.” And she was heading for the sharp trail on the cliff that would take them back up to the top.

Soon the two were dressed again and driving along the coast with the wind blowing in through the windows of the jeep. As they rode along, Alex studied her; watching the way her hair blew free around her face and she didn’t seem to mind, the twinkling of her eyes that lit her entire face, the spot of freckles on her shoulder that he had the strongest urge to brush is lips over and her rich laughter that filled his soul. Karis was anything but ordinary, in fact she was like an enigma and he didn’t know what she was going to say or do next.

“What’s the one thing you want most in the world?” She glanced to him, pushing her long locks from her eyes.

He lifted his brows. “To be loved; isn’t that what everyone wants?” She shrugged and he noticed they were moving away from the coastline. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Her eyes danced again and she didn’t bother to disguise the mischievous little grin on her lips.

“What’s the one thing you want most in the world?”

“To never be forgotten.”

“I don’t see that ever happening. I think wherever you go, people take notice.”

She laughed. “I do have that kind of effect, don’t I?”

“You’re the kind of girl that makes friends with everyone, I imagine.”

“Friends are a lot better than enemies. You draw more bees with honey than vinegar.”

“My grandmother used to say that.”

“Your grandmother is a smart woman.”

“Was.”

She faltered and looked his way. “Was?”

Alex nodded some and turned his gaze out his window. “She passed away about nine years ago.”

“I’m so sorry.” She reached out and took his hand in hers. “You two were close?”

“Extremely.” He swallowed back the lump in his throat and focused on their interlocked hands. “It’s been years, but it still gets to me sometimes.”

“The loss of anyone you love or care for can be that way.”

“Have you ever lost anyone?” Karis looked to him again and he frowned at his forwardness and shook his head. “I’m sorry, that’s a very personal question and I have no right to ask it.”

She squeezed his hand then took hers back to help steer the Jeep along the narrow road they had turned on awhile back. “My grandfather passed away two years ago; lung cancer. He struggled with it for years and it finally got the best of him.”

“Gosh, I’m sorry.” He mentally kicked himself for questioning her and bringing all this turmoil up.

“It was hard, but he’s not hurting anymore, so that’s good, right?” Those blue eyes had lost their twinkle and he winced at being the cause.

“He’s in a better place; they both are.”

“Right.” She flashed a forced smile then slowed the Jeep and came to a stop. “We’re here.”

Alex’s dark eyes roamed their surroundings and he noted the farmhouse off in the distance, a barn in the foreground and what appeared to be a stable with a large pen just beside them.

“It’s a horse farm, c’mon.” And then she was taking her keys and climbing from the Jeep.

“We’re going to ride horses?” He questioned as he joined her outside of the vehicle.

“Do you have a problem with that? You ever rode one before?” She strode toward the stables and pushed the lock up on the door then heaved it open.

He pressed his lips together and glanced around for sight of anyone, but found the grounds empty. “Do you even know who owns this place?”

“It’s fine, we’ll have ‘em back before they even notice.” She waved him to follow then stepped past the threshold and into the stable.

Alex was right behind her. “We can’t steal these people’s horses.”

“It’s not stealing,” she smirked at him, “merely borrowing.”

He couldn’t believe they were doing this. “I don’t know, Karis.”

“Oh, come on, no one is going to notice we borrowed two little horses for an hour or so.” She put her hands on her hips. “Are you that much of a goody-goody or are you just chicken?”

He frowned. No one called him a goody-goody or a chicken and got away with it. “Where are the saddles?”