Part Eight

One great thing about having AJ as a best friend was being able to dance with him. He had a way of moving on the dance floor that was almost more erotic than sex. We were dancing, well grinding with each other, in our own little world for hours on end that night at Tabu. The music was thumping through our bodies and we moved as one. On a few occasions Kristen and I switched and I danced up against Kevin while AJ worked his magic on her, but it never failed, I always went back to AJ. Whenever we were together like that it was as if no one else mattered. We weren’t a couple, but if a guy would ask me to dance I’d always say, "I’m with him..." and point to AJ, and he’d do the same if some girl asked him to dance. It was an unspoken understanding that we always stuck together that way, and it suited us both just fine.

I can’t lie and say that when we were drinking and dancing and things got heated up that I didn’t imagine throwing my rules away to attempt hooking up with AJ. But somehow I managed to talk myself out of it each time. I’d decide that grinding up against him on the dance floor and then sleeping curled up next to him at night was enough for me. I didn’t need to complicate things with sex and romance. Romance and commitment weren’t exactly my strong suits.

Lost in AJ’s arms we swayed to a slow song together, my face buried against his chest and his in my neck. I wondered how I was going to handle having him on tour for nearly a whole year without many breaks. Usually their tours would have big chunks of down time between each leg, but with the Black and Blue tour, that was a thing of the past. They’d have down time, but not nearly as much as they’d been used to. A true world tour... I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t actually seen the tour agenda yet, but from what I heard, it was going to be something else.

I lifted my head and looked at AJ quietly for a few minutes before speaking, "Make me a promise?"

"Name it..."

"Promise that this tour won’t pull us apart."

"Why would you say that?"

"I don’t know. I just have a feeling about this tour and it’s not a good feeling. It’s so long, Age... Just promise me that we’ll stay friends even though this is going to be a really long year and we might lose touch more than usual?"

"We’re not going to lose touch..." he smiled.

"Then it shouldn’t hurt you to promise me..." I sighed. "Please?"

"You’re serious aren’t you?" he asked taking my face in his hands. I nodded and looked away from his eyes as I put myself back into his arms and he wrapped them tightly around me. "I promise, baby..."

I closed my eyes not being able to fight the sinking feeling in my heart and tried to hold back the tears that were building. "Thank you..."

We danced quietly for a moment again and then he laughed, "You’re not getting all mushy on me now are you? You’re awfully quiet."

I laughed and looked up at him through partially tear-blurred eyes, "I may be a hard ass, Age, but yes I was getting all mushy on you..."

He pressed his forehead to mine and smiled, "Friends til the end..."

"Or until I find a better replacement..." I smiled and kissed his cheek. We’d been saying that to each other for years, and although to most people it sounded kind of wrong, it fit us perfectly. We knew what it meant to us, and that’s all that mattered.

Seconds later the music changed and once again the lights were brighter and the music loud and fast. AJ and I fell into a familiar groove dancing to the beat pressed against each other laughing and having a blast. The song was a particularly dirty one, which only served to make the way we were dancing X rated too. One of his legs slid between mine and I ground up against it loving the feel of his muscular thigh covered in soft fabric sliding between my bare legs pushing my skirt up. With a grin I turned my back to him and he pulled me back into his body, grinding against me from behind. One hand wrapped around my waist, while the other found the slit in my skirt and ran up and down my leg. I closed my eyes leaning back against him getting into the dance and reached my hands out to touch his legs, his face, and run my fingertips over his arms as his hands played with my body.

I was so lost in the dance that when a second set of hands began to roam my body I didn’t even make the connection of what was happening. Then I felt soft lips touch mine briefly and knew that it couldn’t have been AJ kissing me, for he was still behind me. My eyes shot open as I jumped back nearly knocking AJ over. I was about to yell but then my eyes fell on who’d kissed me, and I was rendered speechless.

Just as gorgeous as ever. Dressed in a blue shirt that brought his eyes out and black pants that accentuated his long legs, I stood there like an idiot lost in his presence. "I didn’t mean to scare you..." he said above the music.

AJ meanwhile stood beside me giggling like an idiot and I glared at him and smacked him, "Ow! Kel! It was funny..."

"Yeah..." I sighed giving him a look. I looked away from him and back to the mesmerizing blue eyes that I could feel taking in my body slowly. "Hi, Nicky..."

"Hey, Kel..." he smiled and stepped towards me for an awkward hug.

"You two dance, I’m beat!" AJ yelled and headed away from us.

"AJ!" I called out in panic.

"I’ll order you another drink. When you two are done come back up to the table."

I reached out and grabbed AJ’s hand, my heart racing, "But, Age, we were dancing..."

"Yeah..." he laughed.  "And we’ve been dancing all night, and we’ll dance again. But dance with Nick right now... what’s your deal, Kel?"

I swallowed hard and looked between AJ and Nick, "Uh..." I shook my head, "Nothing... sorry." I grabbed Nick’s hand carefully and released AJ’s.

"You’re crazy..." AJ laughed. "But I love ya! Have fun!" he called out and rushed off.

I watched him dart off and then was suddenly aware of the hand holding mine. Suddenly aware of the arm attached to that hand, and the body attached to it. I slowly turned to Nick and looked up to see him looking down at me. "Hi..." I said again.

He smiled, "Hi..." He let out a chuckle and looked around, "So um... shall we dance?"

Somehow I managed to nod and Nick pulled me closer to his body wrapping an arm around me and placing his hand on the small of my back. Just as AJ and I’d easily fallen into a groove Nick and I did too. The music took over and before I knew what hit me his hands were all over me as we ground up against each other. When he dipped his head down and kissed my neck I let out a quiet gasp. The combination of his warm breath on my skin, his soft hair brushing against my cheek and the way that our bodies were touching was almost too much. I closed my eyes as emotion swept over me and I ran my fingers up his back weaving them through his hair. His large hands pulled me even closer to his body and every inch of me that was in contact with him felt alive. Moving in a slow tortuous grind we interacted on the dance floor as if no one else were around. Driving me crazy with his every move I was elevated to a whole other world.

His lips moved up my neck and joined my lips with a touch so gentle it made me shiver. When his tongue slid between my lips though and grazed mine I responded by kissing him back with a soft moan. His tongue danced against mine with urgency and he pressed his body tighter against mine making my head swim. As I felt his erection forming against my body it suddenly it dawned on me what I was doing. I pulled back away from Nick wide-eyed and shook my head trying to regain my composure. He reached out toward me opening his mouth to speak and I stepped backward again, "No... I... I can’t."

"Kel..." he tried with a sigh, stepping toward me again.

"I’m sorry... for everything, Nicky. I..." I shook my head and ran my fingers through my curls nervously looking into his deep blue eyes. "Sorry..." I said again in a whisper before rushing off toward the bathroom to escape, leaving him standing alone on the crowded dance floor.