Disclaimer: Instant Star doesn't belong to me

Author's Note: This takes place during the "Moving On" Timeline

Some like it…

Part I: Hot

If you haven't heard about me, let me catch you up. My name is Jude Harrison. I'm seven-teen years old. And I am the Instant Star. One year ago, I won the Instant Star contest and was launched to fame. I've had my share of controversy, love, heartbreak, wins, and losses in a very short span. But some good things have happened in my life…I met a fellow rock star named Ryland Michaels…and fell in love. He and I have been dating for…almost a year now and I am in love with him. But…

I still can't get another guy out of my head…Little Tommy Q (or Tom Quincy as he's known now), ex-boybander, seven years my senior, and my hot producer. We've shared some…illicit kisses in unguarded moments. And I can't get him out of my system. He's like a hangover. Well, not a hangover…a virus. I have to get him out of my head, so I can completely give my heart to Ryland.

But I knew that it would be hard. Tommy shadowed me almost everywhere. And we spent late hours working on my newest album. I promised myself that I would be good, but as I looked out across the vast room, I knew I was screwed. But for today, I think I would be okay. I had my buffers.

I was shooting another cover for "Solid", with Ryland, who had been spirited away by EJ when we stepped through the door. My sister Sadie and my best friends: Kat and Jamie were there with me. They would be my peanut gallery-slash-fashion police-slash-moral support. And we were all gathered by the snack table and talked while I waited for EJ or Tommy to tell me where I was going and what I was doing.

I allowed my gaze to absorb my surroundings and they immediately found Tommy. He was standing off to the side of the room and he was watching me with sexy eyes. And by sexy eyes, I mean he was staring at me like he had x-ray vision. Gulp! I excused myself from my group, licked my dry lips, and walked over to him.

"What's up, Quincy?" I asked.

"Have you seen your wardrobe for this photo shoot?" he asked.

"Uh, no." I replied, "I just got here, remember?"

"Go see EJ." He shook his head and headed back in the direction I had just come from.

I watched him as he greeted my (sleazy) manager, Darius. The pair greeted each other like two tigers about ready to attack, which wasn't a surprise. They always acted like that. With an eye roll, I went to find EJ. I found my PR/Outfitter chatting with my boyfriend. Ryland was wearing a pair of leather pants and no shirt…I knew if my mouth had been open, I would've drooled. I had seen him shirtless all the time, but he always had that affect on me.

"Hey, J." EJ greeted me was I approached, "You're gonna love your outfit. It's hot."

I raised an eyebrow. "Hot?"

Ryland took my hand and brought it to his lips.

"Very boner inspiring."

I rolled my eyes. On my first tour, I was trapped on a tour bus with the boys from Spiederman. So, any kind of sexual comment like that was just white noise to me. He placed a series of kisses against my knuckles and smiled at me through a curtain of his hair. I couldn't help but smiling. He was a total sweetheart, when he wasn't sounding like a total guy. Once he dropped my hand, I turned to EJ.

"So, where is this outfit?"

EJ grinned like the Cheshire cat. Uh-oh…not good.

XX

When I stepped out onto the floor of the shoot, with Ryland at my side, two things happened. One, Tommy's mouth dropped open, forming a shocked "o". And two, everyone else cheered, whooped, or made catcalls. (Sadie, surprising, was the one who cheered. Kat whooped. And Jamie was the one catcalling.) I blushed self-consciously and glanced up at Ryland, who smiled at me. I was dressed like one of the women out of Chicago. Bra-like top with fishnet midriff covering over it and lacey boy-short panties was my outfit. It was finished off with a garter belt with fishnet stockings attached, and 4-inch stiletto heels.

This look screamed: Goth S-L-U-T in big, bold letters, but…I felt very…empowered. It was nice, in a very dysfunctional way. Ryland was kind of dressed like me. Well, not in the bra and panty set thing; the Goth theme. He was clad in the same leather pants but suspenders had been added, no shirt, big black boots, and a bowler hat. He looked damn fine.

Our photographer, Simon Vernatelli, started laughing the moment we walked out. Ryland and I exchanged looks and flipped him off.

"You guys look like you belong in a fucked up Moulin Rouge." He told us.

"I thought Moulin Rouge was fucked up to begin with." Ryland stated.

"True…" Simon said after a moment, then laughed again, "Okay, seriously, it's photo time."

He instructed Ryland to stand behind me and cross his right arm across my body until his fingers touched my hip. Of course, I was a bit…stressed. This shoot was a little too sexy for me. My body was tense and Ryland seemed to sense it. So, he dug his fingers into my side, causing me to squeal and laugh. Tense moment evaporated. But Simon wasn't happy.

"C'mon you two!" he chided.

"Sorry!" we amended in unison.

We changed our position: we were in a tango pose; my leg was wrapped around his waist and his hands were on my hips. One picture down, God knows how many were left to go.

XX

The grand total ended up being twenty-six. I eventually ended up having a blast. Thanks completely to my fabulous boyfriend. We raced back to the dressing room to get out of these clothes. I changed in the bathroom, while Ryland hid behind the clothes rack. Once we were sure we were both decent, we came out. He took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. I felt safe and content. I really do love him; I could be myself and know that he had no other motives except for wanting to be with me.

We walked out and met up with Kat, Jamie, Sadie, Tommy, EJ, and Darius. Darius and EJ gushed over how great we looked and how awesome the cover was going to be. Kat and Jamie laughed at me for being so shy. Even Sadie was proud of me. Yay, Sadie! She was acting more like a sister to me. I guess it's a sign we're both getting older. Tommy gave me a cold stare. Very chilly. I shivered unconsciously. Ryland wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me close to him instinctively.

Our group headed out the door and went our separate ways. Jamie and Kat, now an item again, were going off to dinner. Sadie was heading out to the mall. Even Ryland had to go. He was destined to meet up with the rest of his band "Shattered" and have a jam session for their new album. We stood outside of his Bentley, having a very passionate good-bye kiss. Which just meant, I was molded against him and tongues were involved. The sudden honk of a car horn jarred us apart.

Tommy sat inside the Viper, frowning at us. I looked up at Ryland with apologetic eyes. I gave him a quick hug and a brief kiss on the cheek before I backed away from him and went to the Viper. Once inside, as soon as I had my door shut, Tommy pealed out of the parking lot so fast that his tires squealed.

"Damn, Tommy!" I cried, "What the hell is your problem?"

"That outfit was too skimpy, Jude!" he bit out, "You're not even eighteen yet! What the fuck was EJ thinking?"

That last part just seemed to be voiced inside thoughts.

"That's not the only reason why you're pissed, Tommy." I shot back, "I know you, Quincy. You hate watching Ry and me kiss! You're jealous."

He glared at me, briefly taking his eyes off the road. "I am not, Jude."

"Yes, you are. You wish you could kiss me like that."

He said nothing, but gripped the wheel tighter. Ha! Got you there, Quincy. I thought with a smirk. We fell into hostile silence the rest of the way to G Major.

XX

Tommy and I worked in an angsty environment from 5:30 when we arrived at the studio, until 3:00 in the morning. Then, on the way from grabbing a cappuccino from the kitchenette, something happened. Tommy wasn't in the studio. Where the hell is he? I wondered, placing down my cup and feeling pissy. I stalked through the empty halls. Everyone else had gone home. But they left the studio open for us; knowing once we were on a roll, nobody could stop us.

I walked down one of the back hallways where the old, unused studios were. It was semi-dark. The lights were very dim and I felt like I was in a horror movie. I was getting kind of scared, though I would never admit it out loud to anyone. Then, without warning, a shadow fell over me, and I was pinned against the wall. All air left my lungs in a hard exhale. I felt kind of turned on as my gaze locked with Tommy's smoldering eyes. I'm in trouble. I thought wildly.

"What are you doing, Tommy?" I demanded in a whisper. Wait a minute! Why am I whispering? I wondered.

My brain didn't have a chance to answer before Tommy's lips were on mine. He kissed me hard, his lips demanding. Before I could stop myself, I was kissing him back, just as hard and demanding. Then all rational thoughts were gone as his hands claimed my hips and pulled me against him. I was surprised that I could feel that he was…ahem…hard through his jeans. Tommy pulled me into one of the empty studios and shut the door behind us.

The room was as dimly lit as the hall and I could see the mixing board, a chair, and a couch against the right wall. Tommy moved us to the couch and steered me down onto it. He was on top of me before you could say "statutory". I was shocked. What the hell had gotten into him and why the hell wasn't I pushing him away? Because you've wanted this. That little voice in the back of my head replied. That voice fell silent as Tommy began to kiss me again. I made a small noise as his lips continued to dominate mine.

He groaned into my mouth and my body went with it. I locked my arms around his neck and my right leg around his waist. When I felt his tongue dart across my lower lip, Ryland's face appeared in my mind, and rationality came screaming back.

"No!" I cried, releasing him and pushing him off me.

Tommy fell off the couch and landed on the floor with a painful thunk. I scurried off the couch and bolted to the door.

"Jude, wait!" Tommy cried, getting to his feet.

I was already out the door and hurrying down the hall.

"Jude!" he yelled, catching up with me, "Stop!"

"Why? So you can fuck me next?" I demanded, "What the hell was that Tommy? I'm with Ryland…" Tears stung my eyes as I said his name. I betrayed him.

"I'm sorry, Jude." He said, "I don't know what came over me."

"Yes, you do." I cried, voice breaking, "You're thinking with your dick and not your head! You hate that I am with Ryland. Well, guess what? I love him…and now you've jeopardized everything because you have no self control!"

"Hey, babe," he retorted, "I hope you realize you didn't stop me when I kissed you the first time."

"I know." The tears fell down my cheeks, "Shame on me. Now I can only hope Ryland will forgive me."

"I really am sorry, Jude." Tommy said again, grabbing my elbow.

"No, you're not." I replied, shaking him off, "I can't be with you, Tommy as you pointed out so many times, and if Ryland breaks up with me, I'm quitting. I can't stand being around you when I know at the drop of a hat, you'll be on me…then you'll hurt me again."

I turned and ran from him. I exited the building and dug my cell phone from my pocket. I hit Ryland's speed dial number (currently, number one) and put it to my ear as it rang. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Red." He murmured, sounding sleepy, "What's up?"

"Can you come get me?" I asked, trying to sound normal.

"Yeah, are you still at G Major?" The sleep was gone from his voice and he sounded alert.

I guess I failed at sounding normal. "Uh-huh. Please, hurry."

"Of course. Love you."

"Love you, too." I replied before we hung up.

As I waited outside, it began to rain. Just great. I thought, tears still streaming down my cheeks. Ryland's Bentley appeared ten minutes later. He opened the door from the inside as I ran up. Once inside, I flung my arms around his neck and cried into his neck. His arms snaked around my waist and held me tight. After a moment, I stopped crying and parted from him. He looked at me with piercing eyes.

"Did Quincy hurt you?" he demanded.

"Not exactly." I replied shaking my head, "Let's talk at your place."

He nodded and drove out of the G Major parking lot.

XX

We arrived at his apartment fifteen minutes later. We entered the building soaked through to our skin. He unlocked his apartment door and took me inside. Ryland shut and locked the door, then turned to me with concern in his eyes.

"What happened, Jude?" he asked, touching my face gently with his palm.

"Let's sit down." I replied.

"Alright." He nodded.

We sat down on his couch and I sighed.

"When I was at the studio, I went for a coffee break and when I got back, I couldn't find Tommy…so, I went to look for him. Well…um… he found me first. He pinned me against the wall and kissed me…and I…I didn't stop him." I looked down at my hands, "Then he pulled me into one of the old studios and he was on top of me…we…kissed a few more times, before I stopped him." Tears filled my eyes and I looked up at him, "I'm…I'm…s-s-sorry."

Ryland stared at me a bit. Then blinked and sighed.

"He didn't try to fuck you, did he?" he asked.

"No."

"Good, because if he had, I'd killed him."

I furrowed my brows. "What about me? What are you gonna do with me? I let another guy kiss me and I kissed him back."

"Jude, I've been through this kind of shit before…" he replied, "And…I don't know what to say, Red."

"Are you gonna break up with me?" I asked.

"No."

"No? Why?"

"I love you. I have a great thing with you, Jude."

" I-I-I don't understand! I don't deserve you after what I did."

"No, you do deserve me. What you don't deserve is Quincy forcing kisses on you. I know that kissing contagious. Once you get kissed, you can't help but kiss that person back. Been there, done that."

"Really?"

He smiled and it was a sad smile. "I'm no angel, Red. I know what it's like to be in that kind of situation. Don't worry about it."

"I love you." I said.

"I love you, too." He replied, "Now let's get you out of those clothes."

"What!"

"We're getting my couch all wet. Let's get changed." He stood and offered me his hands

I placed my hands in his and he pulled me to my feet. We walked into the bedroom and Ryland went to his dresser and rummaged through the drawers. He threw me a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.

"Thanks." I said, heading into his adjacent bathroom, and shutting the door.

I stripped out of my t-shirt, bra, panties, jeans, socks, and boots. I hung my shirt, jeans, bra, and panties over the shower curtain rod. I found a towel and dried my hair before I changed into his clothes. I was swimming in them. With a smile, I exited his bathroom and found him stretched out on his bed, clad in just a pair of gray sweat pants. My mouth went dry. My hormones were going crazy tonight. I joined him on the bed and he took me into his arms and kissed me passionately.

When we broke apart, I smiled and snuggled against him. I was one lucky girl. Any other guy would've dumped me, but Ryland understood me. I impulsively kissed him and put everything into it. He kissed me back, kissing me just as passionately. When we parted, we shared a look, and I allowed him to rolled on top of me and kiss me again.

Our kisses became longer and more drugging. I couldn't stop touching his bare skin, running my hands down his well-muscled chest but I stopped at the waistband of his sweats. When we stopped for breath, I looked into his eyes and knew that I didn't want to stop. And he felt the same way. But we were both virgins and this would change everything.

"Do you want to…" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think I do." I smiled slightly.

"Yes or no, Red." He said seriously, "This…this is a big step."

"I know." I replied, "I love you and I want to be with you."

He smiled at me with a happy expression. "I love you, too."

He kissed me again and slid his hand up my t-shirt and up to my breast. I was comfortable with this; we had gotten this far before. Then his hand left my breast and headed back down to my waist and with a quick movement, he moved me on top of him. Ryland tugged the hem of the shirt up and pulled it over my head, leaving me exposed. Nervousness welled within me. I had never been shirtless in front of a guy before.

Ryland just smiled and looked at me with such love and lust in his eyes that I calmed down. I began to shiver in anticipation, as he rose up and kissed a lingering trail down my neck and chest before his mouth latched onto one of my breasts. I cried out in pleasure as the sensation rocked me and cradled his head against me.

As his mouth continued to lavish attention to my skin, his left hand skimmed down my abdomen, and found its way into my sweat pants. I moaned out loud when I lifted my hips and two of his fingers slipped inside of me. I was down to whimpers by the time I was at the brink of an orgasm. Ryland removed his hand from my pants and rolled me back over onto my back. He got onto his knees and removed my pants and then his. I stared at his erection and was, well, impressed. And I smiled at the fact that I had brought him to a full salute. Then he reached over to his nightstand and opened the top drawer and pulled out a condom.

I wasn't going to ask at this point why he had condoms to spare in his dresser and I didn't really care. I watched as he put it on, then was on top of me again.

"Are you 100 sure about this?" he asked, "Because we can stop now if you want."

"Shh." I replied, putting a finger over his lips, "Make love to me."

He kissed my palm and nodded. I braced myself as he entered me slowly. Ryland was gentle has he broke through my barrier and was completely inside me. He moved down and kissed me on the lips as his hips took up a slow rhythm. I kissed him back and whimpered into his mouth as he picked up speed. The pleasure built and I began to feel the brush of an orgasm.

"Ryland…" I choked out as I began to climax.

"Jude…" he moaned as my orgasm brought him to his own.

Ryland lay down on top of me, his head resting on my chest. Our bodies were slick with sweat and I shivered as the cool air touched my skin. I felt…different. But I was smiling with the afterglow and laced my hand with Ryland's. I brought his hand up to my lips and kissed it. He smiled up at me and everything felt right.

XX

After a while, we separated. I whimpered as he pulled himself out of me, aftershocks pulsing through me. Ryland got off the bed, removed the condom, walked into the bathroom and threw it away. He watched me from the doorway and smiled the smile that melted me through and through.

"What?" I asked.

"I like the way you look in my bed."

I blushed and he laughed. His gaze traveled across the bed and looked serious all of a sudden.

"What?" I asked, feeling stupid for saying 'what' so much.

"We need to clean the comforter." He replied.

I struggled into a sitting position and looked down between my legs. I had bled a little bit. The blood looked black on the dark green comforter.

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else I could say.

He laughed; a slow masculine chuckled. "Don't be. Sex is messy. It happens."

I crawled over to the edge of the bed and got up. My legs were shaking and I felt unsteady. Ryland brought me to him and held me until the shaking stopped.

"Thanks." I said.

"No problem." He looked down at me, "We need to get cleaned up."

"I'm not taking a shower with you." I replied, "We'll never get to sleep if I do."

"Who said anything about sleep tonight?" he asked with a Cheshire grin.

"It's morning, baby." I glanced at the alarm clock that was on the nightstand, "Five-fifteen to be exact. I have school in the morning."

"Don't go." He answered, "Stay with me."

Then he actually pouted and gave me puppy dog eyes. If only the media saw the: "Big, Bad Prince of Rock" flashing puppy eyes; his reputation would've been out the window. But it made me smile.

"Alright."

"Good." He swatted me on the ass, "Go get in the shower."

I laughed and separated from him and ducked through the doorway behind him. I removed my clothes from the rod and felt that they were still wet. I laid them out on the counter and got into the shower. After I cleaned myself off, I shut off the shower and dried off. I smiled as I noticed that Ryland had laid out another t-shirt for me beside my clothes.

I pulled on the shirt and stood in the bathroom doorway and toweled off my hair as I watched him spread a new comforter on the bed. It was a plain color like the last one, but the color was black this time. Sleep wore down onto me and the bed looked so inviting to sleep on. Ryland approached me and kissed me long and lingering. When we parted, I headed to the bed and Ryland went to the shower.

I lay down on the bed and curled up under the comforter. His bed was soft and cushy; the mattress was made from goose down. I was drifting off to sleep when Ryland joined me under the covers and spooned close to me. I fell asleep with a smile on my face and relief in my soul.