"You need to settle down," she scolded the rambunctious seven year old swooping him up off the ground and carting him to his bedroom. The young boy's eyes lit up at the sight of his older brother quietly following them down the hall to the bedroom.
She placed the child down into his race car shaped bed and tucked him in as Justin watched through the cracked door. She leaned over the child, elbows on each side and looked him directly in the eye. "If you don't tell a soul you were up this late, I promise I'll bring you your favorite candy next time OK?" she bargained with him.
"You mean the spinning lollipop with the Pokemon on it?" his little blue eyes lit up the room.
"Yes. This is our secret remember. Don't tell," she motioned a finger over her lips as the young boy followed her motion." Goodnight," she backed out of the room watching the little one turn over on his side as she closed the door.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned to find Justin leaning against the wall outside his little brother's bedroom." Don't you ever stop doing that?" she captured her breath.
"I actually thought I'd lost my touch," he smiled." I can see you're still up to your old tricks."
"Didn't leave an ounce of fat on you now did it?" she pinched at his side causing him to bounce from the wall.
"Well I've done a lot of growing up since then," his smile more dazzling than she ever remember it being as a child.
"Yes you have," she agreed realizing she might have just given herself away to the feelings she was stirring up in her right now.
"Check you out. The babysitter has a crush on me."
Trying to hide her embarrassment at this point was useless." Kinda hard to avoid you these days."
"Thanks I think," he returned not letting her know he felt the same." Anyway, what are you doing these days other than keeping the clan under control?"
"I've been doing some writing. Nothing big but it pays the bills."
"And?"
"No I don't have a boyfriend these days," she returned.
"I see," she recognized the playful gleam in his eyes.
"Don't even think it. You know I can still take you down little boy."
"I haven't been a "little" boy in quite some time," he grinned.
"Justin Randall Timberlake!"
He saw the fire in her eyes and knew he was in trouble. She chased him down the stairs until she finally tumbled him to the ground of the living room floor." Told you," she stated childlike in manner.
"OK, you win," he caught her sides and tumbled her onto the floor filling her with laughter. When he released her from the prison of laughter he'd captured her in, he realized how much he'd grown up and how much he wanted her right now but they were in his parents' home. She recognized that look too. She wanted him too but they couldn't here and yet his lips were dangerously approaching hers when they heard Lynn's voice ringing through the house. He had moved away from her just as his mother approached the room." Everything OK?"
"Yes it's fine."