Enlightened Hearts: Mastered Hearts Series Book Two

by Nicole, Angela

  Good, let’s lighten the mood.

  * * *

  The next few hours go smoothly. Nicole orders pizza, and we settle on a horror movie. Well, maybe I pushed for it hoping she would need me to keep her safe.

  She did.

  Nicole spent more than half of the movie with her face buried in my neck. I didn’t complain once. In fact, if she wasn’t so tired, I would’ve opted for a horror movie marathon.

  Before we know, it’s late and she’s had a rough day. As we walk to the door, Nicole puts her arm around my waist. It feels just right.

  “Thank you for today,” she says.

  I rub my hand over my chin and laugh. “It didn’t really go as planned, but I’m glad it ended better than it began. I hope we can see each other again soon.”

  This earns me a smile from her.

  “I’d like that too.”

  What a freaking day. I was so excited to spend the day with Daniel. Then I ruined it by puking all over. He was so understanding after I got sick.

  Lying in bed, I can’t get my mind off him. The way he made me feel; the way he touched me was like heaven.

  Knowing that I’m probably making a huge mistake doesn’t deter me from planning to see him again. He is coming over next Friday night for lasagna. It has to be Friday, because he has Lucy on Saturdays.

  Lucy. His daughter, and my student.

  I need to talk to my sister. She will make me feel better about what I’m doing. Alex is a wild one. I wish I could be more like her in some ways. She lives her life and doesn’t apologize for it. Don’t get me wrong, she would do anything for anyone.

  Dialing her phone, I’m not exactly sure what to say.

  Hey sis, I threw up on while out on a date. Then my date gave me a great orgasm afterward.

  Alex picks up on the second ring…

  “Hey, Nic.”

  “Hi, sissy. Did I catch you at a bad time?” I ask, knowing full well that she is prepping for a big court case she has in a few months.

  “Just doing some research for my big murder trial. What’s going on with you?”

  “I went out with Daniel today. I got seasick and puked all over his boat. He brought me home and proceeded to give me my first orgasm that I didn’t have to give myself. I cried, we watched a horror movie and made a date to see each other next week.”

  “Wow, little sis. You had a good day except for the puking. Sounds like you two hit it off, so why do I feel like something is wrong?”

  I know she won’t judge me, so I tell her.

  “Daniel has a daughter. She is one of my students, Alex.”

  “Oh!” is all that comes out of her mouth.

  “Please say something other than oh. I know that I shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t seem to stay away.”

  “I love this,” she squeals. “You have always been the good one, Nic. Everyone could count on you to do the right thing and me to do the wrong thing.”

  “That’s not true,” I say. Wanting to give her examples of how wrong she is, I can’t come up with anything. Damn it, she’s right.

  “Nic, look. You need to live your life the way you want. Can you get fired for this?”

  “I don’t think so. Dating a parent is discouraged but not prohibited in my contract.”

  “So what’s the problem, then? You aren’t hurting anyone.”

  My sister is always so blunt; it’s one of her great qualities.

  “I don’t want anyone to think I’m showing Lucy any special treatment. The school could take her out of my class and put her with another teacher. I wouldn’t want that. She is already starting to make friends.”

  “Then you know what you have to do. You have to sneak around. Oh my god, how things change.” She laughs.

  My sister was a rebel. I guess in some ways she still is. As a strict professional in her job, she can go toe to toe with any opposing counselor. Out of the courtroom, she can drink any guy under the table.

  “Alex, that’s not who I am. You were the one who snuck out of the house to go drinking. I was the one who stayed home and covered for you.”

  “Jesus, Nicole. You are a grown woman who deserves some happiness in her life. If Daniel makes you happy, I say go for it. All the other pieces will fall into place.”

  Part of me knows that she would tell me to go for it. She’s always wanted me to be happy.

  “That fucker Jay wasn’t good enough for you. It’s time you did something, or someone, for yourself,” she snickers.

  I can’t help but laugh myself. Thinking about sex with Daniel makes me feel like a teenager with my first crush.

  “He’s coming over for dinner next week,” I acquiesce.

  “That’s the spirit. Maybe you can even be dessert.”

  Gosh, I hope so, I think to myself.

  Alex and I spend the next twenty minutes talking about her trial and how things are back home. I wish my sister moved to Florida with me, but I’m damn proud of the job she’s doing. After we hang up, I notice a text message on my phone.

  I feel like a damn teenager when it comes to Nicole. Trying to give her some space after what happened today, I manage to go a whole hour without texting her.

  Me: I know it’s late, but I just want to make sure you are OK.

  Nicole: I’m good. Just got off the phone with my sister. Now, I have my second or third wind lol.

  I mentally calculate the amount of time I need to get back over to her house. This woman is making me crazy.

  Me: Can I bring something to dinner next week?

  Nicole: Just bring yourself. I’ll have everything we need.

  What if she is everything I need?

  Me: Sounds good. I’ll see you then.

  Nicole: See you then.

  * * *

  It’s Friday. Thank God the week goes by quickly. Weather was great, so I was able to take some charters out, and we caught a fair amount of fish.

  Lucy and I video chatted almost every evening. She talked about her new school and how much she loved her teachers.

  I enjoy hearing about her days. It’s also a bonus that I get to hear about Nicole too. It’s been difficult not to contact her, but I’m trying to play it cooler than I did last week.

  Needing a shower after work, I stand under the spray and let the soap run down my body. It’d be so easy to just take care of my permanent hard on, but I manage to ignore it for now.

  I’ve got about twenty minutes before I’m supposed to be at Nicole’s house, so I stop off and buy some flowers.

  Nervousness sets in as I walk up to her door. She has a nice home, it’s small but definitely better than my apartment.

  Thoughts creep in of bringing Lucy here. What would she think about her teacher and I dating? We certainly can’t tell her, but it’s nice to fantasize about.

  The smell of lasagna seeps through the door. If this woman can cook half as well as she kisses, then I think I’ve found the perfect woman.

  I can hear music playing, Frank Sinatra in fact. Hoping she can hear me, I knock harder than I normally would.

  I wait a bit and knock again. Nothing. I hate to just walk in, but she is expecting me.

  I open her front door slowly so I don’t startle her. What I see next takes my breath away.

  I love Frank Sinatra and Italian food. I mean, they go together, right?

  Dancing around the kitchen, I have my hair up and my grandmother’s apron on. She was a stereotypical old Italian lady. My mom’s mom, Grandma Carmela, would cook all day, every day. With big family Sunday dinners, the women would wait on the men, and the men would let them. I used to shake my head when the older women in my family would prepare plates for their men, but now I like the idea of it. I’m hoping the old saying is true about the way to a man’s heart.

  I’m stirring the pot of extra sauce and meatballs when I hear a noise behind me. When I turn around, the most luscious sight stands before me. Daniel is holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It’s what he’s wearing t
hat takes my breath away. I’m so used to seeing him in shorts, but tonight he’s in a long-sleeved button-down shirt. It’s dark green, which shows off his eyes. The sleeves are rolled up, showing off his muscular forearms. My eyes travel down to his jeans. Dear lord, they are tight around his thighs.

  “Sorry about walking in, but I knocked several times,” he yells over the music, and I snap out of my lust induced trance. “Nicole, you look beautiful.” Oh my god, I still have the apron on. I must look like my grandmother.

  “Thank you,” I say as I start to take the apron off, but he grabs my hand.

  “I like the apron on you. It’s very domestic and sexy. Jesus, I hope that didn’t sound sexist.”

  My definition of domestic means family, children. Those are things I’ll never have.

  Suddenly, Daniel grabs my hand. “Hey, I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”

  I’ve always been told that I don’t have a poker face, but I better put one on now. “You didn’t say anything wrong. Just reminds me of my family back home.”

  Changing the subject quickly, I thank him for the flowers and fill his wine glass.

  “How was fishing this week?”

  “It was busy. I took several groups out, and they caught their fair share of tarpon, so they were happy.”

  “How was kindergarten?” Daniel asks, but I suppose he’s already heard all about it from Lucy.

  “No major catastrophes this week. We moved on to the letter C and learned how to walk in a single file line without touching one another.” Saying it out loud makes it sound so silly, but it really is important.

  The oven beeps, letting me know that the lasagna is ready. “I hope you like lasagna. It’s my grandmother’s recipe.”

  Daniel laughs. “I’m pretty sure I’ll love anything you make, Nicole.” He stands up against my back, and I can feel the heat between us. I know no one is perfect, and I've been fooled before, but damn if this man isn’t close.

  We move back into the kitchen and sit at my vintage kitchen set.

  “Let me help you.”

  My grandmother would kill me if I let him help me, plus I like being able to take care of him. After all, he did take care of me when I was sick.

  “Please sit, it’ll be my pleasure to serve you.” As soon as it comes out of my mouth, I turn to look at Daniel, and he has fire in his eyes.

  Clearing my throat, I plate the lasagna with a meatball on the side.

  “Thank you, this looks almost as delicious as you do.”

  I almost drop the salad bowl when he says it, but I’m able to recover quickly.

  “Um, thank you. You look pretty fabulous yourself.” I know I’m blushing, but this is what this man does to me.

  The rest of the dinner goes a little more G-rated. We talk about growing up with older sisters and the differences between living in New York State and Florida. Daniel insists on helping me clean up. I don’t fight him because it’s damn sexy watching him in the kitchen. “I’d like to see you in the apron,” I blurt out without meaning to.

  He cocks his eyebrow at me. “And what would I be wearing under my apron?”

  “Hmm, that’s an interesting question. Let’s see,” I say as I tap my chin. “How about some black Calvin Klein boxer briefs, no shirt.”

  “Wow, that was pretty specific,” he says as he folds the dish towel and places it on the counter.

  “Hey, I can’t help it when I know what I want.” God, please shut me up before I really embarrass myself.

  He walks towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. I feel as if I’m on fire.

  “And what exactly is it you want, Nicole?”

  Nicole is looking at me like she wants to eat me for dessert. Sure, I’d let her, but only after I had a taste of her first. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I close the distance between us. When I stop just in front of her, she holds her breath.

  “Nicole, I need to kiss you,” I tell her as my hands go into her hair. Rubbing her cheekbones with my thumbs, I can’t help but notice she’s looking at the floor. “Hey, if I’m moving too fast, please let me know. The last thing I want to do is push you to do something you’re not ready for.”

  Nicole bites her bottom lip. “You aren’t pushing me. I’m just trying to stop myself from wanting you too much.”

  Tilting her face up to mine, I can see the battle she’s waging. “Why are you fighting this? Is it because of Lucy?” Nicole nods. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m giving her special treatment. The administration could pull her from my class.”

  “Maybe I should do that, pull her from your class and have her go to another teacher. A teacher I don’t fantasize about.”

  She quickly shakes her head. “Absolutely not. You can’t take her away from the friends that she’s already made. Shit, if I can’t control myself around you, what kind of selfish person am I?” Nicole brushes past me, heading down the hallway.

  Damn it. I don’t want her to feel guilty about our attraction, but I’m not ready to give up yet. She hasn’t shut the door to her bedroom. I’ll take that as the sign I need to follow her.

  Entering her bedroom, I notice that she isn’t sitting on the bed but standing at the window instead. Running my hand through my hair, I blow out a sigh. It came out louder than I intended. Nicole turns around, and I can tell she’s been crying.

  It hits me what I need to do. I hate it, but she’s worth it.

  “Come, sit,” I say, motioning to the bed. She gives me a hesitant look. Fuck, have I scared this woman into thinking that all I want from her is sex?

  “OK, Nicole, if you don’t feel comfortable with me in here, let’s go out in the living room. I think we need to talk.”

  What the hell is wrong with me? Daniel thinks he’s done something wrong, but he’s done everything so right. I owe him an explanation. Walking over to him, I place my hand on his chest. Warmth runs through me. I want this man, but I’m not sure I can have him.

  “OK, I think I’d feel better out in the living room, Daniel, but it’s not because you’ve made me feel uncomfortable. It’s because I want you in my bed, and I want it way too much.”

  As soon as my admission comes out of my mouth, Daniel has his lips on mine. It’s sweet and tender while igniting the slow burn inside me. I hate to pull away, but if we are going to iron this out, I can’t do it with him kissing me.

  “Daniel,” I say with my lips against his.

  “OK. I’ll stop for now, Nicole. But we will work this out.”

  He grabs me by my hand and leads me out to the living room. I sit down on the sofa while Daniel pulls the ottoman in front of me. Holding my hands in his, he sits in front of me.

  “Nicole, it’s no secret that I’m very attracted to you. I think you are a smart, sexy woman, and I’d like for us to see where this attraction might go. But I will not pressure you. I can see that you are very conflicted as to what to do. So I’ll back off for now. When and if you ever feel that you want to explore this, I’m all in.”

  Why do I feel like this is a break-up? This night was not supposed to go this way. I need to salvage what I can.

  “Daniel, I need to tell you a little about myself so that you can understand why I feel the way I do.” He scoots closer to me, making me appreciate that he’s interested in what I have to say.

  “All my life, I’ve been the responsible one. There was never a question, when faced with a decision, that I wouldn’t do what was right. I’ve lived my life following the rules even if it meant that I was unhappy. I will tell you that walking away doesn’t make me happy, but I understand it,” I say as I try not to tear up.

  What the hell is wrong with me? I barely know this man, but I feel like we have a connection, one I didn’t even have with my fiancé.

  “I can understand that, sweetheart. I don’t want to do anything to put your job in jeopardy.”

  Looking down at our hands, Daniel says, “This isn’t goodbye. You and I share the same friends now. We’ll see each oth
er at all sorts of events. You’re going to my sister’s birthday party in a few weeks, right?”

  Oh shit, this will be awkward, but I already told Chrissy I’d be there.

  “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  “OK, then. We can hang out together, ya know, in public, where I can’t kiss you.” He chuckles, but I don’t find it funny.

  Daniel stayed for a while longer. We talked for a bit, and I learned more about his job, and he heard some horror stories about my teenage years with Alex. If I’m being honest, I didn’t want him to leave.

  Before he left, he gave me a kiss on my forehead, and somehow it gave me some sort of hope for another time.

  Walking away from Nicole was tough. Seeing her tonight at Chrissy's party will probably drain me of all of my strength. Something about this woman makes me believe she’s worth the wait. Unfortunately, patience has never been my strong suit.

  We’ve texted back and forth a few times since the night we agreed to take a breath. There were benign texts just checking in to see how things were going. I tried not to flirt with her, but it was damn difficult. Tonight, I will see her again. I’m going to have to keep my hands in my pockets just so I won’t touch her.

  Emily and Mac are throwing Chrissy’s party at the bar. Arriving before Nicole, I pick my spot out for the night. Wanting to be able to see the crowd, I settle in at the bar. A few friends stop over to say hello as Mac brings me a beer.

  “Why are you sitting here by yourself?” he asks.

  “Just staking out a good seat so I can see the whole party.”

  “Hmm, anyone in particular you are wanting to see?”

  Shaking my head, I take a swig of my beer.

  “You mean if Nicole showed up here looking hot as hell, you’d wouldn’t be interested?”

  I follow his gaze as he nods at the door.

  Holy shit, I nearly choke on my beer when I see her. She’s wearing a short off the shoulder dress and cowboy boots. Her eyes meet mine. Giving me a smile and a wave, I feel my heart slam in my chest. Turing back around, I blow out a breath. “Jesus Christ, Mac. We are supposed to just be friends, but damn if that woman doesn’t rock my world.”