His lazy grin sent heat straight through her. “That’s a shame. I thought you were trying to get all romantic on me.”
Victoria didn’t know what to say to that. She gestured to the Chinese takeout bag he held. “I’m starving.” She wasn’t really, but she wanted to stall before asking him what last weekend was all about.
They sat at the bar, side by side, eating and talking about the office. Nick filled her in on all the progress they’d made in the last week, and he seemed unaffected by what happened last weekend. As if it hadn’t mattered to him that he’d left her at the end of a really great night with nothing more than a goodbye.
She pushed her plate away and spit out the question. “Why did you just leave last Saturday?”
His body tensed. He set the food down before turning to look at her. His hooded gaze gave nothing away. “I couldn’t come inside.”
“Oh? Then why are you here now?” She stood, needing to put some space between them. Hurt and humiliation clouded inside her. He watched her pace silently before he stood.
“You’re not understanding.”
“How can I when you don’t explain what’s going on? I thought we were having a great night. I was, anyway, and then you didn’t talk to me on the way home. And then you left.” She tried to bury the hurt in her anger, but it rose through.
Nick shook his head. He came to her and put his hands on her arms. Victoria stilled. “I couldn’t come inside, because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise.”
That baffled her. She looked up at his face, noticed his clenched jaw. She realized that even though his past was seeped in violence, she wasn’t afraid of him. He wouldn’t hurt her. Not physically, at least. “What promise?”
Nick shoved a hand through his hair, making the ends stand up everywhere, then ran a hand down the stubble on his face. She wanted to feel that roughness on her skin. “It’s stupid. Don’t worry about it.”
“No.” He couldn’t say something about a promise and then tell her not to worry about it. “What promise, Nick? Did someone make you promise to leave me alone?”
“No, nothing like that.” He sighed, shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He looked lost.
Victoria stepped closer and watched his eyes darken. Tension swept into the room. A new kind of power filled her. He wanted her; she knew that with a strong confidence. Something held him back, and she was going to figure out what it was. “What is it then?”
He swallowed audibly when she stepped even closer. “I promised myself.”
“Hmm.” She stopped only when there was less than an inch between them. He kept his hands in his pockets. “What did you promise yourself?” She tilted her head back to look in his eyes. Her lips parted.
His gaze zeroed in on her mouth. “That I’d take it slowly. Seduce you.”
Victoria laughed softly. “I don’t want to take it slow.”
Nick blinked, then swore. His hands came up to either side of her neck.
Victoria stopped laughing. She may have stopped breathing, she wasn’t sure.
He lowered his mouth and brushed his lips gently over hers. His tongue pushed between her lips and she sighed, melting against him.
She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth closer. She slid her tongue across his bottom lip, then nipped it. “Damn it, baby.” Nick laid his forehead against hers and breathed hard. “I wanted to seduce you. Give you what you need.”
“What is it I need, Nick?” She trailed light kisses down his neck. Her nipples hardened when his hands trailed down her shoulders to her waist. His fingers tightened, and he pulled her to him. The hardness of his erection pressed against her stomach.
“Christ,” Nick said. “I’m trying here. To be good.”
She stood on her tiptoes, her breasts rubbing against his upper body. The sensation made her core clench. She bit his earlobe. “I don’t want you to.”
Her words crumbled the last of his resistance. “You asked for it.”
When he kissed her hard, she moaned into his mouth and pressed closer. He lifted her onto the counter, stepping between her legs. His hard-on pushed right into her center, and she gasped.
Chapter Fourteen
NICK PULLED BACK and looked at her. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Her hair tumbled around her face and chest, her eyes dark with desire, and her lips swollen from his mouth. He’d never been so hard in his life. His cock strained painfully against his jeans, and something primitive rose in him. He wanted to leave his mark on her so no other man thought she was available. He wanted to make her his, to show her how beautiful she was to him. She looked up at him questioningly when he scooped her up and carried her out of the kitchen.
“Room?” His brain couldn’t make complete sentences right now. Somehow she understood and pointed him in the right direction. He kicked the bedroom door shut behind him. Two long strides, and he was at the bed. He set her down, trailing his fingers down her arms, still loving the goosebumps that popped up. Using his body, he pushed her down onto the mattress and settled over her. He didn’t understand the gentle urges that rose in him, but he followed them anyway.
His lips trailed down her jaw and along her neck. Her chest rose and fell underneath the kisses, and he pushed her tank top up and off. She laughed softly when he threw it, but the laugh caught in her throat when his stare lowered to her chest. Good. He wanted her thinking of nothing but him.
He pulled her shorts down, tossing them, too. His thoughts stuttered when he saw the red lace panties that matched her bra. It took him a minute to remember what he was doing. “You are so fucking beautiful, Tori.” He didn’t know why he gave her the nickname; he just wanted this to be an entirely new experience for her.
Her moan urged him on. He unclasped the front of her bra and pushed it aside. His breath caught when her breasts spilled out. “Perfect.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth before turning his attention back to her chest. She bit her lip when he took one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it.
He smiled against her breast when her fingers tightened in his hair and her body arched against him. After a minute, he moved to the other, using the pad of his thumb to tease the one he left. The noises she made spurred him on. He’d never been so hard just from giving his partner pleasure. Sex was usually just about the end result, but with Victoria…he wanted to make her feel amazing.
Slow down. Be patient, he repeated in his mind. If he rushed this, he could mess it up. He glanced up as he moved lower and saw her lids drop, hiding what she felt from him. His hands brushed the waist of her panties, and she froze.
“Tori.” He paused, waited for her to look at him. After a tense moment, she did. “Did Roger ever do this for you?”
She blushed, shook her head.
“That bastard.” Nick rubbed his fingertips over her hip bones. He hooked his fingers in the edges of her panties and pulled them down slowly, pressing soft kisses here and there when skin was exposed. He crawled back up her legs and pushed them apart. His muscles tensed, and he shut his eyes, counting to ten. She was wet, and his mouth watered. He couldn’t wait to taste her.
Slow down. Patience.
“Nick.” She sounded on the verge of panic.
“Shh, baby. Relax, and enjoy this.” He ran his tongue up the middle of her, loving it when she gasped. “Damn it. You taste amazing.” His voice turned husky with need.
Victoria tightened her fingers in his hair, pulling his head closer. Holy shit, how had she missed out on this her whole freaking life? No wonder Addie talked about sex all the time. His fingers tightened on her thighs, and fire pooled in her belly. She felt amazing, beautiful. Drunk on her power as a woman. She didn’t want this to ever stop.
As he used his tongue, his teeth, and then pushed two fingers into her, sensation built in her lower abdomen. Her every sense focused on that one area,
and her body tensed. The feeling coiled, tighter and tighter, and then he sucked on her clit.
She couldn’t stop the way she moaned or whispered his name as she splintered. He didn’t stop, just kept going, pulling another orgasm out of her until she was left shaking and out of breath.
He slid a condom on, then crawled back up her body, leaning over her on his elbows. His grin widened when she smiled breathlessly up at him. The tip of his cock brushed her already sensitive clit, and she gripped his arms. He kissed her as he slowly pushed his cock into her.
The sensation of fullness was new to her, her body stretching to accommodate him.
“Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”
“Hell, no. If you stop I will cut your balls off.”
Nick’s laugh choked off. “That would ruin your fun.”
She ran her hands up and down his chest, loving the feel of the tight muscles bunching underneath her hands. And if she was being honest with herself, his tattoos were hot as hell. He started to move, and she leaned up and traced one of them with her tongue.
“Christ, baby.” Nick groaned. “You are so fucking wet. I’m trying not to hurt you.”
“This isn’t my first time, although so far it’s definitely been the best. But if you don’t stop asking me if I’m okay or stop worrying about hurting me, I’m going to kill you.”
“You asked for it.” He kissed her lazily, then pulled out to the tip and pushed back in.
“That’s…much better.” Her breathless words made him smile. Every time he moved, harder and harder, she quit trying to think. A flush started on her chest, moving up her neck.
He rolled his hips, and she cried out. She nipped at his shoulder, urging him to go faster, harder. He complied, in and out, until her body tensed again. She tried to bite her lip, to hold back her cry, but it was useless. A second later he thrust hard, his whole body tensing, before he said her name on a whisper. She loved the nickname, Tori, and hoped he’d keep calling her that. She loved the reverent way he said it.
“Baby, that was amazing.” Nick brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen in her face. “You’re amazing.”
Victoria smiled sleepily up at him, spent in a way she’d never been before. “That was phenomenal. I’ve never….” She frowned, embarrassed.
“Never…what?” Nick kissed her forehead and something in her softened. She ignored it and muttered the answer. “I didn’t catch that.”
“I’ve never had an orgasm before.”
Nick’s brows rose.
She sighed, completely humiliated now. She turned her head and stared at the lamp on her bedside table.
“Hey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. That’s on him, not you.” He slid out of the bed, not hiding his nakedness, and held out his hand to her. After a second she took it and allowed him to take her into the bathroom. “That just means the men you were with had no idea what they were doing. You deserve to feel that.”
She watched him gather two towels and start the shower. If she wasn’t careful, she could want too much from this, and she knew that wasn’t possible. Nick wasn’t that type, so she had to be okay with what they had now. She’d already seen his funny, charming side. She’d seen his hardworking one. But this—this was entirely seductive. The tenderness in how he made love to her, of how he took care of her now. If she didn’t watch it, she’d slip.
* * *
After the shower, Victoria warmed up the Chinese while he picked out a movie. He kept giving her gentle kisses or brushing a hand over her waist, or her ass, or softly down her hair, like he was afraid she’d run off.
It was hell on her heart and body. His touch turned her on again, so soon after they’d had sex, but she knew if they were going to go again, she’d have to eat something. She settled onto the couch with him and laughed when she saw his movie preference. “I love this movie.”
“You’ve seen it?” Nick’s brows rose again. “Not many women I know have.”
“Snatch is amazing. And hilarious. Maybe you just hang out with stupid women.” Victoria leaned back and enjoyed the shock in his eyes.
“You keep surprising me.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” She wondered if he preferred women who let the men lead.
“Oh, yes.” He nodded. “Keeps me on my toes.”
Maybe that was why he went through so many women. Maybe they bored him.
By the end of the night, well—the early morning hours—after he’d made love to her until she couldn’t move, Victoria realized that she’d given him a piece of herself. He’d been so tender, then rough in an entirely exciting way. He’d awakened a side of her she didn’t know existed. She craved things she’d never thought about before. With Roger, she’d always been timid, letting him lead, letting him finish and not caring whether or not he enjoyed it. But with Nick, her dominance had escaped, and she’d used it to drive him crazy.
He didn’t stay the night, which was almost okay with her since she wasn’t sure what time her sisters would bring the girls home. She didn’t want the girls to know about this yet, not at least until she could define what it was between them. Her daughters did not need to know that she was having a friends-with-benefits thing with the man renovating her office.
Chapter Fifteen
STILL SLEEPY AND GLOWING from the night before, Victoria stumbled into the kitchen and headed for the coffee pot. She needed caffeine in her bloodstream to function today. She grabbed the pot and stepped over to the sink—right into cold water. She let out a squeal and set the coffee carafe on the counter. Looking down, she saw water pooled around the cabinet underneath her kitchen sink. She sighed, bent down, and opened the wooden cabinets. Her morning glow evaporated. When she looked inside the damp area, a steady trickle fell from the pipes. Knowing she probably shouldn’t, she reached out and tried to tighten whatever might be loose.
Something creaked, then snapped, and water sprayed out of a pipe from the wall. It hit her full in the face, soaking her boxers and cami, and left her hair plastered to her face.
She shoved her hair back, twisting the shut-off valve as fast as she could. It screeched, and the water finally stopped. She sat and stared bleakly at the mess. How the heck was she supposed to fix this? Her dad was at church with her mom and the girls—she’d skipped today to bask in her sexual glow—and he was the only one she knew who could fix it. Now she’d have to wait on him to get home.
The only thing to do right now would be to clean up the water on the floor and in the cabinet. Her phone rang from the living room, and her wet feet left prints on the carpet as she rushed to answer it. Another mess.
Nick’s name flashed on the screen, and she answered, trying not to let the irritation of her morning seep through her voice. “Hey.”
“Whoa, what’s going on?” Nick’s smile brightened his tone. She liked that, but it did little to cheer her up right now.
“Nothing.”
“Really? You sound irritated. You can tell me.”
She exhaled. “The pipes underneath my sink busted. Water’s everywhere. Dad’s at church, so I have to wait on him to get out, and he usually goes to lunch after with Mom and the girls.”
“I could fix it.”
She paused. “You want to help me?”
He laughed. “Of course. I’ll be there in thirty.”
“Oh. Okay. If you’re sure. I can wait for Dad….”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be there soon.”
She hung up and glanced around. She didn’t expect him to start fixing stuff around the house just because they’d slept together, but if he was willing to help her with this, she could use it. Waiting on her dad would be a while, and she just wanted it done. She changed and then cleaned out the stuff from under the sink, wiping up as much water as she could. When Nick arrived, she led him to the kitchen. He kissed her softly, placin
g both hands on the sides of her neck, drawing it out until she was breathless. Until she thought about forgetting the pipes and taking him to her room. He pulled back, though, and smiled. “I’m going to check under the sink.”
He lay down and stuck his head in the cabinet. His shirt rode up as he worked, showing his abs and the “V” that led into his jeans.
She looked away, determined to not jump his bones right now. “Thanks for coming over, Nick.”
“No problem.” He sat up. “I brought some piping with me. From what you said, I figured you’d need a new pipe here. It shouldn’t take me long to do it.”
“Okay.” She gestured a hand in the air. “Do you need help or anything?”
He shot her a lazy grin. “I’ve got this. Do whatever you were doing before I got here.”
She laughed. “I was making coffee. If you need me, just yell.” She would’ve preferred to watch him work but felt that made her a little obsessed, so she focused on cleaning the living room instead.
* * *
The piping was a cinch and only took him half an hour to install, but every second he was under the sink, the more the walls closed in on him. He’d never been claustrophobic, but damn it, his breath got more and more ragged with each turn of the wrench.
He finished quickly and sat up, throwing his tools back into their box. His skin crawled, and he clenched his jaw. Something didn’t feel right here. Pressure hit him from all sides, and he felt like he was in the ring again, battling some unknown enemy.
He grabbed his stuff, hoping to escape her house with little confrontation. Maybe he could call her later, tell her he had to run.
Victoria appeared from the entrance to the living room just as his hand touched the door knob, and he winced. “Thanks for helping me. Do you want anything? Tea or lunch, since you helped out?” She stepped closer, smiling up at him.
For some reason that pissed him off. He didn’t need payment. He was being nice, fixing it for her because her dad was unavailable. Just because they were sleeping together didn’t mean she needed to get ideas. They weren’t a couple. “No.”
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