The gratitude swimming in the golden depths of her upward glance told him more than words ever could. “That sounds perfect. I guess you noticed how nervous I am.”
“Don't be, honey. We won't do anything you aren’t ready to do.” He stroked a finger down her cheek, enjoying the feel of its velvety smoothness.
“What if I want it all, Nick? What then?” she murmured into his chest, her innocent directness almost unmanning him right there.
“Well, then I'll die a very happy man,” he only half bantered. Jesus, he wanted this woman. More than he could remember ever wanting another.
Only when, and if she’s ready. Don’t rush her.
He led her through the back door, smiling as she looked around, glad for once the Navy had drummed cleanliness into him. He lit his stove and placed the kettle on to boil. Searching through the cupboard he found a bag of Oreo cookies, and a couple of delicate looking porcelain teacups, and set them on the island counter behind him. Catching her amused expression, he shrugged. “They came with the place, and what's tea without cookies, right?”
She snickered, the sound a sweet chime, and moved to hike herself up onto one of the wooden bar stools. “You’re right, tea is meant for dunking. You know, you’re not at all what I expected after our first meeting.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t too sociable.” He grimaced.
“And then you almost decked me.”
“Hey now, that was purely accidental.” Serious, he reached across the counter and caressed her cheek. “I would never hurt this pretty face.” Unbidden, a tear slipped down her face and he cursed under his breath, his careless words leaching the warmth from the room.
“He did, you know. My husband. He did,” she whispered, the color fading from her skin, leaving her face pale and almost translucent.
Freezing at the anguish oozing from her voice, he dropped his hand and wrapped her ice cold fingers in his. He was going to kill the son-of-a-bitch. He swore roughly, aloud this time. Keeping calm was the hardest thing Nick had ever done, but Sara needed comfort right now, not more violence.
Reaching behind, he turned off the stove, and then, keeping her hand in his, circled the island to her side. “Come on honey, let’s sit in the living room and get this off your chest.” Tugging her up gently, he led Sara down the hall into the semi-darkened room. Sitting in a big, leather rocking chair he pulled her down onto his lap, and turned her so her head rested on his shoulder and her legs stretched out over the side.
He rubbed up and down her ribcage trying to infuse some of his warmth into her chilled skin. His chin rested on the top of her head. For a while, there was only the squeak of his old chair and the tick of the clock in the hallway, hypnotizing them both as it slowly counted the minutes.
When she began to speak her tone was careful, controlled. “The night I met Tom, I’d recently lost my foster father. I was lonely, he was handsome and charming, and said all the right things. Before I knew it, he’d swept me off my feet. And when he told me we should get married, I stupidly believed he loved me.” She snorted, “More fool me.”
Gazing up at him with despair, she continued, “I thought things were good between us, and they were. Until I found out I was pregnant. I couldn’t wait to tell Tom. I thought he’d be thrilled with the news. Instead, he accused me of trapping him into fatherhood and ordered me to have an abortion.” Her voice hitched on the words, and Nick gave her a little squeeze of reassurance, his blood boiling at the disappointment she must have felt. Guilt plagued him. He wondered if his wife had thought the same of him with his seeming indifference.
“After that he changed. Became oppressive. Domineering. I couldn’t do anything without him. He cut me off from my friends, told me I needed to meet a better class of people. He even kept me from my studio, saying I needed to quit wasting time with my painting. I guess I should have known then, but we were married. I thought we could work it out. When Jessica was born, he insisted on hiring a full-time nanny, even though I begged him not to. He made sure I hardly ever saw my own child.”
Nick’s jaw clenched, furious at what she must have endured. It sounded as though she’d married Jekyll and ended up with Hyde. He nuzzled her forehead. “Shh, baby, it’s okay. It’s over now, I’ve got you.” He wished there was something more he could do, but knew she needed to get this out before she could move forward in her life.
“Fiona, my friend who owns the gallery I had a showing with, called and somehow managed to get through. She asked if I’d like to go shopping, a girl’s day out. The nanny had Jessica, Tom was out somewhere on business, and I was lonely, so I jumped at it. We had so much fun, gossiping and laughing like school friends. We stopped for a late lunch downtown and she tried to talk me into another showing, I didn’t want to admit how unlikely that would be, so instead I told her how busy we’d been getting the campaign ready. Tom planned to run for Governor in the next election. Of course then she wanted to hear all about our ‘exciting’ lives. What a joke. Anyway, it was later than expected by the time I returned home.” Her head dropped back to his shoulder, as if too heavy for her neck to bear.
Her voice when she continued, was so low Nick had to strain to hear it. “Tom went psychotic, screaming and swearing I’d been with another man. I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. I decided to give him time to calm down and told him I was going to lie down for a while. But he followed me, and even though I tried to stop him, he––he hurt me.” Tears were coursing down her face now and her whole body shook. “He was my husband and he hurt me. How could he do that? How?” Sobs wracked her body, and she buried her face into Nick's neck.
His blood boiled even as his soul cried with helplessness. Pulling her closer, he wished to God that he could take her pain upon himself. It’d been hard enough watching his mother go through this kind of shit for years when he’d been too young to help her, but with Sara, it was torture.
After a while, her sobs slowed down to hiccups. “Af…after that day Tom never touched me again. I think he knew it was over for us, but he still refused to let me go. Said he needed me, and I could never leave him. He even kept Jessica away to make sure I stayed.” Her fingers played distractedly with the buttons of his shirt.
“One night I overheard him on the phone in his office. It proved what I’d already suspected. He’d been aiding his clients dealing in drugs and gunrunning for years. I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t feel I could take a chance on calling the police. My husband has a lot of important friends.” She stopped for a moment, wiped her eyes with impatient fingers.
“Then he prosecuted, and won, a high profile murder case. He said it was his ticket into the governor’s chair, and hosted a celebration dinner party. I took the opportunity to sneak away and copy the files I knew he had hidden on his computer. Then I grabbed my little girl, and ran. Fiona met up with us, gave me a vehicle and enough money to get by with. I owe her so much.” She lifted red-rimmed, weary eyes to his, her voice raspy, “I don’t know what I was thinking. I only took the files as leverage. In case he tried to make us go back with him. I just wanted him to leave us alone. But now, with what I know, he never will.”
Needing to ease the fear and pain he could see in her tear-swollen eyes, Nick tenderly kissed first one lid, and then the other closed. “Hush now, rest. We’ll figure something out in the morning. You’re not alone in this anymore. Okay, Sara? Do you hear me? You’re not alone.”
He sipped at the tears running down her cheeks, and catching at the corner of her mouth. She, in turn, wound her arms around his neck, drawing him down, even as he would have eased away.
“Please, Nick. For one night, help me to forget. Just kiss me.”
He knew she was defenseless right now and didn’t want to take advantage of that, but sweet heaven, he wanted her. More even than the sex, he wanted to ease her pain, erase what had happened to her. But since that could not be––he at least wanted to prove to her that all men were not like that asshole.
Her
moist lips touched his in a tentative invitation he was more than willing to accept. Tasting her bottom lip, he licked into her mouth before tangling his tongue with hers. God, she was so responsive. Nick could feel her softening for him even as she kept his mouth sealed to hers. Her seductive hands combed through his hair, massaging his scalp, until he couldn’t contain a hungry groan, whispering, “Oh baby, you taste so sweet. I want to savor all of you, every honeyed inch.”
His words seemed to release something almost desperate within her. She slid her hand down his chest, over his pounding heart, to the bottom of his shirt, slipping under to touch his overheated skin. Her teeth nipped at his neck as her other hand joined the party working to get his shirt off. As Nick lifted his arms to toss it aside, she licked and kissed her way to his rigid nipple, and he tensed as her lips closed over his skin.
He was in danger of embarrassing himself if he didn’t slow this down a little. Hands trembling, he cupped the side of her face, lifting it to his own. “My turn,” he whispered, as he closed his mouth over hers. At the same time his fingers were doing the walking, skimming up the inside of one silken thigh until his thumb could rub her sex through her lacy panties. Sweet hell, she was already wet, ready for him. He groaned and eased aside the leg, his fingers flicking and teasing her honeyed softness, even as his tongue copied the motion above. Sara's sexy little cries showing he was on the right track.
He slid his lips from the heat of her too tempting mouth, and stopped to lavish attention on her silky neck. She moaned and dropped her head back to give him more access as he worked his way down to feast on her luscious breasts. Pushing aside the neckline of her slay-me-now dress, he paused to suck in a hard breath at her beauty in that moment, “Sara.”
His shaking fingers moved to caress one hardened nipple as his mouth latched on to its twin, suckling softly at first, and then with more force. She tasted like candy, sweet and succulent.
“Please, Nick, I need you.” Want filled her husky voice, turning him inside out. She ran her hand up the hard length of his arousal, stroking upward from the base to his head through his jeans, and his whole body followed as if on strings.
Anxious now, his hand joined with hers, fumbling to get his zipper down. He wanted to howl with the restraints he was placing on his body. He’d wanted her to have control, lead the way, but wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold back. “Easy baby, we'll get there.” The very last thing he wanted to do was freak her out because he couldn’t control himself.
He helped her tug down her panties, and then turned her to face him, her legs straddling the outside of his. The sight of his rough jeans against the insides of her pale thighs invoked memories of their first kiss, something he wouldn’t soon forget. His hands slid from her slim waist, down over her hips to her shapely ass. He slid his fingertips down her crease to her sex and up again, spreading her open for his touch. Fierce pleasure filled him at the rough pitch of her breathing, showing her desire. For him.
Sara again took his length in hand, stroking him with more enthusiasm than experience. Hissing, he lifted his hip and growled, “In my pocket, my wallet, I think I have a condom.”
Her slim fingers digging in his pocket had him shuddering and cursing under his breath as her breasts swayed forward brushing against his chest. Eyes dark with want she lifted the wrapper to her mouth, licked her lips and grabbed a corner with shiny white teeth, ripping one end open. She tried to slide the rubber over his cock, but only succeeded in driving him mad without accomplishing much.
He placed his hand over hers, stifling a throaty groan and stared into her glowing face. And just like that Nick found himself ass-over-teakettle in love. He couldn’t wait any longer. They’d take it slower next time. Right now, he had to feel her around him before he exploded. He made short work of getting the condom on, then lifted her up. Slowly she slid down the length his cock, and his eyes practically crossed at the pulsating warmth and tightness of her.
She’d captivated him. And as she took over from him, sliding up and down, her breasts swaying, her head thrown back, her hair falling out of their pins, she looked like a warrior and he was more than happy to call himself her prisoner.
She was so beautifully responsive, hot and inviting. As she brought them close to completion, Nick ran his palms along her hips. His fingers stretching between to thumb her center, caused her to contract around him. And then it was he throwing back his head shouting as he came at the same time she cried out her release.
***
Sara clung to him as she trembled with the aftershocks, sliding slowly back down to earth after the most amazing sex of her life. She wasn’t sure what to say or do now. What was Nick thinking? What in the world was she thinking? Her life was way too complicated already—and now this. She appreciated Nick wanted to help, but worried about Tom. Bad enough that Fiona knew, and was in danger because of them. He would kill Nick for sure, and she couldn’t bear that.
Reluctantly levering herself up and away from his hard body, she worked on straightening her clothes, looking everywhere except at him. After a futile search for her undies she pulled her messed hair back and into a rough twist, and grabbed up her handbag. Backing towards the door, anxious now to escape, she glanced at Nick as he lounged in the chair watching her through narrowed eyes.
“I'm going to get out of your hair, and um…walk home, so don't get up okay?” He looked like sex on a stick. She wanted to stay, but knew she had to leave.
He put his hands on the arms of his chair and seemed about to say something so Sara turned and hurried out, racing across the street to her own little haven. Closing the door, she slid to the floor, right there in the entry, covering her face with her hands.
She couldn’t imagine what he thought of her running out like that. They should have been spending a passion-filled night together. Instead, she’d messed up by telling him her whole sad story. Nick wasn’t the type to let it go. And while she cherished the fact that he wanted to protect Jessica and her, she was more interested in keeping him alive.
Nick didn’t know what Tom was capable of, but she did. All too well.
Thoughts of when she’d found out about her husband’s illegal activities flashed through her mind. After he’d forced himself on her, Tom had taken to treating her like the dirt under his expensive shoes. Her new ‘job’ as he called it, was to bring him his evening meal in his office, where he spent most of his time when at the house. On that night, as Sara reached the half open door, she heard Tom talking angrily to someone on the other side.
“You better not be threatening me, Ramos. I could make your life very difficult. I know everything there is to know about you, even where you hide that pretty wife of yours. And your children, you have very cute little kids, my friend. I would hate to see anything happen to them, Si? Now you make sure everything is prepared on your end and I’ll handle the rest. Don’t forget who’s running this little show, or you won’t like the consequences. The Phoenix plays for keeps.”
Frightened, Sara had turned, wanting nothing more than to run away to her room and hide, but the dishes rattled, alerting him to her arrival. Peeking around the door, she’d seen Tom slam down his cell and type furiously on his keypad.
Her hands sweaty and with a pounding heart, Sara had entered with the tray of food.
At the clatter, Tom glared up at her and snarled, “Well, if it isn’t my mouse of a wife, coming to feed me. Bring it here, woman, before you drop the damn thing.” With a snap of the wrist he shut down his computer from her curious gaze.
Nervous and scared, she’d hurried to his side. Just as she went to set the tray down in front of him, he’d lashed out, grabbing her wrist in a painful grip, and pulling her down to the floor in front of him, the dishes crashing to the carpet.
“What did you hear? How long were you standing there snooping around in things that are none of your goddamned business?” The tone of his voice had climbed with each word, until by the end he was screaming, spittle fo
rming on the corner of his mouth.
Crying out as he grabbed onto her hair and gave it a vicious tug, forcing her head back, she’d pleaded, “I didn’t hear anything! I swear. Please, Tom, you’re hurting me.”
He’d shoved her and stared derisively as she fell backward and scrambled away from him. “You’re such a child, what did I ever see in you? Go. And you’d better keep quiet about this night, or the next time I might not be as nice. Get out of here. And close the fucking door.”
The coolness of the floor anchored her and brought her back to her hallway. Shivers racked her body with remembered terror of that night, one of many she had endured from her loving husband. She didn’t know what her next move would be, only that it couldn’t involve Nick.
CHAPTER NINE
Nick fell back into his chair with a grunt as Sara went racing out the door as if her hair were on fire. That was new. Usually he was the one looking for excuses to leave after doing the deed. He understood she probably needed some time alone to process everything that had happened tonight, not the least of which they’d had sex. S.E.X. A small word to encompass a life-changing event.
The knot in his stomach, which had been there since she’d shared her story, tightened painfully. What Sara had gone through mixed with that of his mother all those years ago when he’d been a child and couldn’t do much to stop it. He’d failed to protect his mom. He couldn’t fail Sara.
Rubbing a weary hand over the scar at his temple he gazed at the shadows dancing on the wall and his mind slipped back to his time overseas. His team, Adam, Jared, Frank, Steve and him, had just finished a brutal thirty-six hour mission in Iraq. They were overtired, wired out on adrenalin, and looking to blow off some steam. So they’d gone into town to a local watering hole, and were working hard at getting pie-eyed drunk.
Jared, Frank, and Steve, their invaluable medic, were sitting in on a game of poker. Frank had a nice stack building in front of him, Jared not far behind. Jared, their technician, was a master at electronics. There wasn’t anything with wires attached, that he couldn’t take apart and put back together again, probably twice as well as it was to begin with. Frank was their leader, SEAL Team Chief, and his solid steadiness when under fire kept the whole team focused and alive. The two of them had been roomies since joining with Uncle Sam, and seemed to know each other’s thoughts without a word ever spoken. Which meant the other three sitting at the table, were going to be hurting by night’s end, without a doubt.
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