“And that’s my fault?” My gaze narrowed on her.
She looked up and met my eyes. “Yeah, it is. You’ve said that Dani and I wanted this and put me smack in the middle of it.” Her knuckles turned white on the chair’s arms. “Well, I have news for you. I’m not doing it!”
“So you’re backing out and refusing a directive from your boss?”
“I sure as hell am!” She got up. “I don’t care about what you and Dani have to say about it. I was thrust in the middle of World War Three with you two just now.”
“You did that on your own, honey.” I stepped toward her.
“And I’m ending it, right here and now.” She stepped up to me and eyed me head on. “This was George’s idea and he should be the one running point.”
Anger faded into arousal, all thanks to the mixture of emotions and our heated discussion.
“Maybe I should just quit.” Her eyes conceded defeat.
“I won’t allow it.” I sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist.
“I’m screwing it all up for you.”
“You know you’re not,” I said, my voice softer, our faces growing closer.
Her hands landed on my chest. “I can’t do this, Mike.” I knew she meant the project.
“Why not?” I kissed the soft spot under her ear.
She whimpered, her fingers fisting my shirt in an attempt to stay grounded. “All we do is fight. At first, it was fine, for the most part. Now that things are better on a personal level, it’s the business side that’s suffering.”
“I can’t help it if you infuriate me.” I nipped at her jaw.
“See?” She pushed me back, but stayed in my arms, our eyes meeting.
“I need you, Nic… here, especially.”
“But you don’t trust me.” She looked away.
“What makes you say that?”
“The way you blew your top in front of Danica and me said more than enough.”
“Dani and I argue all the time and I still trust her with my life and our company. As for you, I trust you,” with my heart went unheard, “and George has too much on his plate, so you will run point on this project and maintain your PA duties. The man can advise. I doubt George will have a problem with that.” I kissed her senseless.
She melted into my arms.
“Don’t you think it’s kind of odd that instead of being fired, that I’m running a project that some of your other employees with more seniority should be given the opportunity?” she asked, breathless as my lips nibbled her jaw.
“Hmm…” I continued my assault and heard her breath catch when one of my hands groped her ass.
“I mean…”
I pulled away and looked at her with a smile. “Shut up, Nic, and let me fuck you.”
Her eyes widened. “Uh… okay?” Her surprised expression dissolved only to be replaced by a cocky grin.
“You’re in so much trouble already and yet you look like you’re about to sass me. You’re unbelievable!”
She began nibbling my jaw, upward to my ear. “You know you like it.” Her teeth snagged my lobe, pulled, and upon release, she leaned back and gave me a wink.
“You’re right. Now off with your underwear, woman.”
“What underwear?”
Holy fuck!
“Trouble,” I growled, “it should be your middle name.” She giggled into my neck as I picked her up, setting her on my desk and reclining her until she lay back. “I should think about getting a couch in here.”
“Why?” She wrapped her legs around my waist and when I searched with my fingers for her underwear, she hadn’t lied, she wasn’t wearing any. I groaned into her cleavage.
“Because if I ever find out about your lack of underwear again, I’ll have to give you lessons on propriety in the workplace, and I’ll be in need of something much more comfortable than my desk, since I’m pretty confident that there’ll be numerous infractions.” I grinned at the blush that spread onto her face and neck. “Plus, all of these lessons would give you more work with keeping my desk organized. I wouldn’t dream of adding on to your already-busy schedule.”
“Mike?” I gave her an inquisitive glance. “Get to it already.”
Within seconds, my pants were undone and I thrust into her soaked heat.
“You’re sure about this?”
We’d discussed going without condoms on Sunday, when she divulged that she was on the pill and that none of us had gone bareback before.
“Yeah!”
“You undo me, Nic.” An odd expression flittered across her face and she pulled my face down for a sweet kiss.
It wasn’t going to take very long. This whole buildup with raging emotions had done us both in, but it seemed like the right way to end things.
I didn’t pound into her because we needed to be quiet, especially after drawing so much attention earlier. Instead, I went deep, controlled, and was thorough.
I held off for as long as I could. When I felt her tremors, her nails digging into my shoulders through my shirt, I fused our mouths together, hoping it would muffle enough of our sounds.
Pulling out, I continued to kiss Nicole, smiling over her lips when she whimpered at the loss of me. She pecked my mouth and accepted my help to sit up along with the box of tissues. I retreated far enough so she could hop off my desk and straighten herself out while I got myself back together.
“I may have to continue with my impropriety if your methods of discipline are like that.” She gave me a soft kiss as she straightened my tie. Her hands brushed over my shoulders, ridding my shirt of wrinkles like a dutiful partner. “There, handsome and ready to kill it!” She gave me a dazzling smile and my heart flipped at her simple gesture of coupledom. It’s too bad it wasn’t official, but I didn’t want to dwell on that. Not yet.
I smiled back at her. “There’s only one thing missing.”
“What’s that?”
“A good luck kiss.”
She laughed a hearty laugh. “You just got lucky.”
“I did, didn’t I?” My smile turned into a grin. “I guess that’ll have to do.” I turned and was about to reach for the handle on my office door when an abrupt hand turned me around and Nicole’s lips fused themselves to mine.
“How’s that?” she asked when she pulled away.
“You’re lucky that I have five minutes to skedaddle, or else I’d have you up against this door and to hell with who hears us. I’ll see you later, you minx.”
Flicking the tip of her nose, I was out of there before the notion to stay and take her as mine again overtook me.
Chapter 28
The next day, I woke up feeling chipper, and walked with an added bounce to my step. That was until I attempted to play a trick on Nicole by jumping up from behind and surprising her.
“No… It’s just… It’s fun… I’m having lots of fun, Dani, but… No, it’s not that at all.” I heard her talking to my sister. “It feels weird talking to you about this. I know I always talk to you about everything. It’s just…” Her face was in her hand and she sighed. “Yes, of course I like him! I’d be crazy not to.” She continued. “Yeah, I’m scared as hell… What? Fine. I said fine!” She groaned. “No, no… I can’t. Dean? I can’t, Dani. There’s too much… it’s too much. It would never work. You can’t be serious. You know what… never mind. I’ve got to go. Your brother is about to get here and- well, no. I don’t know what I’ll say to…”
Without her noticing me, I made my way to my office and shut my door. I couldn’t listen to any more. Everything was blowing up in my face, or so it seemed. I hadn’t even finished executing my plan with Danica’s help, and now I wondered if it was even worth it, based on what I had heard.
I had a delivery planned for later today, but now I wondered if cancelling everything would be better. I could just take her CD and dump it on her desk and let her know that I was the one who’d held on to it all these years and be done with it all.
Maybe that’s what
I should have done all along.
A soft knock on my door sounded and Nicole poked her head in. She smiled in greeting. “You’re later than usual.”
“Slept in.” I got up and stuffed my travel laptop into its bag. “I’ve got to go. I just came in to grab a few things. Can you cancel my meetings for today?”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just not feeling well.”
Nicole nodded.
I made to leave.
She grabbed my arm to stop me, but I shook her off. “Don’t. I’m fine.” I kept my gaze averted. “Call me if something urgent comes up, otherwise, have a good weekend.”
I left the office like I had a fire up my ass and headed straight home.
When I got there, I was shocked to find Danica’s car in my driveway.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh wow! Nikki didn’t lie when she said you weren’t yourself.”
“She called you?”
“Why wouldn’t she? She’s worried about you.”
“I need you to go. I’m in no mood to entertain.”
“Then you’re lucky that I’m in a mood to talk.”
When is she not? I snorted my annoyance.
I left her in the driveway and stuck my key in the front door to let us in when Danica’s words stopped me in my tracks.
“She’s falling for you, you know.” I didn’t answer. “You’ve got her against the ropes. She’s fighting it and she’s covering it up good, too. If I didn’t know her well, I would have believed everything she told me this morning.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t catch the entire conversation, but I understood plenty.” I gestured for her to come in.
“She’s playing it off like it’s all fun and games and that you two are just friends. I know both sides of the story, and from what I can see, it’s not a game to either of you,” she said. “So my question is, what are you going to do about it, because I don’t think Nikki can do anything. She’s too scared and her past with Dean is too fresh.”
I ran my hands through my hair. “What can I do?”
“Fight! Tell her how you feel.”
“You know how she is. It took her months after my move here before she believed me about the whole player thing. She’ll never believe me with this either.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“We had a plan… I had a plan at the end of this whole thing. I just don’t know if it’s worth it.”
“Do you like her?”
I shook my head. “I love her, Dani.” I groaned and hung my head, my elbows leaning onto my knees. “I’m doing this all wrong! She should be the first to know that, not you!”
“You’re right about that one.”
“Which?”
She sat down beside me and grinned. “That you’re doing it all wrong.”
When all was said and done, my deliveries were never cancelled. Instead, I switched things up. Thanks to Danica and her cupid playing abilities, I had renewed ambition.
I picked up my phone and texted Nicole.
I need you to pick some documents up for me at Dani’s. Jake’s holding on to them. Can you bring them over?
Within seconds, I had my reply.
Okay. I’ll handle it on my lunch break. How’re you feeling?
I smiled.
I’ll be better when I see my package.
Let me explain what I did…
I’d instructed Danica to head to the office and sit down with Nicole in order to discuss the proper financial allocations for the Fleishman project. A messenger was tasked to get to Nicole before she left the office on her errand, delivering a single red rose, accompanied by the remaining verses of my poem, and two CDs containing two more of her songs.
She’s on her way to pick up the package. Danica texted.
Everything was coming to a head with perfection.
Chapter 29
My doorbell rang and my pulse kicked up, knowing who stood on the other side of that door.
“Come in.” I tried to relax into the couch with the stereo on low, but still audible.
“I’ve got what you asked me to get.” Nicole rushed into the living room, waving the sealed envelope, but stopped dead in her tracks with a gasp as she heard the music.
“Mike?” Her voice had gone breathless, her eyes glossy. I crossed the floor to her, taking her into a tender hug. “It’s you, isn’t it?” she said into my chest. “Please tell me that it’s you, because I’ve been wracking my brain about this; about how we’ve been together quite a bit lately, how our fights aren’t as frequent, how you haven’t been jealous one bit, and even happy when I tell you about all of these deliveries. It’s not normal.” She pulled away to look at me. “Whenever I think about the last time I saw that CD, I’d been spending a lot of time at your place. Dani was helping me deal with things, and Mom was broken and… the CD was always in my bag until one day, it wasn’t.”
I took a deep breath and sucked it up. It was time. “You caught me.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“You stole it?”
“No.” I kissed the top of her head. “I found it under Dani’s bed while I was looking for some of my CDs. She used to steal my music, remember? I thought it was one of my mixes, so I took it and kept it. I love these songs, honey. I had no clue who the artist was, but I’ve listened to your music a lot over the years.”
“But it wasn’t yours to keep,” she said, her tone sharp.
“Nic, I didn’t know whose it was. It didn’t seem like anyone missed it, because no one asked me about it.”
“Where is it?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you just give it back when you knew it was mine?”
“It was a way of keeping you with me,” I said with simplicity. Yeah, and if you wanted to keep things simple, you would have burned yourself a copy of the CD and handed her the original. “Just like you didn’t believe me about the player thing, I doubted that you’d believe me if I told you I felt something more than lust or friendship for you. So I decided to do something special to prove it.”
“Don’t you think that should have been up to me to decide?” she asked. “Instead, you made me think… God, I don’t know what to think!”
“You seemed to have enjoyed it as it happened!” I bit back.
“Yeah, when I thought about it being someone else.”
“So you’re disappointed.” I harrumphed. “I should never-”
She shook her head. “I should go.”
“Nic…” I began, but she pulled out of my arms, and all I wanted to do was pull her back in until she saw the truth, until she gave into how I felt for her, until she felt the same. She hadn’t given it time to sink in. She didn’t give me time to let me explain myself and how hard I had fallen for her over such a short amount of time, either. There was so much left to say.
“I have to go.” She turned to let herself out.
Please don’t! But my mouth couldn’t speak what should have been said.
Her car door slammed and its engine revved and before long, silence engulfed my house and I knew she was gone.
Standing with nothing but Nicole’s words surrounding me, my brain began to process.
I had to do something.
There’d be no more waiting.
There’d be no more watching life as it passed me by, while everyone else seemed to get their happily ever after.
I knew what I wanted, and whether she knew it or not, Nicole was it for me. She’d just have to deal with that fact, and if I had to, I’d spend whatever time she gave us convincing her that we were made for each other.
It was time for me to fight.
Chapter 30
I drove the ten minutes to Nicole’s house, breathing a sigh of relief when I found her car in the driveway. I hadn’t worked out what I was going to say, but I knew I had to speak with her and not let everything go unresolved. God help me, but I was going to wing it.
I knocked on her door. I rang her doorbell.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
“Mike, I can’t talk to you right now.”
“I know!” I said, looking at my feet. I guess I wasn’t going to get through her door. An idea crept into my head. “I just need you to listen.” I ran back to my car, sat in it and started its engine. Grabbing my cell, I dialed her number.
“Listen to what?” she asked through the receiver, and I could hear the emotional exhaustion in her voice. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same.
The first track of her songs began to play through my car speakers.
“You hear that?” I asked her and didn’t expect a response, but I got a sigh. “That song is what drew me in to you.” I skipped to the next track. “This one… it helped me through a tough time in my life. When Mom died, this song meant the world to me and kept me together.” Next. “This one lulls me to sleep, but not because it stinks. On nights when my brain was too busy worrying about exams, the next big football game, or work, it soothed me enough to relax and fall asleep. It still works. Hell, I’ve been using it since Austin, because all I do is think about you, Nic, and I’ve been having a hell of a time trying to sleep unless you’re next to me.” Next. “This one is my favorite. Actually, I have two favorites now, but this one was the first. I managed to convince Tracey to use this song for our wedding dance. I wish I hadn’t.” I could have sworn I heard a groan on the other end of the line, making me regret my words, but I needed honesty. “She accepted because it meant so much to me. I just never realized that the words matched what I wanted and not what I had.” Next. “This one makes me happy, because I realized it was you I’d been listening to when I heard you singing that first night I dropped by. I can’t help but smile when I hear this song, because all I see when I listen to it is you, and how you have so many dreams you have yet to see realized… dreams I want to help you achieve. And that leaves me with this one!” I hit the next button one last time. “This song is my official favorite of favorites by you, Nic. When I hear this song, it brings me back to the night I realized I loved you for the first time.” I heard her gasp in the phone. “You were wearing my shirt, looking natural, content and comfortable… completely in your element. You were perfect to me in that moment, Nicole. That was the song that sealed the deal. It’s when I knew that I needed you in my life.” I swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to say anything just yet. I just wanted to say my piece and let it simmer. At the risk of losing you altogether, I’m leaving your CD on the doorstep. Even if it means losing the one and only piece of you that I could ever have.” I exited my car and propped the item against the bottom of her door, keeping my phone to my ear. “I’ll be at home if you need me. Trust me when I say I never meant to upset you with what I did. I love fighting with you, but not about things like this. I love you, Nicole.”
Play Me to Infinity (The Broken Men Chronicles Book 3) Page 11