“Do you still have a thing for pirates?” He eased the tee-shirt up and off, ran his palms over her naked, perfect breasts.
She sighed. Her arms came up and her fingers speared through his hair. “Hell no. That fantasy has been blown out of the water by my vet fantasy.”
He pressed his lips to hers. With a moan, she opened her mouth, allowing him access. His hands stroked her, teased her nipples, which had already peaked into hard nubs. God, she’s so beautiful. Their legs tangled, her thigh over his, and her silk panties brushing against his cock.
The only sounds in the room were of their sighs, hitched breaths, moans. She pushed him back against the mattress, and straddled him, still somehow keeping their mouths fastened together. The freedom to touch her soft skin was exhilarating. Her breasts were within reach of his mouth, so he licked one erect nipple and surrounded it with the heat and wetness of his mouth, flicking his tongue over the nub. She responded like a woman overcome, clutching him to her, eyes wild.
When he transferred his attention to her other breast, she wriggled against him.
“I better put on a condom.” He reached across to the bedside table, and retrieved the small foil packet. Ripped it open, and sheathed himself.
As he did so, she shimmied out of her tiny panties, and kicked them to the bottom of the bed. When she returned to him again, she pressed her core against his erection. “I want...I want you.”
He wanted to be in her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life, but the first time with Summer wouldn’t be rushed—wouldn’t be ordinary.
“Not yet,” he whispered. Then he clamped his arms around her, and flipped their positions so she was flat on her back on the sheets next to him. “Not yet.”
*****
Mussed by her hands, Nick’s hair tumbled over his forehead. His face held such raw sexuality she couldn’t look away. He stroked her face with his fingertips, tracing the bump of her eyebrows, the slide of her cheekbones.
“I like touching you.” His voice was deep and serious. His fingertips skated over her lips, skied the slope of her throat, and circled the base, between her clavicles.
None were traditional erogenous zones—but his touch was all the more meaningful for that.
He flattened his large, warm hands over her, and felt her body, from her shoulders to her belly button. Not lingering, just transferring heat, stroking her as he might stroke a cat.
Entranced, she lay still and watched him.
He shifted his position, ran his palms over her thighs, and then gently hooked a hand behind each knee.
Her breathing hitched at the look in his eyes as he placed one leg and then the other over his shoulders, and brought his head down to the juncture of her thighs.
In three, long years, Michael had never paid her such focused attention. Had never made her pleasure his priority.
Nick rubbed his thumb over her clitoris, moving in slow circles that made delicious tension curl in her stomach. His mouth covered her, and his tongue flicked inside her heat. One hand smoothed over her lower stomach, holding her in place as he kissed, tasted, teased.
Summer closed her eyes and bit down on her lower lip. The sensations were amazing—colors swirled behind her eyelids, and heat flared through her body, travelling from his mouth to her stomach, her heart, her arms, and stealing the strength from her legs.
His fingers filled her, the melting feeling changed. Like a gathering storm, everything seemed to rush together, circling beneath her belly button, rushing down…a tsunami, impossible to control, inescapable…
“Come.” Nick’s soft-spoken plea dissolved the last vestige of resistance. Her toes pointed, the back of her calves pressed against the warm, strong muscles of his back, and Summer surrendered, feeling the pulsing contraction and relaxation of her inner muscles spasm into bliss.
Maybe he could tell—maybe he realized just how affected she had been by the experience—or maybe he was just a man in a million, because Nick seemed to know exactly what she needed in the aftermath of her orgasm. She needed to be held.
He scooted up and tumbled her into his arms, holding on tight and smoothing his hands down her back in a way that made her feel…made her feel loved.
Loved. Summer breathed in deep, and tried to quell the misty, soft feelings swirling inside. This is crazy. Nick didn’t love her, and she didn’t love him. Where are these feelings coming from?
He was hard against her stomach. Making no attempt to do any more than comfort. The intimacy and lack of control over her reactions to him made her anxious. She reached up and stroked the side of his face. Then kissed him, hard, demanding, urgent.
Her other hand slid down his back and rested on his butt.
Nick groaned.
Summer wriggled her hips, eased her legs apart a little, and squeezed. He read her body language perfectly, positioning himself at her entrance, and entering her in one swift thrust. As they rocked together, she forced down the thought that this was perfect, that this was where she was supposed to be, that Nick was the one.
Her foot linked around his calf, holding him in place as he thrust into her. She didn’t think she could come again so hard, so absolutely, but he proved her wrong. And when she scaled the peak and soared over the other side, he was right there, with her, sharing the moment—sharing heaven.
Chapter Thirteen
Whoever wrote that women liked to snuggle, was guilty of one hell of a generalization.
Summer couldn’t get away quick enough. After the best sexual experience of his life, his partner in lust shimmied to the edge of the bed, made some flimsy excuse, and followed it with a sprint to the bathroom.
Nick lay there, staring after her. What just happened? He wasn’t arrogant, but there was no way what they had just shared was anything other than spectacular, for both of them. The noises she’d made, the way she’d clutched around him, her inner tremors and the marks she’d left on his back were all sure indicators that she’d been as affected as he was.
So why the midnight sprint?
The urge to climb out of bed and join her in the shower that he could now hear running behind the bathroom door, was strong. But he shut down the compulsion. Something was up. He had no idea what was going on with her, but she needed time for some reason.
After ten minutes, the bathroom door opened, and Summer appeared, wrapped in his navy bathrobe. It was so big; it covered every inch of her. She’d rolled up the arms, and tightly knotted the belt at the waist. Her hair was wrapped in a towel.
“I’m going to make some tea.” She smiled, but put the toes of one foot on top of the other. “Do you want some?”
Nick shook his head. “I’m too tired. Bring it back to bed?”
She swallowed. “I…I’m going to dry my hair in my bedroom after. Um…I think I might just stay up for a while. I have problems sleeping. I don’t want to disturb you with my tossing and turning all night.” The look on her face, as if she expected a fight about her decision, gave him pause. He knew that look—he’d seen it on his own face often enough. It was the I-don’t-want-you-getting-attached look.
He should feel happy that she didn’t want any more than sex from him—he certainly wasn’t interested in a relationship, but her making the decision rather than him nudged him off kilter.
He wanted her to stay. There was nothing he wanted more than to curl around her and drop off to sleep, but it wasn’t as big a deal as she seemed to think it was. If she didn’t want to spend the night with him, there was no point in making her feel bad about it.
“Okay.” He put his hands behind his head. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here.”
“Great.” With a smile, she headed for the door. “If I don’t see you before tomorrow, sleep well.”
She hurried from the room, and he heard the door open to the spare bedroom soon after, and the sound of her hairdryer.
It was ridiculous to feel bereft at her absence—he’d often slept with someone then headed back home
afterwards, leaving them happy and satisfied. Or so he’d thought. Maybe when emotions were involved it wasn’t as simple as that?
*****
Summer was beyond relieved that Nick hadn’t questioned her and had accepted her decision to spend the night in the spare room. After making love with him, she didn’t think she could take any more intimacy. In the club, she’d been so desperate for him, so determined that tonight should end up with them together, that she hadn’t taken the time to consider the consequences. She’d been expecting sex, not lovemaking, and the difference had never seemed so stark.
How could she keep things simple, when he affected her so strongly that she felt as though his arms were home?
Maybe it was because she’d known him forever, but casual sex with Nick Logan wasn’t possible, she knew that now. She’d needed to regroup, to get herself together. And she’d be forever grateful that he hadn’t made a big deal out of it, as Michael would have.
Despite her assertion that she’d suffer from insomnia, by the time she’d finished her tea, her eyelids were drooping, and her body was languid and sleepy. She’d climbed the stairs, and walked past his bedroom door, into the small spare bedroom. Lying in bed, she’d listened out for sounds of him, but the house was quiet, so she’d closed her eyes, and in moments, had fallen into a deep dreamless sleep.
A tap on the door woke her. Nick pushed the door open. “I brought you some coffee.” He walked over to the bed. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
She sniffed. “Are you cooking bacon?” She sat up in bed and took the coffee from his outstretched hand.
“Bacon sandwiches.” He made no move to kiss her, which perversely left her wishing he would.
“I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”
With a nod, Nick turned and left the room.
It was as though last night hadn’t happened. As if she’d dreamed it. But I didn’t. Summer clambered out of bed, and dressed quickly. She washed her face in the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and tidied her hair, then went to find him.
He was standing at the oven, plating up the cooked bacon.
“I didn’t even say good morning.” She crossed the room and stood next to him. Close enough to touch.
He turned.
She curled her fingers around his upper arm and went up on tiptoe to reach his mouth. “Good morning,” she whispered against his lips, then she kissed him.
“Good morning to you too.” He snaked an arm around her and pulled her close, matching her gentle kiss and raising it to deep and sexy. When he let her go, her heart was pounding. So much for dialing down on the love stuff…
He picked up the plate of bacon and placed it on the kitchen table. “Breakfast.”
“So what’s on the agenda for today?” She felt light and happy, ready for anything. “Did you say something about a tree?”
“I don’t normally bother, but…” he shrugged, “I guess if I’m having a guest for Christmas, I should make an effort. You are going to stay over Christmas, aren’t you?”
The idea of spending Christmas alone in her parents’ house held no appeal. “I’d like that.” She paused. “But you have to cook dinner for your family, don’t you?” She glanced around at the tight confines of the kitchen. “Is that here?”
“No. At my parents’ house.” He grinned. “You’ll have to come with me.”
“Well, if I’m spending Christmas with you, I’ll have to help you out with your dinner-making challenge.”
Nick punched the air. “Yes! I’m saved.”
“Have you thought out the menu?”
Nick laid a couple of slices of bacon onto white bread and covered them in brown sauce. “Not really, as I said, I’ve booked a turkey—”
“One turkey does not a Christmas make.” She tried to look serious, but gave up after a couple of seconds. “We need a plan.” She looked around the kitchen. “Get me some paper and a pen and we’ll write a list.”
*****
When Summer had drawn up a comprehensive list of ingredients, including items he wouldn’t have thought of in a thousand years, she subdivided the list into things to buy now and things to be delivered closer to Christmas.
“We can use internet shopping to organize a delivery to your parents’ house,” she said. “That means we don’t need to worry about it.” She waved the list in the air. “These other things we can buy today and cook beforehand.”
Nick had an internet shopping account with the local supermarket. “We can do that tonight. We should head out soon, I want to drive over and check your house then we can get the tree and buy these other ingredients. I guess I should do some Christmas shopping too. I’m going to give Fella a bath today.”
They sold collars and leads at the vets and he’d picked one of each up the day before for Fella. When breakfast was over Summer went back upstairs to get her coat and boots, and Nick fastened the red tartan collar he’d chosen around Fella’s neck.
It had only been a few days, but already the dog was looking so much healthier. He seemed happier too—pressing his nose into Nick’s hands and gratefully accepting a pat. It would be hard to manhandle him into the bath later, but well worth it.
“Ready to go?” Summer stood in the doorway bundled up in her coat, woolly hat, and gloves. He smiled at the memory of her sitting in bed playing imaginary drums with that hat on her head.
“Yes.” They climbed into the Land Rover and drove up the mountain to the house. The salted road was clear, but snow remained on the verges, and the sky was pale blue without a cloud in sight. When they arrived at the house Nick checked the electricity was on and that the heating was working, while Summer packed the rest of her belongings and loaded them into her rental car. There was no point leaving it here, so she’d drive it back to Nick’s house.
“When are your parents due back from Spain?”
“The third of January. I’d planned on returning to London by then, but they persuaded me to stay longer so we could catch up.” Her nose wrinkled. “I guess I have some explaining to do.”
“They won’t be disappointed that you split with Michael, you know. I don’t think either of them were particularly impressed with him.”
She tilted her head to one side. “What do you mean? Did they say something?”
“No—I guess I’m mostly talking for your brother. He thought Michael was a bit of a dick.”
Summer smiled. “Declan was one hundred percent right. I guess I just don’t like having to admit that I made such a bad choice. I really thought he’d be there for me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It makes me question how capable I am to make any decision, to be honest.”
She was unnecessarily hard on herself. “Everyone makes a mistake sometimes—no-one’s perfect,” Nick said. “You’re more perfect than most, but…”
She frowned. “What do you mean, I’m more perfect than most?” She crossed her arms. “I’m just the same as anyone else.”
“No you’re not.” She’d never been ordinary, never been held to the same standards as everyone else. “You were always the best at everything, Summer. The best at school, the winner of everything, the girl voted most likely to succeed. Your parents are proud of you, and you’ve worked hard to live up to everyone’s expectations, but you’re not superhuman. You can fail. It’s not the end of the world.”
Her back was straight, and her shoulders had raised. She looked as though she was ready to fight a battle. “You make me sound like a robot.” She glared at him. “I don’t think I’m superhuman, I know I can fail.”
This wasn’t going the way he’d hoped, but there was no backing down on the truth now. “I don’t think you do. If you did, you’d have told them your relationship is over. You wouldn’t need to prove anything to anyone.”
“You know what, Nick? Maybe we should just stop talking about me.” She put on her coat and picked up her suitcase. “I don’t have to justify my behavior to you, or to anyone else. I made a decision not to tell my family
because I didn’t want to worry them. I’m going to tell them in January. I don’t want, or need your approval.” She eyed him. “Maybe staying with you isn’t such a good idea.”
“I promised your brother I wouldn’t leave you here alone.” Nick crossed his arms.
Her eyes widened. “You promised Declan…” Her hands clenched into fists. “So all this time—you asked me to stay because Declan asked you to? Did he ask you to sleep with me too?”
“Summer…” Shit, shit, shit.
“Because you can tell my little brother I don’t need to be babysat. I don’t need…” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
In a couple of steps he was in front of her, hauling her into his arms. “I didn’t ask you to stay because of anything Declan said.” He stared into her eyes. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you again, I want you for me, not because it’s right, not because I don’t think you can manage perfectly well without me, but for me. I want you, I can’t help it. I don’t want you to stay here, and I don’t want you to leave in January and go back to London.” Before he totally freaked her out and told her he didn’t want her to ever leave, that he feared he’d lost his heart to her forever, Nick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her until he couldn’t see straight.
Chapter Fourteen
Things were different between them as they walked around Brookbridge, doing their errands. She hadn’t liked hearing his words back at the house—the plainly spoken assertion that she was afraid to be seen as anything less than perfect had stung—but Summer couldn’t deny he was right.
There had been months to tell her family that she and Michael were over, months to explain that the restaurant had fallen into difficulty, and she hadn’t revealed the truth. Mostly because she didn’t want them to feel differently about her. To be disappointed.
Nick’s words had been brutally honest. As had his declaration afterwards that he wanted her to stay not because her brother had asked him to, but because he wanted to. Wanted her.
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