Yours Book 1: Losing My Innocence

by Blue Saffire

  I brush a tear away at the thought of losing something I loved so much. Then I snort because it was one more tear than I shed for my father. By the time we lost him I think we all lost the love we once had for him. He had become a monster, but deep inside the little girl that loved her father still exists.

  I feel strong arms wrap around my waist and I immediately relax into his hold. I needed this warm embrace. He buries his face in my hair and inhales deeply.

  “I didn’t know you played,” I murmur failing to hide my emotions.

  “I don’t. Luke used to talk about the way you played. It saddened him when you stopped playing. I thought maybe when you are ready to play again, you would play for me,” Nick says softly.

  I close my eyes and nod. For him, I think I could try again someday. I am not ready today, as much as the beautiful instrument calls to me I know that much. I still need time to sort out how I feel about it.

  “Nick,” I say in almost a whisper.

  “Yes.”

  “Why me,” I ask breathlessly.

  “Why not you?” He turns me to face him. His eyes and face are so serious. “I’m not perfect, Baby. I have my own demons I have no clue what to do with, but you. You make me want to figure it all out. Your beauty, your innocence. Even at eighteen you peaked my interest. Your brain is amazing and there is something about the way you look at me, like I’m a better man than I really am. I want to be that man I see in your eyes.”

  “Well, in my eyes you are perfect,” I say shyly and reach up to kiss him.

  Nick moans in my mouth. In that moment, I really feel wanted. I let my hands travel under the t-shirt he changed into. He abs are hard behind the soft skin at my fingertips. I can feel his arousal pressing into my belly. There is a bubble in my chest that is threatening to erupt. This feels so right that I am sure I will figure the rest out. I will learn what it means to be with Nick and then deal with it.

  “I need to give that sweet pussy of yours a rest,” Nick groans against my lips. Doesn’t he know saying things like that just gets me soaked. Could this man be any sexier? “I’m going to go make breakfast before I change my mind and ravish you.”

  “Aw,” I whine and slide my hand down to his bulge.

  “Sephora,” he growls grabbing two hands full of my plump rear. I love the way he makes me feel like I’m perfect in his hands, not too curvy, not too much, but just right for him.

  I giggle and wiggle in his hands. Nick smiles and leans into nibble at my neck. I push my fingers through his hair and enjoying the feel of his lips and hands on me. I wish he would change his mind. Too soon he is pulling away and I know he hasn’t. I sigh and let him pull away.

  Reaching for my hand, he drags me into the kitchen with him and lifts me onto the counter. He pins me with a look that warns me not to move from my spot and then he busies himself around the kitchen. He collects eggs, peppers, onions and spinach from the refrigerator.

  I am surprised to see how well he moves around a kitchen. Cutting into a block of cheese he comes over to place it to my lips. He lets his fingertips brush my lips and linger as I nibble on the soft cheese. It is sort of sweet, spice, and tangy.

  “Good,” he asks.

  “Yes, it tastes amazing,” I nod as he leans in to taste my lips.

  “Not as good as you,” he winks and goes back to cooking.

  I watch him as he whistles and makes our omelets. This feels so domestic. I’m here in the home of Nicholas Lincoln and he is making me breakfast. He is my boyfriend. A small giggle bubbles up from my chest as I watch him plate the omelets and place some fruit around it.

  He turns to me with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen on his face. “What’s so funny, gorgeous,” he asks as he places the plates before two bar stools at the island and then comes to reach for me. He places me on my feet, then nuzzles my neck.

  “Nicholas Lincoln is my boyfriend,” I chuckle.

  “Damn straight he is,” Nick replies and captures my lips. “Breakfast, Baby.”

  “Alright, alright,” I grumble.

  We sit together and eat in silence for a while. He is an amazing cook if the omelet is a testament to his skills. This all seems so normal that I forget all about my other concerns and worries. This is better than what I ever dreamed having a boyfriend would be like.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The Real Nick

  After breakfast we start to clear our dishes and Nick says he’ll take me on the tour of the rest of his home. We are laughing and joking around as I tease him about being the big CEO in his big fortress on the ocean, sitting over the peasants, which would be me and Kimmie. Come to find out we are not the only employees of FLI that live in the complex, as Nick informs me.

  “Hey Nick,” I swivel to find a tall guy walking into the kitchen. He is very handsome with striking features and hazel- green eyes. He reminds me of that one actor from Single Ladies. William Levy or something I think.

  “Kevin, I was just about to text you. This is my girlfriend, Sephora,” Nick beams with pride as he walks up behind me wrapping his arms around me from behind. “Sephora this is Kevin Briggs.”

  “Nice to meet you, Kevin,” I say as I stick my hand out.

  “The pleasure is all mine. About time this old grump has found someone to make him smile,” Kevin says with fondness in his smile. I can tell this man cares about Nick.

  “And this is my only employee that dares to talk me like this,” Nick chuckles.

  “That’s because I keep your belly full and you haven’t found one person to deal with your mood swings the way I do,” Kevin jokes.

  “Sephora, Kevin here is my chef and he drives me when Winston is on other assignments or unavailable,” Nick offers as he places his hand on my shoulders. “We will have a late lunch today Kev, and Sephora here wants to cook dinner for us.”

  “Are you sure,” Kevin asks with a raised brow and a smile. “You could rest up and I could have dinner on the table when you both are ready. I promise to make something out of this world. It is not every day I get to cook for a beautiful woman in Nick’s life.”

  My cheeks heat at the compliment, as I think about his words. I guess it would be better to spend time with Nick than in the kitchen. I turn in the arms of my man and place my hands on his chest. “I guess I could spend some time with my awesome man,” I let my hands glade up his chest and around his neck.

  Nick bends to kiss me quickly on the lips. “Now you are talking,” he nips my lips and pulls me in closer.

  “Well, then it is settled, I will take care of everything,” Kevin smiles at me and shakes his head as I look over my shoulder. “Tell me Sephora, how did such a beautiful woman like you get mixed up with this one here?”

  “You know I’m still trying to figure that out,” I tease. Nick growls into my neck and nips my flesh playful. I let out a yelp and a laugh. “Okay, okay, he is my brothers best friend and I have had a crazy crush on him since the first time I met him.”

  I am shocked by my own admission and Nick seems to be stunned and quite pleased as I look up into his eyes. I am lost in his green gaze and almost forget we have company just that fast. It is when Kevin clears his throat that I turn to meet his confused expression.

  “Wait, you are Luke’s baby sister?” Kevin’s eyes flicker between Nick and me. “And you’re still standing.”

  Kevin seems to be quite amused now. He makes a low whistle and shakes his head. It is obvious he knows my brother.

  “Luke and I will come to an understanding,” Nick shrugs.

  Kevin throws his head back and laughs. “Do you think you can hold off on the action until our game on Friday?”

  Nick chuckles as I look between them confused.

  “Kevin went to school with Luke and I. We all get together every other Friday for a game of basketball,” Nick explains.

  “Oh,” I answer simply.

  “If your brother is going to hand him his ass, I want a front row seat,” Kevin chuckles.

&nb
sp; “We can call your wife so she can have a front row seat of me kicking your ass today,” Nick grumbles.

  “Get in line. She is pissed at the moment and I am taking the brunt of the fallout. She asked me to talk to you about Jillian again,” Kevin presses his lips and shakes his head.

  Nick puffs out a breath and runs a hand through his hair. “What has she done now? The list is growing.”

  “Something about Mariah calling her for some files you asked Mariah to audit. Apparently Jillian was short with her and didn’t send the right files,” Kevin shrugs.

  “You’re kidding. I don’t think I can wait for Mariah to return from maternity leave. I either have to find another PA or take what I can get from Mariah remotely for now,” Nick says tersely.

  “Wait, Jillian is not your assistant?” I ask wide eyed.

  “Not usually. She has stepped in for the last three months while Mariah has been on leave. Her normal position is in HR. I’ll be sending her back there as soon as I can. She is taking advantage of my relationship with her father, but it is time she realizes this is my company, not hers,” Nick says with finality.

  I can’t suppress the grin that spreads across my face. I would be more than happy to see Jillian go. I want to do a little happy dance at the thought.

  “Harvey won’t be happy, but it won’t be you that he will express that to. Jillian has to know she is on thin ice with you and her father. But then again, you would think she would know better than to piss off my wife,” Kevin shrugs.

  “She was on her way out of the door when she crossed Sephora,” Nick rumbles sternly. “I just have a few more things I need her around for. If it weren’t for that she would have been gone.”

  “Well, I for one can think of better things to do and talk about. You have a tour to give me,” I opt for a change of topic as I feel the tension building in Nick.

  “That sounds about right,” Nick kisses my nose before turning to Kevin. “Lunch would be great in the garden, Kev.”

  “Sure thing buddy. Are we still on for this week’s meeting?”

  “Of course, the numbers you sent me look great,” Nick smiles at his chef….no friend. There is definitely a greater level of friendship than employer, employee relationship.

  I wait until we are out of the kitchen to ask. “You guys seem like really good friends.”

  Nick shrugs. “Never thought of it that way, but I guess. Kevin and Luke were there with me from the start of my career. Neither were my friends because of what I could do for them. Kevin stepped up when I needed someone to watch my back. When we started opening the restaurants, we hired Winston to take over some of the things Kevin did. Once he started dating Mariah, my PA, he became more of my personal chef when I need him. Now he just steps in when I’m in a bind.”

  “So he is a partner in your restaurants,” I quiz.

  “No Sweetheart, I’m more like a silent partner. Let’s say your dad was not the only one that had demands for his children’s future. Kevin’s father wanted him to be a part of the family business. Kevin wanted to cook. I did for his restaurants what I did for your college tuition. Now I benefit from an extremely lucrative chain of investments,” he explains.

  “Oh,” I smile up at my generous loving man. “You are amazing.”

  “Am I now?” He pulls me into his embrace as we reach the top of the stairs and plants a kiss on my lips.

  “Yes, all your employees seem to love you and I know firsthand how much you care for your friends and what you will do for them,” I purr against his lips as he kisses me sweetly.

  “Well, you don’t go telling my secret beautiful,” Nick teases.

  “Your secret is safe with me. The papers and magazines all portray you as a hard nose CEO, so I think you should be fine,” I laugh.

  “Mmm, you may change your mind too once you see what all I have in store for you.”

  I just stare up at him wide eyed, trying to gage whether he is joking or not. His eyes are sparkling with mischief, but I still am not convinced he is entirely teasing me. With one last nip of my lips, he starts the tour of the second floor.

  The guest rooms are all gorgeous and painted in beautiful cool tones with elegant furnishings. Whoever designed this place did an amazing job of matching the rooms with the outdoors. The vast windows in each room give off beautiful views of the ocean. Nick wraps my hand in his as he leads me down the hall to the master suite.

  I think I fell in love with the room. There is an accent wall of windows from floor to ceiling that give the most breathtaking view of the ocean. Far more amazing than the one downstairs. It gives the illusion that we are floating in the sky above the water.

  The bed in this room is massive with its heavy wooden canopy frame. The posts are intricately curved to look like single pieces of wood grew entwined with one and another. As I get closer to the bed, I can see black iron rings adorn the wood on the sides facing the bed. It is a very intriguing design.

  “Are you thinking of what I will do to you here later tonight,” Nick murmurs against my neck as he nuzzles it.

  I turn in his arms and lift on my tiptoes. “Now that you mention it, why wait,” I kiss his lips as his hands slide down my back and cups my rear squeezing and kneading.

  His mouth always tastes so good. I can taste the fruit we had for breakfast and the fresh minty taste of Nick himself as his tongue slides against mine. I want to give as good as I am getting, so I tangle my fingers in his hair tugging his face closer.

  “My little butterfly, how quickly you are learning to distract your man,” Nick smiles against my lips. “You have some phone calls to make.”

  He pulls away and I pout at the loss. “I can call them later.”

  “Now is as good a time as any. I have more house to show you, but I need to put in a call or two before I can be all yours for the rest of the day,” he says with a smile on his face.

  “On Sunday,” I place my hand on my hip and frown.

  “Yes Baby, on Sunday. I run an international company someone is always working,” Nick winks while pulling his phone from his pocket.

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” I gasp in horror. I am being a brat. Nick is such an important man. Why wouldn’t he have people that need to talk to him all the time?

  He closes the distance and places a kiss on my face. “It’s nothing. I will always make time for you, Sephora. By the time you are finished with your calls, I will be all yours for the rest of the day,” with a warm kiss to my lips, then my neck, Nick excuses himself out of the room.

  I reach for my phone from my pocket and unconsciously sit on the bed. I am dreading making all of the above phone calls, but Ettie seems to be the safest to start with. So I swipe my finger across my phone and pull up her number. On the second ring Ettie picks up the phone sounding way too cheery for someone who was out partying and drinking last night.

  “Hey Lilla du,” Ettie coos into the phone.

  “Hey.”

  “You are just the person I wanted to talk to. How was your first night out? I was so disappointed you left so soon. Was it that awful?” I can literally hear her pouting on the other end.

  “No, it wasn’t awful at all. I had a nice time. Nick just wanted to go,” I reply tentatively.

  “But you rode with Mark and Kimmie. If you wanted to stay….,” Ettie cutoffs midsentence and gasps. “Soph, oh my God. You and Nick?”

  “Yeah,” I nodded with a goofy grin on my face as if she can see me.

  “Wait…since when…I mean mother called me ranting that Nick answered your phone this morning. I told her that you work for him now and that he made sure you got home last night so maybe you lost your phone in his car or something,” Ettie stops and gasps again. “Did Nicholas, hot as sin, Lincoln take your virginity?”

  I fall back onto the mattress and Nick’s scent engulfs me calming me for what I am about to say. “First question first. We started seeing each other after I accepted the job. So only a few days. I was
in the tub when Mother called and Nick answered,” I pause and sigh. “Yes, I let my boyfriend, Nicholas, too hot for words, Lincoln have my virginity.”

  We are squealing together now. My belly feels warm with the memories of last night. I can’t wait until he makes good on his promises for tonight.

  “You have to tell me everything,” Ettie demands. “How do you feel? How did he make you feel? Was it good… oh hell, scratch that one, this is Nick we are talking about.”

  “Oh Ettie, I feel like I could float away. Although, I am a little sore. He was so attentive to me and what my body needed. Ettie, I think I am falling in love with him,” I gush.

  “Oh,” Ettie murmurs.

  I sit up, startled. What does she mean, ‘oh’? My mind starts spinning. She was just so happy for me. I start to think about Luke’s warning and that’s when it dawns on me that Andrew could be a part of the circle Kimmie mentioned. I start to mentally compile a list of Luke’s closet friends.

  “Ettie is there something you are not telling me,” I ask cautiously.

  “What makes you think that,” Ettie asks nervously. My sister does not do nervous.

  “Ettie…” I had to think about how to ask this without giving away secrets that belong to others. “You have always seemed happy in your relationship with Andrew. Is your sex life….interesting.”

  Ettie is silent on the other end for so long I pull the phone from my ear to make sure she didn’t hang up. “I…I…you have to understand, after everything with dad.” She pauses again and take a deep breath. “I needed to feel taken care of. Giving yourself…surrendering can be beautiful and it makes me feel loved, safe, and taken care of like I never have. If Nick shows you this life, if it is something you are interested in, you may find what was stolen from us.”

  “So you don’t think he is bad for me the way Luke does?” I almost whisper.