Wilted

by Mia Michelle

  “Ugh! You men! All you do is think about sex!”

  “Yep, and you love me for it.”

  When my phone rings, Kylie jumps to her feet. Laughing, I slide my finger across the screen and answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Nikolas?”

  “Yes, this is he.”

  “Hi, Nik. This is Sara. Sebastian had an important meeting and wanted me to let you know that Skylar will be flying out later than expected. He said he’d let you know when she does leave.”

  “No problem, Sara. Thanks for letting me know. Tell Sebastian we’re happy to pick her up whenever.”

  “I will do that. Thank you, Nik. Goodbye.”

  “Goodbye.” I end the call.

  “What’s going on? Is she not coming now?”

  “No, that was Sebastian’s assistant, Sara. She said Skylar would be flying out later than expected. I don’t know if that means later today, or later in the week. Sebastian’s in an important meeting, so I’ll give him a call in a bit and see.”

  “Ugh,” she says as her bottom lip forms into a pout.

  God, I love it when she does that. It’s so damn cute. Pulling her into me, I wrap my arms around her.

  “I know you miss her. Don’t worry, she’ll be here soon. Until then, you have me all to yourself.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yep, and I’ll let you use me any way you want if it puts a smile back on your face again.”

  “Hmm… Any?”

  Fuck! Why did I have to say that?

  KYLIE

  “Chinese again?” Nik groans and I slap him on the back of the head. He knows how bad a cook I am.

  “Would you rather me cook you something, dear?” I bat my eyes at him. I almost piss my pants when his eyes bug out of his head.

  “No! Um, I don’t think my stomach can handle that again. Plus the fire department wasn’t so forgiving last time. Remember?”

  Psh. Fuck the fire department.

  “It was only a tiny, fucking spark. That’s it! They acted like I damn near burned down the building.”

  He laughs and clears his throat.

  “Still, let’s not risk it, though. All right, Chef Boyardee? Chinese sounds delicious. Pass me some chopsticks,” he teases.

  “Smart ass!”

  The thing is, he really isn’t kidding. I fucking suck at cooking. Even working the microwave proves challenging for me most days. Regardless, I can make one mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

  Nik’s phone rings and I jump. We’ve been waiting for days now to hear something back from Sebastian as to when to expect Skylar to fly out.

  “Thank God! I’ve been trying to reach you for days now! Kylie’s aggravating the shit out of me, wan—”

  When Sebastian interrupts him, his face drops, and I immediately yank the phone out of his hand.

  “Nik, she’s hurt. I—”

  I interrupt Sebastian immediately.

  “What do you mean she’s hurt?” I scream into the phone.

  “The bastard took her, Kylie. We’d been trying to find her for days now.”

  “Days? You mean my best friend had been missing for days, and you’re just now telling me? Are you fucking insane? I’m going to kill you when I see you!”

  “There wasn’t time to call you guys.”

  “What happened?”

  “When we went in to rescue her, he went nuts. He beat her and cut her really bad.”

  Oh my God! Is she going to be all right? What about the baby?” I cry.

  They have to be okay. They just have to be. Please God!!

  “Skylar’s fine, but they’re watching the baby closely. She started having contractions, but for now, they were able to stop them with some medicine. The doctor says if her contractions return, they may have to deliver the baby. Kylie, Skylar won’t ever survive if we lose our daughter.”

  “Daughter? It’s… a girl?” I say, getting choked up. The tears fall freely down my face, and I don’t even bother to wipe them away. Nik wraps his arms around me and kisses the back of my head.

  “Yes, it’s a girl,” he says, getting emotional himself.

  “We’re on our way, Sebastian. We’ll be there by this evening.”

  “She’s in Seton Medical. I’ll see you guys when you get here.”

  “Stay strong. If that baby is anything like her mother, she’s going to be fine.”

  “I pray you’re right. See you guys then,” he says, ending the call.

  Silently, I pray I’m right too.

  By the time I throw some clothes in a bag, Nik has already told his pilot to ready the jet for Austin.

  “What are you doing?” I ask when I see him carrying the huge portrait to my car.

  “I thought you might want to bring it. Maybe surprise them once things settle down?”

  “What if things don’t settle down? What if she loses the baby?” I cry as I drop the bag on the floor. He props the painting against the wall and rushes over to me.

  “Shh, baby. She’s going to be all right. Like you said, that baby girl’s got her momma’s genes. She’s a survivor.”

  “Why can’t she just have happiness? After everything she’s been tortured with, she doesn’t deserve any of this. It’s one horrific thing after another for her. I can’t bear to watch her go through any more. Why is God punishing her?” I sob into his chest.

  Nik’s not a big religious person, so when I hear his words, I’m shocked.

  “God’s not punishing her, Kylie. He’s been protecting her. Look at everything she’s been through? Look how strong she is to have survived it. God’s been the one to help her through it all. He’s not about to stop now.”

  He will never know how much I needed to hear those words right now. He cups my face and wipes the tears away with his thumb before kissing me on the lips.

  “When did you get so wise?”

  “Sometimes I surprise my own self,” he jokes.

  “I love you, Nikolas Thorne.”

  “And I love you, Kylie Reynolds. Now get your fine ass moving. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

  “How is she?” I ask as I run to Sebastian. The whole way here, I’ve been on pins and needles, aching for an update.

  “She’s awake, but she’s really sore. The baby’s still doing good. They quit giving her the medicine that stops the contractions, so for now, we pray they don’t return.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “Of course. I know she’s going to be so glad you’re here. She’s getting tired of looking at my face.”

  He leads us down the hall to her room.

  “Baby? Look who I found in the hallway?” Sebastian says and moves aside for me to enter.

  The moment she sees my face, she smiles. The thing is, when I see how bad she looks, it’s everything I can do to not hit the floor. Dark purple bruising is evident up and down her face, and her jaw is so swollen, it breaks my heart.

  “Kylie!”

  “Oh, Sky! How are you feeling?” I say, running to her bedside and carefully hugging her.

  “I’m better now that you’re here.”

  “Hey, um, I’m going to buy Sebastian some coffee and let you girls get caught up. We’ll be downstairs if you need us.”

  I nod at Nik and turn back to Skylar, pulling a chair beside her.

  “Oh honey,” I say as I brush her hair away from her face.

  “I know I look horrible. There’s no hope for your magic touch this time I’m afraid.”

  “I’m so glad Sebastian told us that the fucker is dead because I’d kill him if he weren’t.” Just seeing her face makes me want to put a bullet in his head again.

  “It’s over. He can’t hurt us anymore,” she says, rubbing her stomach. “It’s a girl.” She gushes, causing me to smile.

  The way she looks at her stomach as she rubs it breaks my heart. The love in her eyes is the kind of love I’ve never seen before. It’s beautiful. It’s the kind that a person would give her life up for
. She is going to be the most wonderful mother. I just pray everything goes all right for the rest of her pregnancy. Sebastian’s right. Losing this baby would more than devastate her.

  “I know,” I admit with a grin.

  “That crazy man told you, didn’t he? He’s told everyone in this hospital, I think. I’ve never seen him so damn excited to prove me wrong.”

  “He’s just a proud daddy-to-be, so go easy on him. Although, I don't plan on going easy on him. He’s got a major ass kicking coming to him for not calling me sooner to tell me what was going on.”

  She laughs but then grabs her side in pain.

  “I’m sorry, I’ll try to be nice.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she jokes and holds her side to laugh more.

  “It feels so good to hear you laugh.”

  “And it feels so good to have you here. I’m… I’m scared, Kylie,” she admits, blinking away tears.

  “Hey. You listen to me. Everything is going to be all right. That kid is a fighter, just like her momma. Plus, I believe she has some of me in there, too, so she’ll totally kick some ass.”

  “God, how I’ve missed you,” she says, squeezing my hand.

  “Well, I’m here for the staying, so you’ll be tired of me soon. I’m not going anywhere until you’re better.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you back, bitch,” I say with a wink.

  A young nurse knocks and comes in to check both mommy and baby’s vitals. After some pain meds, it isn’t long before Skylar’s resting comfortably. For the next hour or so, I sit in the dark room and hold her hand as she sleeps. Listening to the sweet sounds of the baby’s rhythmic heart soothes me. Leaning in, I lay my hand tenderly on her stomach and grin at how much her stomach’s grown since the last time I’d seen her.

  “Baby girl, you gotta be strong for your momma. She needs you. We all do.” I’m rewarded with a nudge. Smiling, I take that as the sign I need. This little girl is going to survive.

  A few minutes later, Nik and Sebastian quietly enter the room. I stand and stretch as I wave them back out to the hallway.

  “How about the two of you head back to our place? You’re welcome to stay there. Hopefully, we’ll be coming home in a couple of days. I know it will do Skylar good if you’re there.”

  “You got it. Is there anything you need for us to do?”

  “I can’t think of anything. Just being there will help out tons. It’ll keep her mind off worrying, I’m sure.”

  “We’ll head on out and let you get some rest. Call us if you need us.”

  “I will and thanks so much for coming you guys.”

  Nik pulls him in for a hug and I smile. The relief in his eyes warms my heart so much. We belong in Austin. This is where our family and friends are. Judging by the look in Nik’s face, I know he’s thinking the same thing. Goodbye, LA! Welcome home!

  NIKOLAS

  I sit here on the floor of the nursery and watch my gorgeous girl paint. Since the moment she saw the mess upstairs, she’s put me to work. I’ve assembled more shit in two days than I can ever count. I swear Sebastian has bought every fucking possible contraption for this kid.

  It probably wouldn’t have taken so long for me to put half this stuff together, but when she wears those shorts and bends over in front of me, well… breaks have to be taken.

  Watching her paint is amazing. She gets this vision in her head and makes it come to life. In a snap of a finger, she’s transformed this blah room into a little girl’s dream. I know how emotional Kylie’s gotten just painting the damn room. Skylar is going to burst out in tears when she sees it. Women!

  “There, all done.” I say, putting the tools back into the bag.

  Kylie looks over her shoulder at me and I grin. Paint streaks her face from where she rubs her nose when she thinks. It’s fucking adorable. Putting her brush down, she wipes her hands and walks over to check out my latest project.

  “Good job there, Mr. Handyman,” she says, inspecting the crib.

  “Mr. Handyman, huh?” I say, grabbing her ass.

  “Yes, you’re quite handy, I’d say,” she jokes as she removes my hands from her behind.

  “You like me handy, I thought.”

  “Oh, I do. But sometimes, you don’t need those hands,” she says, raising her eyebrow at me.

  Fucking hell. When this woman gets that look in her eyes, I know what’s about to happen. Kinky Kylie emerges and I love it. Walking over to the table, she grabs the roll of painter’s tape and takes slow steps as she stalks me into the corner. She puts her palms in the center of my chest and pushes me back in the plastic covered, wooden rocker. Grabbing my hands, she binds them together with the tape and loops it around the back spindles of the chair. The girl puts like twenty damn layers on, so I know I won’t be able to break free from this one. In one last move, she places a large strip across my mouth, kissing the outside of the tape when she’s done.

  I growl at her and she smiles. God, I love this side of her.

  Dropping to her knees, she pulls down my shorts and positions herself on the floor. My rock hard cock springs free and she licks those plump lips that I love so much to kiss. She grins up at me before taking me slowly into her mouth. Working her hand up and down my cock, she increases her suction around me. Goddamn, this girl knows how to work that mouth. Faster and faster she pumps, while squeezing my balls with her other hand. Shit! I’m gonna come.

  Sensing I’m close, she slows her pace and stands, turning to face the other direction. Slowly, she bends over, sliding her white shorts down past her ass, but leaving her thong in place. Seductively, she rocks her hips from side to side as she lifts her tiny halter top over her head. I’m getting my very own striptease act, but I can’t touch. Turning to face me, she twists her body down and slides her thong past her hips, taunting me the entire time. When she steps out of it, she brings it to my nose. Breathing her intoxicating flavor in, I’m ready to break this damn chair and have my way with her.

  She giggles at the way I’m coming unglued and decides to put me out of my misery. Turning around, she sits in my lap and guides me into her dripping wet pussy. I groan as my dick slides into her, coating itself in her thick arousal. I want to urge her faster, but I can’t do much more than lift my ass. She’s in control here. The thing is, she isn’t very patient herself. Once I’m balls deep inside of her, she bounces up and down, causing her ponytail to whip from side to side. What I wouldn’t give to grab hold of that thing and show her who’s in charge.

  Her pussy grips me so tight, I know there is no way I can hold back.

  “Your dick feels. So. Damn. Good!” Kylie slows and twerks her ass back at me.

  My balls are aching, but I try to hang on for her to climax first.

  “Yes! Oh yes,” she screams, bouncing harder on my cock.

  That’s it. I can’t hold on any longer. Desperate to come, I push my hips up and feel the orgasm as it overtakes me.

  “Mmmm,” I roar into the tape on my mouth, slamming my head back against the rocker.

  Kylie screams her own release and I feel her come.

  “Holy shit,” she says, turning back to look at me. Standing, she leans in and kisses me once more on the tape.

  “Ready?” she asks, grabbing the side at the corner of my mouth. But before I can nod, she rips it off.

  “FUCK!” I scream. I think she’s ripped two layers of skin with it.

  “I’m sorry, baby. Next time, I won’t use tape.” She laughs and cuts me free from the tape with some of her scissors.

  I stay quiet once she sets me free and her laughing ceases.

  “Nik? I said I was sorry. You’re not mad, are you?”

  With an angry face, I charge after her. She screams and runs into the bathroom down the hall. I push past the door and shove her back into the shower. Turning the water on, I give her a sly grin before turning her around. Bending her over the shower bench, I grab her ponytail and waste no time remi
nding her who’s really in charge.

  KYLIE

  “They’re on their way! Hurry up and move this over by the wall,” I order as I scurry around the nursery before darting out to the porch. I’m so excited for Skylar to be coming home. The doctor says she has to take it easy for a while just to make sure the baby keeps on doing all right. I have no doubt everything is going to be terrific.

  Standing on the front step, Nik comes and wraps his arms around me.

  “Stop worrying. She’s going to love it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I predict tears. Lots and lots of happy tears. You women cry over everything, anyways.”

  “Smart ass.”

  “Hey, now. You know I get turned on when you call me names.”

  “Everything turns you on.” I laugh, earning myself a slap on the ass and a passionate kiss.

  “Here they’re,” I say, breaking away from him.

  Just as I’m about to run down the steps to meet them, he grabs me by the waist and spins me to him. “You and I will be finishing this up soon, little lady. Our bathroom, thirty minutes.” The authority in his voice makes me wet.

  “Make it twenty,” I return with a wink as I rush down to meet them.

  NIKOLAS

  Swallow your pride, Nik, and stop being a wuss.

  Seven times, I’ve circled this street. By the eighth, I know it’s now or never. Pulling into the driveway, I can’t help but smile when I see the two of them. The Reynolds are extraordinary people. They kind of have to be in order to have the daughter they do. Mr. Reynolds is taking a tall glass of lemonade from his wife’s hand just as I shut the door to my Jaguar.

  They greet me with bright smiles and wave me over to where they are. Even though Kylie and I have been back together for a while now, I’ve never sat down and talked to her father man to man.

  I greet her mom first. She smells like fresh chocolate chip cookies. No doubt, she’s been baking again. I still have no fucking clue how she can whip up anything to eat, and yet Kylie can’t boil water. Let me rephrase that. She can boil water. She just burns whatever she puts in the water.