by Autumn Reed
“We’re back with the Lowell and Hayes families,” the anchor said. “And now that we’ve discussed politics, I want to turn to something a little more personal. Nicholas Hayes was involved in a rather unusual sex scandal a couple of months ago, and I have to ask—is that why he’s not here today? James, are you hoping to distance yourself from your future brother-in-law’s questionable reputation?”
James reached for Kat’s hand before turning his full attention on the anchor. “Not at all. Nicholas has been an invaluable member of my campaign team, and I am very grateful for his help. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight about Nicholas and the so-called sex scandal. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing questionable about Nicholas’s reputation. His choice to be in a committed relationship with a woman who is also in committed relationships with his two closest friends is just that—his choice.”
“Are you saying you support the polyamorous nature of their relationship?” the anchor asked.
“I’m saying that I support Nicholas and his freedom to love whomever he chooses.”
My hand flew to my mouth in shock. Did James really just say what I thought he did?
“I may be running on a conservative platform, but I also believe love can take many shapes and forms. Honestly, if more republicans felt the same, I think we would be a lot better off as a party and as a country.”
A low whistle sounded from behind me, and I spun to find none other than Nicholas freaking Hayes standing there. He looked scrumptious in faded jeans, a T-shirt, and those damn glasses I loved so much.
I shook my head, almost certain he was a mirage. Was the trauma and lack of sleep making me see things?
He took a step forward, and when he started speaking, I knew he was real. “I convinced James to finally clear up the sex scandal misunderstanding and defend my relationship with you, but I didn’t expect him to go that far. He just threw a grenade that will shake up his entire political party.”
“Nicholas?” I croaked. “What are you doing here?”
He advanced again, until he was standing close enough to touch. “Cole called me, and there was nowhere else I could be.”
Anger that had been simmering below the surface for months chose that moment to bubble up, and I gestured wildly toward the television. “Well, it seems like you should be on Good Morning USA.”
“I was supposed to appear, but you’re more important.”
Was he kidding? The only thing he’d proved over the last eleven weeks—yes, I’d been counting—was my utter lack of importance to him.
“Since when?”
Guilt flashed across his features, but he didn’t flinch at my spiteful tone. “Since always, but I screwed up, and I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I was so obsessed with doing the right thing for my family, I forgot about doing the right thing for me. For you, Shane, and Cole. I know now, without a doubt, you’re the right thing for me. You have been since the moment we met.”
He reached out to touch me, but I shuffled back a step, and his arm dropped to his side. “Look, I’m not here to upset you. Just the opposite, in fact. We need to talk, but I know this isn’t the right time. For now, will you let me be here for you?”
My pulse thrummed through my veins, but I had no idea if it was from anger, irritation, or longing. I was half-tempted to slap him for showing up now, of all times. But, if I was completely honest with myself, I was even more tempted to throw myself into his arms and bask in his presence. And that impulse was more than dangerous; it was destructive, damning. I was only now coming to grips with the fact that I’d lost him. I didn’t know if I could go through that a second time.
“What about Alyssa?” Before we went any further, I had to know.
“There is no Alyssa. We appeared at the same events at the same time, but that was the extent of it. We weren’t together in any way. I swear.”
Unconsciously, I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. Nothing happened with Alyssa. I repeated it a few times before blinking my eyes back open to look at Nicholas.
“Please, Cinderella,” he urged with so much sincerity, I could feel my resolve take a hit. “I want to be here.”
“Why?” The question was simple, but the answer couldn’t be. I needed a real explanation, something to help me make sense of this...of him.
“Because I love you, and I can’t bear to leave you again.”
Chapter 23
Nicholas loves me? Despite my valiant efforts to quench it, hope surged through me. Even when we were together, he’d only hinted at his feelings. He’d never come right and said those three magic words. That he was saying them now...after all this time...I didn’t know how to react.
“Nic, you made it,” Cole said as he, Shane, and Chris entered the waiting room.
“Yeah, thanks for—”
Whatever he was going to say next was cut off when Shane reared back and punched him in the face. Time seemed to stand still as I watched Nicholas stagger back a few steps and Cole restrain Shane’s arms. Chris’s eyes were huge, but he calmly stepped out of the fray while I stood there like my feet were cemented to the floor.
“Shit, Shane,” Nicholas said as he carefully rubbed at his jaw. “Good to see you too.”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve put Emma through?” Shane spat while I gaped at him. In the six months I’d known him, Shane had always maintained a cool head. Seeing him like this was no less than shocking. “How dare you show your face here?”
“Calm down,” Cole said. “I asked him to come.”
Shane shook off Cole’s hold and glared at him as well. “Why would you do that? You think seeing him is what she needs right now?”
“I don’t know, but that’s not for us to decide. It’s Emma’s choice.”
Shane turned his attention on me, and I squirmed under his fierce gaze. He was trying to protect me. He’d punched one of his best friends in the face, for me. And I loved him for it. I also needed him to let this go. Nicholas had shown up. He’d convinced James to speak up for us on national television. And he’d told me he loved me. I didn’t know what all of that meant yet, but I did know I wanted to find out.
I stepped forward and melted into Shane. “Please don’t argue with them. I’m okay.”
He wrapped his arms tightly around me and kissed the top of my head. “Are you sure? Nic will leave, if that’s what you want.”
“Actually, I think it would be best if we all left for a while. My dad needs his rest right now, and honestly, I need space from my mother.”
“Why don’t we check into the hotel and get you some food?” Cole offered.
“That sounds good.” I turned to my brother, who had remained quiet through the entire dramatic exchange. “Do you want to come with us?”
He shook his head. “I should probably stay here, especially since I still need to visit Dad.”
I moved away from Shane and gave Chris a hug. “Call me if you need anything. We’ll be back this afternoon.”
“Okay.”
The four of us were quiet as we made our way out of the hospital and to the parking garage. Even if I’d wanted to break up the awkward silence, the events of the last hour had left me speechless. After staying up all night worried about whether my dad would make it through surgery, seeing him looking so frail had taken its toll. And then I’d been hit with one blow after another—it was all too much.
I’d become numb to every emotion except exhaustion.
“Which hotel?” Nicholas asked when we reached the rental car.
“The Conrad,” Cole answered. “You can take one of the two suites I reserved. And I already informed them we’d be checking in this morning.”
“Thanks.” Nicholas gave me a cautious smile. “Can we talk later?”
I hesitated, and he stepped forward but didn’t touch me. “If your answer is no, I understand. But I’m not going anywhere. Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. If you want to talk. If you wa
nt to yell. Even if you want to call me a bastard and stomp on my foot with your favorite stilettos. I’m here.”
Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded before getting in the back of the car. Leaning my head against the seat, I closed my eyes and attempted to forget about everything. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred, and I couldn’t seem to stop my brain from continuously trying to make sense of it all. The images blurred together in my mind—Shane delivering the news about my dad’s heart attack, Nicholas saying he loved me, the endless flight to Indianapolis, Nicholas appearing like the ghost of boyfriends past, my mother’s accusations, believing I might have lost one of the most important people in my life, Nicholas saying he loved me, Nicholas saying he loved me, Nicholas saying he loved me...
My eyes popped open, and suddenly my body came alive with energy. “Shane, stop the car,” I yelled, though he’d barely pulled out of the parking spot.
“What’s wrong?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I hopped out of the back seat and frantically searched the garage. When I caught sight of Nicholas’s tall frame rounding the corner to the next level, I started sprinting toward him.
“Nic!” He didn’t reappear, so I kept running. “Nic!”
When I finally saw him walking back toward me, I didn’t slow down. I jumped into his arms, and thankfully, he was right there to catch me.
“You broke my heart, Nic,” I said accusingly, even as I clung to him.
“And I hate myself for it. I will do everything within my power to make it up to you,” he said into my hair as he held me tight. It felt so right to be in his arms again, I was amazed I’d ever contemplated letting him go.
Though I eventually needed explanations, apologies, groveling from Nicholas, right then, I just needed him. I was insightful enough to understand that coming so close to losing my dad was influencing my decisions. But wasn’t that the silver lining to tragedy? It forced us to evaluate what was truly important in life. And Nicholas was important—he’d never stopped being important, even when I wanted nothing more than to forget he’d ever stolen my heart.
With my arms and legs still wrapped around him, I looked up into his movie-star handsome face. “Did you mean what you said? You love me?”
His pale green eyes gleamed behind his glasses. “I love you so much, Cinderella, I might have to start writing poetry about your beauty and intelligence.”
I bit back a smile. “And you’re not going to leave me again?”
His eyes drifted to my lips, but he didn’t make a move. “Never.”
“You’re going to stop pretend-dating other women?”
“It was just one other—” At my undoubtedly evil glare, he chuckled. “No more dating other women, pretend or otherwise. I promise.”
“And the next time you have a problem, you’re going to talk to me, Shane, and Cole instead of pushing us away?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said seriously.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” he asked in surprise. “That’s it? No yelling or cussing or making me feel like the biggest idiot on the planet?”
Maybe I was being too easy on him, but what was the point of wasting time making him suffer? We’d already lost too much of it. “Do you feel like the biggest idiot on the planet?”
“I did until I decided to win you back. Now I feel pretty damn smart.”
I was laughing when I pressed my lips to his. All it took was that one touch for the last eleven weeks to disappear. Or maybe I just stopped caring about the time apart; the missing piece of the torrid foursome was back. We were an us again, and Nicholas’s luscious lips had never felt so worshipful, so perfect.
“God, I missed you,” he said between kisses.
“Snow White missed you,” I replied cheekily, and he chuckled.
I heard the sound of a car idling next to us and turned my head to find Cole watching us with a giant smile on his face. “Can I assume you found alternative transportation?” he asked me through his open window.
Grinning back at him, I nodded.
“Okay, carry on.”
As the car disappeared, I finally unhooked my legs from Nicholas’s waist and slid to the ground. “Guess we should get going.”
“The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll be alone.”
“Why, Prince Charming, are you insinuating you’d like to have your way with me?”
He reached for my hand and started tugging me toward a black SUV. “I’m not insinuating anything. I’m outright begging.”
I laughed, feeling lighter even as the heaviness of desire settled over me. We didn’t speak on the way to the nearby hotel, but Nicholas took my hand again, intertwining our fingers. As his thumb stroked my skin, my heart rate ramped up, making me feel like a teenager. It didn’t matter that we’d done this before—things had changed between us. Everything felt new and somehow deeper. I didn’t want to take a single moment of it for granted.
Nicholas left the SUV with a valet and ushered me into the lobby. Cole and Shane were at the front desk, and Cole held out a key card, muttering the room number, as we passed.
“Thanks,” I squeaked as Nicholas practically dragged me toward the elevators. Cole winked while Shane watched us, his concern obvious. I smiled, trying to reassure him.
As soon as Nicholas and I stepped into an empty elevator, he hit the close button to guarantee we’d be alone. After selecting the appropriate floor, he pressed my back against the wall, caging me in with his body. Leaning down to my level, he crushed his mouth to mine, and all rational thought disappeared. All I could do was feel—his lips, his heat, his erection.
Our tongues tangled, and I dug my fingers into his back to keep from undressing him right then and there. It was sweet torment, touching him, feeling him, but holding myself back at the same time.
When the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, he finally released me, and I could have sworn I saw steam fogging up the lenses of his glasses. We turned to find an elderly couple staring at us, wide-eyed, and Nicholas wisely guided me in front of him. He nodded politely to the couple as we passed, and I stifled a laugh but didn’t give them another thought.
The trek down the hall and into our room flew by in a haze of lust. I didn’t even wait for the door to close behind us before I started peeling off my shirt and shorts.
Nicholas watched me and said, his voice shaky, “We don’t have to do this now. I don’t want to rush you.”
I shook my head as I unhooked my bra and tossed it aside. “I need you, Nic.” After believing we’d never do this again, I couldn’t stand the thought of waiting any longer.
He didn’t hesitate for another second, stripping off his own clothes in record time. After removing a condom from his wallet, he carried me to the bed and lay me down with the utmost of care. “You’re perfect.”
Sliding my hands up his stomach, I explored his abs, noticing the valleys now felt more like canyons. “You’ve been spending your free time in the gym, I take it?”
“I had a lot of frustrations to work out,” he said with a rueful smile.
Slowly, I let my hands wander up his chest and over his shoulders. With careful movements, I removed his glasses and laid them on the bedside table. “Promise me I’m not dreaming?”
“You’re not dreaming. Want to know how I know?”
Looking deeply into his eyes, I asked, “How?”
“This moment is already better than every dream I’ve had of you over the last eleven weeks.”
I smiled. “You were counting too?”
“Every miserable day.”
At that, I latched onto his neck and pulled him toward me. When he hissed in pain, I dropped my hands in panic. “What—”
He pressed his fingers over my lips. “I’m fine. My jaw is a little tender, that’s all.”
“Oh, shit, I forgot about that.” I searched his face for injuries and noticed the swelling along his jawline.
“It doesn’t matter. Just don’t sto
p touching me.”
I didn’t.
I helped him roll the condom onto his erection, just as an excuse to keep touching him. He slid inside me, and it was like everything in the universe shifted and clicked back into place.
“I missed this,” Nicholas said, his voice catching. He shifted, propping himself on his elbows. With an unsteady hand, he smoothed my hair away from my face, studying me. “I thought I'd accepted that our past was all I had. To be here...” He shook his head and lowered his mouth to mine.
I skimmed my palms along his back before wrapping my arms around him as tightly as possible. I knew exactly what he meant, but it wasn't the time to remember. Right now, we were looking to the future. We were cementing our bond.
“I love you, Cinderella. Emma.” Nicholas withdrew and thrusted, withdrew and thrusted again. My heart pounded in my ears, and I vaguely wondered if I could lose consciousness from feeling too much.
His lips nibbled at mine before he dragged them along my jaw to my neck. We found our rhythm like we'd never been apart, and as much as I wanted it to last, I felt myself start to lose control.
“Nic,” I breathed. It was all I could get out.
He redoubled his speed, shifting so he could reach between us and circle my clit. Eyes on mine, he lifted his fingers to his mouth and licked them before returning them between us. It was all I needed. With a cry, I came apart, and a second later, he followed me.
“This is forever,” he said without an ounce of doubt in his voice. Pulling back, he framed my face with his hands. “Got it?”
I nodded and didn’t try to stop my smile. “Got it.”
Chapter 24
The scene felt both foreign and familiar. Cole, Shane, Nicholas, and I sat around the table in the large hotel suite, eating a late breakfast. The stack of pancakes in front of me wasn’t made by Nicholas, but he’d ordered them specifically for me—to celebrate.
And there was plenty to celebrate. After my tryst with Nicholas yesterday, we’d slept for a few hours before returning to the hospital. By the time I saw my dad again, he was looking so much better, I’d finally been able to relax, if only a little bit. The doctor assured me he would make a full recovery, though he’d have to take it easy for a while.