Welcome to Lake Ventures (New Haven Book 2)

by Dawn Doyle

  “You don’t.” Emily frowned a little and swallowed. He’d made her feel awkward, but he needed to know why.

  “So I’m not on your shit list anymore?” He asked, hopeful she would say he wasn’t.

  “Hmmmm. You’re further down but still a long way to go.” She said with a smile.

  “Excellent.” He grinned.

  Emily pulled into her parking spot next to Nicks and turned off the engine.

  “So is it better than the Fiesta you drove in England?”

  Emily’s eyes widened, then realisation took over as she knew her Dad had told him.

  “Hey! My little fizzer was great.” She said in defence, making him laugh. “Yeah it is.” Emily finally admitted as they walked back into the lobby.

  Nick noticed Joe grinning at them, picking up the phone as they walked through.

  That guy is so weird!

  “What’s up with Joe?” Emily asked as they got into the elevator.

  “I have no idea, but lately he’s been acting really strange. He keeps smiling at me, like there’s some kind of joke I don’t know about.”

  Nick was trying not to look at Emily whilst they were in the elevator. Being in the close space, if he looked, he may just act on his feelings. Like he almost had the week before.

  Emily didn’t say anything, so he took the risk to see why. She was looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

  “Don’t you think?” He asked, swallowing the saliva drowning his mouth.

  Emily had the side of her lip between her teeth and it was doing crazy things to his brain.

  “Hmmm?” Emily asked, blinking a few times.

  Nick saw her blush as she quickly looked away from him and down to her feet.

  “Joe. He’s acting strange.

  “Oh, yeah. Strange.”

  Before Nick could say anything else, the doors opened to their floor.

  “So?” Diane asked with a grin as they stepped out. “How was it?”

  Nick and Emily looked at each other and then back to Diane.

  “The car! Oh my goodness! What did you think I meant?” she laughed.

  “It’s really nice.” Emily said with an embarrassed laugh.

  Nick beamed at Diane. He’d told her something was happening but he hadn’t mentioned the car. Joe must have told her when he saw them through the window, driving away.

  “Well, are you going to stand there or are you going to give Nick a hug to say thank you?”

  “Wha’? Um…” Emily looked from Diane to Nick and he could see that she was uncomfortable.

  “It’s not necessary Di…” He began to say but was cut off when Diane came round from her desk and pushed them together.

  “Come on, show a little love.” She said, teasingly but with a hint of seriousness in her tone.

  Nick felt Emily’s hands either side of his waist and he, very carefully, held around her shoulders with his hands on her shoulder blades. Their bodies barely touching.

  Emily was about to pull away, just as quickly as she touched him but Diane was obviously not having that.

  “Not so fast, missy. That’s not a hug.”

  Emily wrapped her arms around Nick’s middle and pressed herself against him. He wrapped his arms around her back completely, and held her tight. She took a deep breath against him as her cheek pressed into his shoulder. He did too, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair that smelled like strawberries. Her flowery perfume, the same one that had stayed in his car for a day after he’d taken her home from the club, engulfing him.

  Emily’s body was pressed almost flush to his. Her breasts pushed against his upper stomach, causing certain regions to wake up further, ready for action. Luckily he’d kept his hips away from hers so she wouldn’t feel just how much he was liking their hug.

  Even though Emily was shaking like a leaf, she was warm and felt right in his arms, but all too soon she pulled away.

  The hug had last only a couple of seconds but it was enough to confirm what he already knew.

  He was in love with Emily.

  His chest began to hurt because he knew she didn’t feel anything for him.

  No. He refused to believe that. The way she looked at him, the way she hugged him, she had to feel something. Even if it was just the tiniest thing, he would take it. He had to believe it.

  “There, now don’t you feel better?” Diane asked with a goofy grin across her face.

  Neither of them replied. Instead, they just went back to work.

  And that was the end of their fun day.

  Thanks Di.

  Going into his office, Nick stared at the envelope on his desk.

  “Fuck it.” He said and picked it up. Opening it, he took out one of the slips and left his office.

  “This is for you.” Nick said, putting the ticket on Emily’s desk, before returning to his desk.

  It was a few minutes before Emily walked in after him.

  “I can’t go.” She said, shaking her head and looking nervous.

  “Why? Is there something wrong with coming with me?”

  “Well, no, but… um.”

  “Look, Emmy. It’s actually part of your job to accompany me if I need you to. And I do. Besides…” He used the only weapon he knew of to make her agree… her curiosity. “If you want to find out where I go to, you will come with me.”

  Gotcha!

  “The ticket says it’s for Monday. You have meetings on Monday.”

  “I don’t. Check your schedule.”

  Nick sat in his chair, with a smile on his face as Emily checked on her iMac.

  “Why did you do that?” She asked, her eyes narrowed at him.

  “I need you to come with me. It’s just for the day, so no other meetings have been cancelled.”

  Emily chewed on her nail as she thought.

  “Just the day? No staying over?”

  “No staying over.” He assured her.

  “Ok.” She blew out a breath in resignation and Nick grinned.

  She’s coming with me!!

  Chapter 14

  “Holly, I’m going out of my fucking mind!” Emily cried into the phone when she got home that night.

  “Whoa, slow down Em. What’s happened?” Holly asked, concerned.

  Emily told her all about the car, the drive and the forced hug, conveniently leaving out the trip to LA. That would tip her over the edge.

  “I couldn’t help myself, Hol. I just sniffed him. I was so embarrassed!”

  Holly found that amusing and was laughing hard on the other end of the phone.

  “That’s not funny, Hol.”

  “It is. Oh my God.” Holly tried to control herself. “I used to sniff Alex all the time. In fact, I still do. Remember the T-shirt? I didn’t tell you, but I slept with it until the night before I had to give it back. I had a weekend of Alex’s lovely smell. Mmmmm.”

  “You still smell my shirts.” Alex’s voice chuckled in the background.

  “That’s because you smell sexy.” Holly replied.

  “Hey! Sister in crisis here!” Emily exclaimed, bringing the focus back to her dilemma.

  “So, Nick got you the car you dreamed of, with all the bells and whistles. You had a nice drive, where you scared the crap out of him and then Diane made you hug each other to thank him?”

  “Yes!”

  “And then you inhaled him whilst you were in his arms?” Holly said with amusement in her voice.

  “Yes.” Emily groaned.

  “Em, that is so sweet! What did he do?”

  “What do you mean ‘what did he do’?”

  “He must have done something. I bet he didn’t just stand there.”

  “He hugged me back. I swear, his arms are made from solid steel.”

  “He is a trained fighter, you know. Which makes it so much sweeter that Alex was ready to punch him for annoying me at school.”

  “Nobody annoys my woman.” Alex growled.

  “Will you two just stop! I’m freaking the f
uck out and you’re getting all sexy with each other!” Emily was getting annoyed herself because they wouldn’t leave each other alone long enough for her to have a conversation.

  “Sorry!” They chorused.

  “Well, I’m obviously interrupting your ‘let’s get naked’ time, so I’m going to go. I have a hot bath with my name all over it.”

  Emily ended the call, with the days thoughts roaming through her head over and over again.

  Nick had felt just as awkward as her when Diane initially pushed them together. But when they hugged, really hugged, Emily took complete advantage and memorised everything she felt.

  Where her hands had touched, his muscles felt firm yet they tensed even more when she closed her arms around him, his back muscles prominent under his clothes. Pressing her cheek to his shoulder, the separation between his deltoids could be felt along the side of her face and the curve of his muscle touched her nose.

  Electricity had flashed right through her body and zapped her right in her core, almost making her legs give out. She had to let go. She didn’t want to but she made herself do it. Her face was on fire with embarrassment at sniffing him that when Diane asked them if they felt better, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

  Nick didn’t either.

  They just walked away.

  Then came the bombshell of the trip to LA. He knew she wanted to know where he went. Just like when she’d asked, when he admitted he saw a therapist for something that had happened.

  It was only for a day and as long as they didn’t say over, she could handle it. There would be people around so she would be able to control herself.

  God! Now I know how Holly felt!

  Going into her bathroom, Emily ran the taps for a long hot bubble bath.

  She went into her bedroom picked up the stuffed cat on her bed, giving it a squeeze.

  “Kitty needs a spanking” Nick’s gravelly voice said. He was trying to stay quiet but it just made it all the more sexy.

  Emily found the message after cuddling the cat in her bed. She’d jumped when she’d heard his voice, followed by her laughing; holding her hand to her mouth so the others wouldn’t hear through the walls.

  She squeezed again.

  “Kitty needs a spanking. Kitty needs a spanking.”

  Nick, you are so bad!

  *****

  “Cora, for the last time, Emily and I are not dating!” he said into his phone.

  Cora had called him and asked him if they were together ‘yet’. He would put money on his mother being the one to get her to ask him.

  “Whatever, Nick. I saw you going all googley eyed over her in the Café. You wanted to punch that guys lights out for sitting by her. Oh, you’re welcome by the way.”

  “What for?”

  “For pointing out the obvious. He hoped to be Emily’s friend and she didn’t want him to be. You need to tell her soon, Nick. Girls that pretty get snapped up quickly.”

  “Hold on, just how old are you?”

  “Hey, I’m old enough to know you like Emily. A lot. I watch enough TV to know what somebody looks like when they love someone.”

  “Did Mom put you up to this?”

  I swear she’s eleven going on thirty.

  “No, stupid. I’m not going to say anything until you do. I know Mom’ll be right there with a wedding planner. Why she wants you to get married so young, I don’t know.” She said with a little too much attitude in her tone.

  “Didn’t you say I was ancient compared to you?”

  “Well, yeah. I’m only eleven, duh! But twenty-six is still young. Anyway, you’re changing the subject. When are you going to ask her out?”

  “Cora, she doesn’t like me that way.” He said, trying to get her off his back about it.

  “Ha! Yeah she does.” She said with a snort.

  “How do you know? You’ve only met her three times!”

  “I knew the first day. She watched you walking to the elevator. I turned to wave but she was staring right at you.”

  Drawing virtual targets on my back.

  “I bet she was staring at your butt!” Cora laughed.

  “Ok that’s enough now, Cora. I have to go. I’ll see you over the weekend.”

  Nick had managed to keep Cora from going on about the café that day by bribing her with Xbox games. On the phone, though, she was unstoppable.

  Although she did have a point.

  Emily was really pretty. Actually, that was offensive. She was the most beautiful woman Nick had ever seen and he was worried that somebody would come along, catch her eye and he’d lose her.

  Keeping his past from her wasn’t an option. She had to know the truth about him because if she ever found out, if there was the slightest chance Oli slipped up, she’d look at him differently. She had to know soon and that’s what he intended to do in LA.

  They were going to see his therapist.

  Nick’s stomach rolled with nerves.

  It was all or nothing now and he felt on edge thinking how Emily would react.

  “I need to burn this off.” He said to himself, about his nervous energy.

  Changing into his loose pants, he walked into his home gym and let himself loose on his bag.

  Nick couldn’t focus on the punches he was delivering so to give himself fuel, he let his mind wander to the guys that had tried it on with his Emmy. Jeff, the douche bag who hurt her. Harry, the dick who insulted her. Mike, the security guard who asked her out and Café guy who tried it on with her.

  Getting himself worked up thinking about them, he ripped off his gloves. He wanted to feel the full impact against his knuckles.

  He’d had to do that after Cora’s party, where Jeff had turned up. Just breaking his nose hadn’t calmed him. Seeing Emily upset had infuriated him and trying to suppress his anger, for his sister, only managed to make it simmer until he was alone.

  A couple of hours later and Nick was exhausted, his hands hurt and the pain made him feel better.

  After showering, he wrapped his hands in icepacks, before going to bed.

  He was visiting his parents on Sunday and he needed all the rest he could get to prepare himself.

  “Nick!” Cora yelled as she ran down the path to greet him.

  He’d arrived at his parents house for dinner, though he wasn’t particularly in the mood to do so.

  He’d barely gotten off his motorcycle when Cora jumped at him.

  “Hey tiny girl.” He laughed “How are you?”

  “I’m great! I’ve been decorating sneakers with the set Emily bought for me. It’s so cool! Holly bought a pair and brought them over for me to decorate for Emily for a surprise.” She said excitedly. “I decorated them with love hearts.” She said quietly, waggling her eyebrows.

  “Shh! Cora, Mom will hear you.” He whispered through gritted teeth.

  “Relax, Romeo. I haven’t blabbed to anyone. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “Good.” Nick blew out a breath.

  “On one condition…” she held up her finger. “When you get married, I get to be a bridesmaid.”

  Nick rolled his eyes.

  “Cora, we talked about this. Emmy doesn’t like me that way.”

  “Yeah yeah blah blah. Do we have a deal?” She held out her hand and Nick shook it.

  “Fine. We have a deal.” He sighed, shaking his head.

  “Nick! Why on earth are you riding that death trap?!”

  “Hello Mom.” He said, ignoring her remarks about his beloved motorcycle. He didn’t ride it that much. He worked most of the time and used his car to go to the office, and also when Cora was with him.

  He would never let her ride on the back of his bike.

  “It’s nice to see that you were wearing a helmet.”

  Nick groaned.

  His Mom, Cora, Diane… even Holly, Riss and Kayla had had a go at him for not wearing one. They said it was ‘idiotic to risk his life like that’. They had a point and wouldn’t let up until he agr
eed to get one.

  “Nick, my boy.” Said David, his Dad. “The work’s coming on really well in the club.”

  “Yeah, I’m going to see it tomorrow. The guys emailed telling me it was looking good.”

  “The guys are right on schedule and may even finish up ahead. They’re doing a great job.”

  “Look what the kitty dragged in!” Ryan’s voice came from the living room.

  Oh God.

  Ryan was clearly referring to Emily’s T-shirt he’d bought for her in Vegas. They’d all seen it when he’d dragged her into Ryan and Riss’ apartment.

  “Please don’t start, Ryan.” He said with a warning in his tone.

  Ryan held up his fists in front of his face and started dancing round like a boxer.

  “Whatcha gonna do about it huh? Huh?” He said doing some crazy quick shuffles with his feet. “Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee…” He said, imitating Muhammed Ali.

  Nick just walked past him and slapped him on the back of the head.

  “Ow!” Ryan cried rubbing his head.

  “I think there’s something wrong with your sting Ryan. It’s a little droopy.”

  “Nothing wrong with my sting, dude. Just ask Riss.” He beamed.

  “I’ll pass.” Nick replied.

  “Hey brother-in-law to be.” Riss greeted him when she came into the room, hugging him. “I heard your bike. Did you wear a helmet?” She asked, raising a brow.

  “Yes, Mom.” He joked, sitting on the sofa and laying his head back.

  “Rough week dude?” Ryan chuckled under his breath.

  “Something like that.”

  Nick wasn’t about to discuss the stresses of the week that he’d just had. What with Emily avoiding him for the first three days, then going for a scary drive in the new car he’d gotten for her.

  Oli had told him what car Emily liked. Even down to the black alloy wheels. He’d decided to get all the extras too because he wanted her protected.