I think my heart literally stopped at the feeling. “Ar-iel?” I managed to stammer out as I let him lead me back towards the resort.
“Yeah, apparently you think you’re a mermaid or something, so I think the name’s pretty fitting.”
“This is your place?” I asked in surprise after managing to peel myself off the back of Nick’s bike. I don’t know what I had been picturing, but this really hadn’t been it.
My body had pretty much been plastered to his on the short ride over due to my wet clothes. I tried to keep our bodies as far apart as possible to make things a little less awkward, but Nick knew exactly what I had been doing, reaching back to pull my arms tight around his waist. My whole body tingled from the contact of his warm skin, and my legs were like Jell-O when I managed to stand.
“Yup, this is it,” he replied, biting on his bottom lip as he shrugged his shoulders. “I literally just moved in, so don’t judge. There’s a ton of work to be done, but I think I can handle it.”
“I think it’s the best house I’ve ever seen.” From the outside at least. His yard couldn’t have gotten any better. Who wouldn’t want to open their windows to the ocean every morning?
The house itself was actually more of a petite beach cottage. It looked to be about the size of my parents’ garage back home, but it had such charm to it, with small little touches like the white shutters that adorned the two front windows, and the sea glass that was formed into a circle mosaic near the French doors.
“It was actually my great aunt’s place,” he explained as he pushed open the doors and ushered me inside. “She passed away last year, and my mom hadn’t decided what to do with it yet. I was kind of looking for something, but my ex hated the beach and thought the place was a shithole.”
“Seriously? She hated the beach?” I asked as I followed him around the tiny space. No, it wasn’t tiny, more like cozy. How could anyone not like this house? Yes, it was outdated with the wood paneling that covered almost every inch of the walls and the puke green shag carpeting, but it had potential.
“I know, right?” he answered from what I was assuming the bedroom before he stepped back out, throwing a pair of athletic shorts and an oversized t-shirt at me. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved my apartment, but it reminds me of Kara way too much, so I had to get out of there.” His eyebrows knitted together at the mention of his ex, and I could see the pain that was still there from the memories they shared together. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. I knew it wasn’t easy.
“Anyway,” he said, shaking his head quickly and giving me a wide smile, showing off those white teeth that contrasted perfectly against his tan skin. “The bathroom is down that hall. Why don’t you get changed, and then I have someone you need to meet.”
“Alright, sounds good.” I hurried down the hall to change, even though I had no clue who I would be meeting. It wasn’t like anyone could be hiding in here. I would have already spotted them.
I tried to avoid the mirror when I got in there, but I couldn’t help it, I needed to assess the damage. My makeup was just about all washed off, and my hair had turned into a crimpy mess. I ran my fingers through it to make it look somewhat presentable and stripped out of my clothes, throwing them into a wet pile.
I tied the shirt into a knot near my hip and rolled the shorts at the waist, but they were still so big that I had to hold onto the elastic. As I went back out into the living room, I could see Nick sitting cross-legged on the floor with a gorgeous black lab lying next to him, looking like he was in heaven as Nick scratched behind his ears.
“And who is this handsome guy?” I asked as I dropped down to the floor, and was instantly attacked with dog kisses. “Well, hi to you, too.” I giggled, flopping backwards.
“This is Gunther, and I’m pretty sure he’s in love with you,” Nick answered, throwing a squeaky toy to the opposite side of the room, effectively ending all of the attention I had been getting. “Sorry about that, he loves meeting new people.”
“Not a problem, I’ve always loved animals. I’ve missed being able to have one, being out on the road for so long. I tried getting a cat once, thinking that would travel better and keep me company, but the guys didn’t let me keep it for very long.”
He made a face, and jumped to his feet, reaching down to help me up. “I’m strictly a dog guy. I wouldn’t be able to handle cats either, but I guess I could understand. I’m sure you were by yourself a lot.”
“Yeah, well,” I answered shakily. “Let’s not talk about that right now. Don’t you need to get back to work? I don’t want you to get into trouble or anything because—”
“Don’t worry about it,” he offered quickly. “I rarely miss work, and I’m taking over soon, so Leo gives me basically any free time I need right now. So, how did you like the resort?”
“I loved it, it would definitely be the kind of place I’d want to stay on vacation. Very ritzy, but it still manages to have that small town charm.”
“Good, ‘cause if you still want the position, you start Monday.”
“Oh, no.” I shook my head sharply as I followed him out the open patio doors, Gunther trailing behind. “I’m not going to let you feel sorry for me, Nick. I don’t really need a job that badly right now. I’m sure I’ll find something, or maybe I’ll go back to school. Either way, I’ll figure out another option.”
He stopped abruptly, and turned around, grabbing both of my shoulders to stop me from following him to…wherever we were going. “Stop. I’m not hiring you because I feel sorry for you, because I don’t. I think you would probably kick my ass if I did. I’m hiring you because I think you would be good for the position, and I need you.”
“You need me?” I teased with a smirk, my eyebrows shooting up quickly.
“I need you,” he repeated, biting back a smile.
“Well, I guess if you really, really need me so much, then I’ll do it.”
“Awesome, you’ll have fun, I promise. Plus, I’m a pretty cool boss, so you have that going for you.” He grabbed onto my hand, and started his walk again, Gunther following closely behind us.
“We’ll see about that, I guess. Mind telling me where we’re going?”
“Well, I sort of had to save this girl from drowning today—” I cut him off with a snort and he glanced back, throwing me a wink, his electric blue eyes glittering with amusement. “And now I’m starving, so we’re going to grab something to eat.”
Nick ended up taking us to a tiny beachside eatery that was within walking distance. The parking lot was bigger than the actual building, but I don’t think there was one spot open. Nick insisted that I had to try the seafood there even though I had never been a fan, and I was surprised when I actually liked it. We ate our food, overlooking the ocean, and fell into an easy conversation just like the night we met. After making a quick stop back at Nick’s house to grab my semi-dry clothes, we ended up back at the resort parking lot.
“You sure you don’t want to hang out for a little bit longer?” Nick asked, running his hand through his hair after sliding off his helmet.
“It’s not that I don’t want to, I just need to get Remy’s car back to her.”
He pursed his lips at me as I leaned back against the car. “You’re not just blowing me off again, are you?”
“Of course not! That probably wouldn’t be a good idea anyway, since you’re going to be my boss and all,” I teased, as he took a step towards me.
“Oh, so you’re just gonna be nice to me because we work together? I see how it is.” His dimples disappeared as he frowned, and dipped his head down, his face just inches from mine.
“Well.” I licked my lips, nervous but excited at the same time from the closeness of his body. “What exactly are we doing here? I mean, I like you, and I’m not just saying that because we’re going to be working together. But—”
A single finger landed on my lips, and my words caught in my throat at the contact. My head was swimming from that one simple touch, causing
me to forget whatever I was saying in the first place.
“Both of our heads are spinning right now. We both just came out of messed up relationships, and our worlds still haven’t settled down yet. Who knows if they ever really will?” He moved an inch closer, his lips just lightly brushing my ear. “So, for now, let’s just be friends… and maybe someday, more.” His hands landed on my waist, grazing lightly up my sides until they reached my hair.
His eyes closed just as his mouth crushed against mine, and I whimpered when he fisted his hands into my hair, pulling our bodies together. I rocked towards him when his tongue brushed against mine, and I tasted him again.
When I met Nick, my first impression of him was that he was a laid-back, easygoing guy. I never expected him to own me, but that’s exactly what he did with just his simple kisses.
He pulled back slightly, nipping at the corner of my mouth, before burying his nose in the crook of my neck, and inhaling deeply. “So perfect,” he murmured against my skin.
I dropped my hands down that had somehow become tangled in his hair, and leaned back against the car for support. “Is that really something ‘friends and maybe someday more’ do? Not that I minded,” I added when his head snapped back, and he gave me a questioning look.
“Ally, that’s our thing. We can make whatever the hell rules we want, and that one is definitely at the top of the list.”
Chapter 9
Nick
I blew out a sigh of relief as I shut my computer down for the night, and flipped off the light in my office. “Heading home, kiddo?” Leo patted me on the back when I walked out to the front desk where he was just finishing with a guest.
“Yeah, I think I’ll head out early while I still can. You think you’re good?”
“Of course, the missus hasn’t been bothering me as much since she knows I only have two days left. Are you meeting up with the lovely Miss Ally?” Leo gave me a wide smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
It had been almost a month since Ally came to work for me at the resort, and I had been right all along. The guests loved her, and she loved what she did. She might have been a little bit down when I first met her, but I could see the light trying to shine through. Her bubbly personality was exactly the type that was needed for this line of work.
And the resort wasn’t the only place I got to spend time with Ally.
I had been telling the truth when I told her we should just be friends, and maybe someday, more. I just needed to seal the deal with that kiss that I now thought about day and night. Yeah, totally what I had to do.
I somehow managed to keep my hands, and my lips, to myself for the most part, even though we spent almost all of our free time together.
After a little while, I realized that Ally had never been treated the way she deserved. She wasn’t used to being taken on dates, or even being asked the simple question of how her day was.
She was everything Kara wasn’t, though I really didn’t even like to compare the two. She was carefree, outgoing, and willing to do really anything.
She even showed up early one day to drag me out of bed, and we then proceeded to rip up the nasty carpet that had been in the house for as long as I could remember. Afterwards, we ate pizza on the floor, admiring our hard work, before racing into the ocean to cool ourselves off.
“Earth to Nicky boy.” Leo snapped his fingers twice, pulling me out of my thoughts about Ally. “Ah, I know that look all too well. Just be careful, son. Ally seems like a wonderful girl, but getting involved with someone that works for you could lead to a sticky situation if things go south. Tread lightly,” he added with a wink, before patting my back and greeting a guest that had just arrived.
“See ya, Leo,” I called over my shoulder, pulling out my ringing phone as I stepped into the parking garage, and answering it when I didn’t recognize the number.
“Nick, we need to talk.”
Ally
“Alright, two more nights till I get a much-needed three days off. Hopefully I can make it.” Remy dropped down next to me on the couch, twisting her red hair up into a tight bun.
I had no clue how she worked third shift; I knew I couldn’t do it. She always seemed exhausted, but at the same time, the way she talked about her job as a nurse, I could tell how much she loved it. Hopefully I would be able to find something like that someday.
I loved working the front desk at the resort, but I knew that wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It could definitely be enough for right now, though. And it certainly didn’t hurt that I got to see Nick every day. I think that had a lot to do with why I liked it so much. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the view of his sexy self while working?
“I have faith, you got this, girl. Why don’t we plan a night out so you have something to look forward to? Drinks are on me.”
That perked her up a little and she jumped to her feet, twirling her keys around on one finger. “That sounds pretty awesome, Al. You want a ride anywhere on my way into work?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Remy was all for me having a relationship with Nick, and not a strictly friends one. She was convinced we were a match made in heaven. That we were most likely soul mates and Teddy had just been a bump in the road.
When she first brought it up, I told her where she could shove her whole “soul mate” idea, but then she had to go and remind me about Chase and Leah. The minute I met Chase, I told him that he was Leah’s soul mate. I knew it, I believed it, and it came true, just like it was supposed to.
Whatever Nick and I had right now, I was happy with it.
“We-ll, Nick did want me to come over, but I told him I was staying in tonight. I think I’ll catch up on some sleep or something. I don’t want to get on his nerves by always being around. I mean, we do work together, eventually he’s probably going to get sick of me.” Just like Teddy.
“Oh, please.” Remy grabbed my hand and yanked me off the couch, bending down to throw a pair of flip-flops at me. “He invited you. That means he wants to spend time with you. It’s not like you invited yourself over or anything. And who wouldn’t want to spend time with you?
“Just because Teddy was a jackass and only liked to be with you when it was convenient, does not mean every other guy is like that. What he did to you is because of his own messed up problems, not because of anything you did wrong. Nick is one of the good guys. I know it, and if I’m wrong, I’ll take one hundred percent responsibility. I’ll be your own personal punching bag or something if things end badly.”
“Thanks, Rem, it really means a lot to hear someone else say that. What would I do without you and your pep talks?” I gave her a tight squeeze, and straightened the t-shirt I was wearing over a pair of yoga shorts. I was totally rocking the grunge look but it was gonna have to do. “Let’s hit it, I don’t want to make you late.”
I asked Remy to drop me off at the corner store that was within walking distance of Nick’s place so I could pick up a few things, since he never had much in his fridge. I’m sure it had to do with the fact that he was starting to work more, and he was a guy.
The time that we didn’t spend together, he always ended up at his parents’ house or with Danny and the boys. Nick was set on me meeting his parents, but I had declined the offer several times to have dinner with them. It would totally be awkward, I could see it now. “Hi, this is Ally, my friend and maybe someday more.”
Whatever the hell that meant.
I still hadn’t figured it out, but for now, I was going with the flow. I liked Nick and he obviously liked me, so if we were going to play the friends card for the time being, that was fine with me. He was right. We had both come out of sticky situations pretty recently and needed to get our heads on straight before jumping right back into a relationship. Everyone and their mom knows I had already made that mistake once, with my shotgun wedding to Teddy, and we all saw how that one worked out.
I tapped on the glass with
my free hand, and I heard Nick yell for me to come in. “Hey,” I called out, before I stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge to unload my bags. “Hope you don’t mind, but I decided to come over anyway.” I heard paws padding on the hardwood floor, and soon enough, I was getting attacked by Gunther.
“Gunther, leave her alone,” Nick directed in a low warning tone as he stepped into the kitchen, leaning back against the counter, elbows resting on the hard surface. “I thought you were staying in tonight. You should have called.”
I shut the fridge, and turned around, crossing my arms over my chest, as I suddenly felt uncomfortable. “I changed my mind, but I can leave if you want me to.”
He pulled out his phone and tapped on it a few times, before looking up to give me a distracted smile and a quick shake of his head. “Of course I don’t want you to leave. You wanna watch some movies or something? I didn’t pick anything up to eat.”
“I have that all taken care of.”
I shoved a six-pack of beer at him, and he smiled. “Ah, a girl after my own heart.”
“Well, I figured I should bring some kind of bribe so you would build me a fire out on the beach. Hot dogs and s’mores sound good?”
“Ally, you’re killing me here. Beer, hot dogs, and marshmallows?” He dropped down to his knees in front of me, and I giggled when he pulled me down with him. “Will you marry me? Because, seriously, I think you might be the most perfect girl ever.”
“Very funny.” I shoved him in the chest as I stood up, and began pulling things out of the cabinets. “Now, go get to work.”
We stayed up way too late, eating endless amounts of hot dogs and marshmallows. By the time we were done, I felt like I had gained at least fifty pounds and could barely move. Nick insisted that he could out eat me, since I was a girl and all, so I had to take on the challenge, and sadly, I just couldn’t win.
One Simple Step (Journey Series) Page 6