It made no sense. But people seldom did.
Like Calla.
I was about to introduce Nick to my family for the first time, minus Aster who was in New York and wouldn’t be coming back until Thanksgiving. We were all having dinner at my parents’ house. And when I called to ask if she, Kent, and Mirielle would come to meet my new boyfriend, I expected her to be thrilled. Instead she seemed standoffish, stuttering and saying she didn’t know if they could make it. Mom was able to convince them, but it still left a weird feeling in my stomach.
I was staring at the flowers Nick brought me a couple days ago, all these thoughts still swirling, when I heard his knock. Shoving my sister and her weirdness to the back of my mind, I scurried toward the door.
After I yanked it open, I immediately drank him in. He was wearing black jeans and a fitted, dark-green, long-sleeved shirt. He’d even trimmed his beard.
I felt like a teenager again. Butterflies in my stomach. My heart trying to pound its way out of my chest. My lips powerless against lifting into a smile.
“I’m almost ready.” I held the door open wider and started backing away. “I just need to grab a few things and put on my shoes.”
Turning away from him, I walked over to the server that was a few feet away. My pearl earrings sat next to my purse, cell phone, and keys, and my heels were on the floor waiting to be broken in. I heard the door close and his feet shuffle closer.
I grabbed one stud, securing it in my left ear, and then picked up the other. My head was tilted to the side, exposing my neck to him, when Nick’s hands found my hips and he pulled me back into him. I sucked in a breath.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“H-h-hey,” I stuttered back, like an idiot. He chuckled as his left hand skimmed up my side and around my back. When he made it to my neck, he brushed all my hair so it fell on my left side. I shivered as his hand traveled underneath the hair and around my throat. Then he moved his hand up until his fingers were cupping my jaw.
I was frozen. His assault was a wonderful mixture of tender and possessive. My second stud fell to the floor as he began dropping kisses on the back of my neck. I forced my eyes up and into the mirror that hung on the wall.
Nick’s head was bent, but I could see that his eyes were closed. The kisses moved down and across my upper back, his nose trailing over the top of my shoulder.
Lifting his face back up, he rested his chin on my shoulder and murmured, “You look incredible.”
He applied more pressure to my neck and I moaned in response. Nick quickly pulled away and turned me around. My breaths were coming out in pants as he narrowed his eyes. Something flashed behind his eyes and a wolfish grin took over his face. Grabbing my hand, he moved me a couple inches left, just past the server, and backed me up into the wall. His hand moved to my chest, his palm flat against my cleavage and his fingers spread wide and touching the bottom of my throat.
“You liked that, didn’t you?” His voice was husky and deep, and I shivered at the promise in it. I couldn’t speak, my eyes fluttering closed as he wrapped his hand around my neck and squeezed just like before.
“I could always find out myself,” he whispered. My eyes shot open as his other hand dropped to my leg, right at the hem of my dress. He flattened his palm against my inner thigh, slowly dragging it closer to my aching center, bringing my dress up with it. Nick paused at the apex of my legs, his finger making a slow sweeping pass at the hem of my panties before he cupped me, putting delicious pressure on my throbbing clit.
“Yessss…” I moaned. But his touch disappeared just as quickly. Before I had time to mourn the loss, his hand landed on my stomach, skating down until it dipped beneath my underwear. He wasted no time in dragging his finger through my wetness.
“Damn, Iris.” He squeezed my neck again, nothing about it causing me pain, and I pushed my hips further into his hand. Nick eagerly obliged, making small circles on my clit as he held my throat. When we locked eyes, I read the surprise in his. Truthfully, I was shocked too. I’d never had a boyfriend hold me this way before. But Nick wasn’t choking me, he was putting just the right amount of pressure, and it made me wonder if he’d ever done this before.
“You’re so wet,” he murmured as he slid a finger inside me. My breath hitched and one of my hands reached out to grip the server while the other held on to his shoulder. His mouth met mine, a sweet and tender kiss that made the hand around my neck and the finger inside me feel even more sensual.
Our tongues danced together as he slowly pulled his finger out only to thrust two back in. I whimpered in the back of my throat and tried to pull my mouth away, but I had nowhere to go—his hand was still holding me steady.
When Nick finally ripped his mouth away we were both panting. His lips stayed close to mine, resting on my cheek and pointed toward my ear. Nick’s fingers picked up the pace and he squeezed my neck once more, a delicious reminder of his power.
“That’s it,” he whispered, his breath ghosting over my skin. “Ride my hand. Fuck my fingers and show me how much you love my hand around your throat.”
I whimpered, doing what he said, my fingernails digging into his upper back as I used him for more leverage.
“Nick…” My breath caught when his thumb found my clit and he made small, tight circles. “Yes… Nick… oh… please…” He curled his fingers until I was seeing stars. “Right there… gahhhh…”
I was too lost in chasing my orgasm to worry about how unsexy my sound effects probably were. Nick cut them off, his lips slanting over mine. Nothing about this kiss was innocent or sweet. This kiss was primal, messy, and still absolutely perfect. Our teeth banged together, our tongues didn’t always connect, but his affection more than made up for it. He kissed me like I was the air keeping him alive, like I was the passion that gave his life purpose. He kissed me like he never wanted to stop.
My thoughts from our first date came back to me as I rode out the last waves of my orgasm.
I wasn’t into clothes being ripped off or up-against-the-wall sex. I didn’t need rough and fast to feel how much Nick wanted me…
Had I really thought that? Maybe I didn’t need rough and fast, but now there was no way to deny how much I enjoyed it. Because somehow he still made it feel tender. It was the way his fingertips lightly brushed my skin or the way his eyes were soft on mine as he watched me climax.
My lips slacked and he pulled away, just enough to give us air, but every single move still made our lips touch.
“That was perfect,” he growled. “I love watching you lose control. I love feeling you give yourself over to me. I’ve never… I’ve never done this,” he said, punctuating the words with a gentle squeeze of my neck. “Never wanted to, but my God, Iris…”
“Nick, I’m…” I couldn’t finish; surely my shaking body spoke for me. The shudders moved through me as the last of the pleasant tingles faded. I clenched around his fingers, causing him to groan.
“Iris.” He sounded pained as he dropped his head to my shoulder. “Stop sounding so fuckable or we’re never gonna make it to dinner.”
“You started it.”
Nick lifted his head and finally pulled his hand from my underwear. “Has hanging out with children all day crippled your ability to come up with a better comeback?”
I stuck my tongue out at him, and we both dissolved into laughter.
We’d been driving for about fifteen minutes when Nick started getting weird. Maybe he was more nervous about meeting my family than he let on.
“Hey, are you okay?” I asked, my eyes nervously shifting between the road and Nick’s darkened expression. We decided it’d be better if I drove since I knew where we were going.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and released the death grip he had on his knees. “It’s just… this road…”
“The accident?” I guessed. Nick gave a quick jerk of his chin, and as ridiculous as it was, I quickly morphed into the perfect driver. Hands at ten and two, back straight and
my eyes forward. I didn’t even look over at Nick when I heard a reluctant chuckle.
“Thank you,” he said as he pulled one of my hands away and placed a gentle kiss on my knuckles.
I smiled, a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry. This is the only way to and from their house. The other entrance is blocked by some construction that’s been going on since April.”
“It’s okay. Where does your sister live?” he asked, clearly trying to distract himself.
I itched to pull my hand away and put it back on the wheel. “Calla and Kent live a couple neighborhoods over. They’re probably already at the house.”
“She’s pretty close to your parents?” Nodding, I took a breath once we made a turn and left the road behind. “But you didn’t want a house near them?”
“You’ll see why when we get there.” I chuckled. “These aren’t exactly homes you live in by yourself. I’d love to move closer to them someday, but right now I’m content where I’m at.”
We were silent for the rest of the drive, but as Nick started leaning down to get a better look at the houses we passed, I could only imagine what his reaction would be. He knew we were well off, but it was completely different to be able to see it.
“Wow,” he whispered when I pulled up to the house and parked the car. “You weren’t kidding when you said your family had money.”
I gave him a small, slightly nervous smile before I watched Nick exit the car and walk around to the driver’s side. I didn’t even attempt to get out on my own anymore. After the first five or six times he placed his hand on my arm to stop me, I figured out that he was always going to want to help me. It wasn’t a one-time thing.
He grabbed my hand and softly shut the door. We walked around to the trunk I’d just popped open. Nick let go of my hand, immediately grabbing the wine and the homemade potato salad he’d insisted on making.
“Look,” he began as I shut the trunk. “I know I was weird about your money in the beginning. But I promise I won’t be rude.” Apparently I wasn’t hiding my nerves as well as I thought.
“I know.” I grabbed his upper arm and squeezed. “I’m not worried about that. I’m just nervous in general. You all are so important to me, I just… I really want you all to like each other,” I said, my gaze darting to the front door.
“Hey,” he murmured. I looked back to see him frowning down at his hands, like he wanted to wrap me in a hug but was angry because the stuff he was holding was stopping him. “It’ll be fine. If they’re even a quarter as wonderful as you, how could I not like them? And me…” He trailed off with a smirk. “Well, I’ll do my best to make the greatest first impression I’ve ever made.”
With a smile, I let out a breath of relief. After double-checking the lock, I wound my arm through his and let him lead me to the front door. Nick eyed the perfectly placed flowers lining the walk and the beds framing the house. I gripped his arm a little tighter when I saw him smile as he looked at the row of irises.
We stopped in front of the door, adorned with a wreath made of rich fall-colored leaves, but before I could knock or ring the bell, Nick stopped me. He turned his body toward mine and, with only the power of his lips, pulled me into the world’s sweetest kiss. A few swipes of his lips later, he backed away.
“Thanks for inviting me. I don’t know if I told you how much it meant to me.”
Thank you. It was so simple, just two words, and yet it had such a big impact.
“You’re welcome.”
“Okay,” he said with a lift of his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
I laughed at the over-the-top game face he put on, feeling the tension drain from my body. I reached forward and rang the bell.
My mom opened the door a minute later with a bright smile and rushed us in. “Iris.” She pulled me into a quick hug before turning toward Nick.
“Nick.” She looked down at the offerings with an even bigger grin. “This was so sweet of you. You shouldn’t have,” she said as she plucked both from his hands and put them on the table by the door. Before he could even respond, she wrapped him up in a hug. I was surprised when he eagerly went. When she pulled back, her hands rested on his shoulders. “It’s so good to finally meet you. We’ve heard nothing but wonderful things.”
“Iris, you shouldn’t lie to your mother,” he joked, looking slightly nervous at how my mom would react. He needn’t have worried. She was practically beaming as she looked between us.
“I didn’t. I just left a bunch of stuff out,” I said. Nick’s expression relaxed as he grabbed my hand and looked back at my mom.
“Thanks for having me, ma’am.”
“Ma’am?” My mother scoffed. She turned my way. “Did he ma’am me?”
Before I could respond, Calla came in, bouncing a giggling Mirielle in her arms. “It’s what I’ve been telling you, Mom—you’re getting old.”
Our mother turned toward my sister, but she couldn’t hold her fake anger, not that she would have been able to much longer. “I guess I’ve earned the title. I am a grandma after all,” she finished wistfully, pushing the tiny wisps of my niece’s hair from her forehead.
My eyes connected with my sister’s, the good humor fading from her face as she gave me a tense smile. I saw my mom face Nick out of the corner of my eye, but I kept my sights on Calla, even when she broke our connection and looked down at her daughter.
“Please, call me Sarah. I won’t have it any other way.”
“Of course, Sarah.”
I finally turned back and saw her smile widen. My mom turned toward me to whisper, “He’s a keeper.”
My gaze lingered on Calla as they both walked toward the kitchen, my mom grabbing the wine and potato salad on the way.
“Hey, you okay?” Nick asked, lightly touching my elbow. I shook off the weirdness and turned toward him.
“Yeah.” I gave him a small smile, but he wasn’t buying it. Right when he went to speak, my mom called us in from the kitchen.
“Later?” he asked. I nodded and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
I didn’t really know what I was going to say, though. There had never been this kind of wedge between Calla and me before. I was hoping that by the end of dinner there would be nothing to talk about at all. That the strain would be gone, and that the tightening in my belly was just hunger disguised as fear.
Dinner was weird.
And even though Iris had been nervous, I didn’t think she was actually worried about something like this. Her parents were great, asking lots of questions about my ma and me, about my childhood and my career as a chef. They were all smiles, and every time Sarah looked over at Iris, her eyes soft and approving, my heart soared.
But Kent and Calla’s presence was more than a little draining. The main course was just finishing up and they’d barely said anything. And when they had, it was mumbles. Iris and her parents seemed equally confused, so I assumed it wasn’t about me and was maybe just other marital issues.
Until Kent started talking about the accident.
“We were sorry to hear about your accident,” he began, shocking the hell out of everyone.
“Oh, uh, thank you.” Iris told me they knew everything, and it wasn’t that surprising. Iris didn’t seem like the type to keep things from the people she cared about.
“Did they catch him yet?” he asked, sounding oddly detached, almost bored.
“No, not yet.”
Nodding, he picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth before setting it next to his plate. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. No-contact car accidents are hard to close, plus given the amount of time that’s past…” Kent trailed off when he noticed all eyes on him.
My jaw clenched. “I know. But I’m still optimistic.”
Oh, the irony. Mr. Pessimist is suddenly the optimist.
Kent’s eyes narrowed. “Is it about the money? Because I’m sure—”
“Kent,” Iris hissed as her hand landed on my thigh. I looked over to see her eyes shooting fire
at him.
“Perhaps that’s enough for tonight,” her dad said, looking between Kent and Calla—who’d remained quiet with her gaze on her daughter.
“Yes. It is.” Iris stood, gripping my arm and pulling me up with her. Sarah quickly followed suit and walked us to the door.
“Thanks for having me,” I said, my tone stiff and robotic. Sarah shot her daughter a worried look.
“Of course.” Her voice was just as strained. “Come back anytime.”
I tried to soften my scowl. Sarah and her husband had been nothing but nice, but it was proving difficult. I gave her a quick nod before reaching for the door.
“Oh, and let me go get your dish—”
“Don’t worry about it,” I cut her off. I couldn’t even revel in the fact that they ate my entire potato salad. My eyes landed on Kent, who was standing in the archway between the kitchen and the main hallway, staring at me. “It may not be up to your standards, but I can certainly afford another one.” With another bitter smile, and not a second glance at Iris or her mother, I turned around and walked out.
The silence was unbearable. It wasn’t anything like our usual rides. My hand wasn’t on her thigh, her fingers weren’t wrapped around my neck, playing with my hair. And her soft laughter wasn’t floating through the air.
I hated it.
But I didn’t know how to fix it, not with this burning anger inside me.
“I don’t think they liked me,” I tried to joke. It didn’t work; my voice sounded rough, and I tried not to let the pit in my stomach deepen.
“My parents loved you,” she said softly.
Shaking my head, my hands fisting the steering wheel, I said, “Maybe they think I’m just some poor asshole, too. Someone looking to make a quick buck.” I’d asked Iris if I could drive us back to her place. I wondered if she was regretting it now.
“They don’t think that.” I could practically feel her frown fill the car.
“No? How can you be so sure? That’s how most people in America think, especially the wealthy. I, like all poor Americans, don’t have pride and I’ll do whatever I can for some money. Kent obviously thinks that, and Calla didn’t look far behind. It’s not a leap that your parents would, too.”
Pure Hearts Page 17