Nic's Devotion: An Endless Series: Book One

by Sara Hess

  She rolled her eyes but flipped open her ‘made from some animal skin’ wallet. Beatrice Trent. I felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl. If I had Beatrice as a name I’d be in a constant state of irritation too.

  “Thank you.” I said amiably. Finishing up the order I folded up her shirt and bagged it. The idea of her wearing Nic’s number gave me a sick feeling. I had a random thought of her spilling something on it making it completely unwearable. I shook my head...she’d just come back and buy another with that gold card she had.

  “Have a nice day.” I said.

  They all had ‘whatever’ expressions on their faces.

  “Nice hat,” one of the other girls remarked with a twitter. Additional twitters came from the other two.

  I almost reached up and touched my hat but stopped myself. It was a nice hat, but I knew that’s not what they were implying with the ‘nice’.

  “Thanks, I like it.” I responded.

  They rolled their eyes this time and walked away. No skin off my back. Whatever problem they had was all on their side. I’d learned to let the words of some people roll off me like water. As long as they weren’t too personal it worked marvelously. While guys could be a nuisance with their attentions, females seemed to take an instant dislike to me or just seemed cautious around me. I wished the guys would be that way a lot of the time. The more I could get lost in the wood work the better.

  I almost smacked myself after that thought; I needed to break out of my self-imposed isolation not acerbate it.

  One-thirty rolled around and Nic never made it back for his ID. I figured John would know a way to get it to him if he somehow forgot it. I felt some disappointment at not seeing him again…okay, the disappointment might have been more than a little, but it had just been really fun bantering with him. I didn’t open up to a lot of people but for some reason he’d been really easy to talk to. I wandered if he would come in again soon.

  Chapter Five

  NIC

  “You’ve been smiling your ass off for the last three hours of practice, even when Coach Renald’s gave you an extra mile for being four minutes late. It’s not normal and it’s freaking me out. So quit it.” Landon grumbled tiredly. He slumped down on the bench in the locker room pulling off his sweat soaked jersey.

  We were all covered in sweat, dirt and grass. Lacrosse was a messy sport and we loved it. I had especially loved it today. Practice had been good; the rookies had stepped up and gotten their shit together, and I’d had no back talk from Curt which always made practice better. I was riding a high, and it wasn’t just from the sport. That extra mile hadn’t fazed me at all.

  “It was a good practice.” I exclaimed, ripping off my shirt. Sitting on the bench I unlaced my shoes quickly and unpeeled the socks from my moist feet; next came my shorts and jock strap. I dropped the pile of stink into my mesh bag. Wrapping a towel around my waist I headed for the showers.

  “Hey, are we being timed and I don’t know about it?” Evan called from behind me.

  “Things to do.” I yelled back.

  I was the first one in the showers, and the first one out. Opening my locker I pulled out the pants and shirt I’d worn earlier. I was dressed when Evan came out with Noah behind him. Landon and Seth were shower hoarders so they’d be awhile.

  “So what are these important things you have to do? Are they blonde or brunette?” Evan asked with an eye waggle.

  “That looks like two caterpillars having seizers when you do that; please refrain for my delicate sensibilities.” I combed my hair back and then shook it; I didn’t do the slicked back look.

  “Ooh, it’s a red head then. Feisty.” Evan ignored my earlier advice and waggled again.

  I sat down and pulled on fresh socks and shoes.

  “I think someone is ignoring us. Why would that be? Must be something nefarious.” Noah commented slipping on fresh boxers.

  “Big word from such a tiny man.” I said pulling on my jacket.

  “I may be a couple inches shorter than you in height, but I make up for it in length.” He adjusted his dick under his underwear.

  “Wishin’ on a star, dude, wishin’ on star.” I laughed grabbing my stuff and bouncing out of there. “See you later, losers.”

  Seth stepped out of the showers as I was leaving and I could feel his probing gaze following me out the door. I hadn’t told any of them about meeting Carrie this morning. I hadn’t wanted to answer any questions. My good mood after a week of cranky-ass had them all looking at me curiously though, wondering what was up. I just played it off as a good practice day.

  “Nic?”

  I was opening the door to my truck and turned in frustration at being impeded from leaving. “Yeah?”

  Walking up to me was a girl with light brown hair wearing my number seven jersey that was a little too tight. Her coat was unfastened, probably to display the jersey, and her nipples that were poking out in protest of the cold.

  It was January and the temperature was thirty-seven degrees. Button up, girl!

  “How was practice today?” She asked. As she got closer I vaguely remembered her as someone I’d screwed a few weeks back. I searched my brain for a name…nothing.

  “Good. I’m afraid I can’t talk right now though, I’ve got somewhere I need to be.” I climbed into the front seat.

  She walked right up to me preventing me from closing the door. I gave her an impatient look hoping she’d get a clue.

  “One of my girlfriends is seeing one of your teammates and I was dropping her off when I noticed you over here, and I thought that maybe you could help me. I’ve got a terrible ache that really needs some tending and I was thinking you had the tool for the job.” Her hand settled on my leg and drifted up toward my groin.

  Grabbing it tightly I detached it. She looked at me with calculated lust filled eyes and wet her red lips with her tongue. Before I might have been all over that invitation, but I only had one girl on my thoughts at the moment; a girl with ice blue eyes exhibiting an innocent guilelessness that I found much more appealing. I hadn’t yet made a decision on what I was going to do in regards to her, but nobody else held any interest to me.

  “I told you, I have prior plans.” I replied as politely as I could, but was unable to keep all the aggravation out of my tone.

  Her eyes flickered with disbelief at my refusal. Get it in your head girl, I’ve got plans.

  “I’ll see you around.” I gave her a perceptible push so I could close my door. She stood there as I pulled away, finally zipping her jacket up. I didn’t look back.

  Five minutes later I was pulling up to the Sports store. I had to stop back in and get my I.D., and if I got to see Carrie again, that was bonus…subconsciously I knew my thinking was backwards on that.

  Damn, there was a shitload of cars and people. I wouldn’t be able to have any kind of real conversation with Carrie with so many people around. If I monopolized her she’d probably get into trouble. John was a pretty cool guy but I didn’t want her on his bad side. Maybe just a quick chat; I could convince her to give me her number.

  And the irony of that didn’t escape my notice.

  I walked into the store and moseyed around looking for Carrie, but didn’t see her anywhere. I did see John manning the desk.

  “What’s up John?” I said walking up.

  “Hey, Nic; got something for you.” John turned and grabbed an envelope off the cork board with my name written on it and handed it to me. My heart picked up at the thought that even though she was gone she’d left me something. Maybe her number.

  I opened it up and was surprised at the disappointment that filled me at only seeing my ID. Looking up I saw John smirking at me.

  “Expecting something else?” He asked.

  “No.” I replied tersely.

  His face turned serious. “Thinking she was going to leave you her number, huh? Carrie isn’t that kind of girl.”

  “I know that,” I exclaimed in annoyance.

  “You
figured all that out this morning did you?” He grinned.

  “No,” I grunted. “This morning isn’t the first time I’ve run into Carrie.”

  John studied me intently. “She’ll be working here almost every day so I’m sure you will probably run into her again.” He said casually. A customer came up to the counter to be checked out. “I guess maybe I’ll be seeing you around.”

  Yeah, maybe.” I shrugged just a casually.

  I walked back to my truck in a more subdued manner than when I arrived. The store was closed tomorrow as it was Sunday, but Monday was only two days away…if I still wanted to see her.

  I was starving so I pointed my truck toward the food district. Pulling up to the corner where campus connected to the main road I sat there waiting for the light when my attention was caught by a figure huddled in the corner bus depot. The person was completely covered from head to toe, but I recognized those khaki pants and beanie cap.

  With no real thought of what I was going to do I drove up to the curb in front of her and rolled down the passenger window. Leaning over the passenger seat I yelled. “Hey, are you following me?”

  Carrie stared at me in surprise for moment but then one side of her mouth twitched up. “Each place we’ve met I’ve been there first, so how can I be following you?”

  “Maybe you’re psychic and you’re just getting there ahead of me.”

  “If I was psychic I would utilize it in a much better way than to follow you around.”

  I laughed; she got me good with that one. “Like I said, you are cruel. My self-esteem just plummeted twenty percent. You should make it up to me by having lunch with me.” The invitation flew from my lips impulsively surprising me because I didn’t invite females to eat with me, but I found I really wanted her to say yes.

  An uncomfortable look crossed her face.” My bus is going to be here any minute.”

  If I was able I would have kicked my own ass. She wasn’t going to get into a vehicle with someone she barely knew. A lot of other girls would have because they’d heard of me, but Carrie wasn’t one of those girls.

  “Hey, we don’t have to go off campus. I’ll park just around the corner and we can walk to one of the eateries.” Her face still looked uneasy so I dusted off my charm and smiled. “If you’re not in a hurry to be anywhere I’d really like some company for lunch. I lost about three thousand calories this morning and I’m almost faint with hunger.” Her look of uncertainty waivered. “Please.” I added, hoping to topple her over the edge.

  I’d never had to put half this much effort into a girl before, and it was just for lunch. Why I was doing it at all was a puzzle I’d figure out later.

  She was biting her lips and it was driving me crazy. Blood was pooling in my dick at an alarming rate making it throb with each one of her tugs. The flesh popped free of her teeth looking plumper, cherry red, and wet, and I swear some cum actually leaked from my tip. I gasped at the feeling. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. How in the hell was I going to get out and walk?

  I hadn’t realized I was into self-torment, until I found myself urging her again. “I’d really like to find out how a sixteen year old handles college life.” I teased huskily.

  A look of humor and then determination suddenly crossed her face. “Okay, okay.” She stood up and walked up to my truck. “I’m going to get in this truck with you because John said you had ‘good character’, but I want to stay on campus, okay?” It wasn’t difficult to see by the uncertain and uneasy look on her face that she was going outside her comfort zone in accepting my offer.

  “No problem,” I said hastily with an inward grin.

  She opened the door and hauled herself up into the seat. “Can they make these things further from the ground?” She grumbled, shutting the door.

  I chuckled as I checked traffic for a break to execute a u-turn. “I was thinking about putting bigger tires on her.”

  Carrie’s head fell back and she groaned. “Please do not tell me you refer to your vehicle as a female.”

  I scoffed at her negativity. “Well, she’s my baby,” I said caressing the dash lovingly, “and females like it when a man calls them baby or babe.”

  She looked at me with open mouth incredulity. “Seriously, you’ve met girls that actually like that?”

  “Well, I’ve never called a girl by that name, but Noah, my roommate calls his girlfriend baby all the time. She laps it up.” A break finally opened in traffic and I took it.

  “Huh.” She grabbed the ‘oh shit’ handle as I spun the truck around. “If we are going to use baby as a reference to gender than the truck should be male, because it is widely known, much more than your obscure correlation, that men act like babies.”

  “Oh, we’re going to get personal now are we?” There were so many sexual innuendos’ I could throw out there, but I decided to keep it PG. “What about the bras that we can buy for our vehicles?”

  Rose colored her cheeks as she harrumphed, but then her face went even more red. I just knew that something inappropriate had crossed her mind and I had to know what it was.

  “You look like you could fry an egg your face it’s so hot. What’s going on in that mind of yours?”

  She shook her head vigorously. “No, I can’t say it. I can’t believe I thought it.” She said sounding scandalized.

  I smiled at her tone. “No way, you can’t do that to me. I’ll go crazy by the end of the day trying to figure out what it was. It will be like having a Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber song playing non-stop in my head slowly driving me…”

  “Okay, okay,” she laughed nervously. “Please stop with the guilt trip.” She took a breath and looked straight ahead. “I was thinking that when people want to protect their cars from the weather and stuff they cover it so it stays nice, and new, and…uncontaminated.” Her face turned redder if that were possible and she was pursing those plump lips.

  I stared at her for a second in amazement, and then burst out laughing. I laughed so hard I actually teared up. Carrie’s shoulders began to shake. She covered her mouth and looked at me with tears of laughter in her eyes, but also surprise like she couldn’t believe that she’d said what she’d said out loud, or that she was finding it so hilarious.

  This girl seemed to hold so much inside of her and I could see that it was dying to get out.

  I can’t believe I was noticing all these things about her.

  Fuck! I was in so much trouble.

  Chapter Six

  Carrie

  I can’t believe I said that, but man it felt so good to laugh. When Nic asked me to go to lunch my first response was to decline because that’s what I normally did when anyone invited me to do something. It was safe. In the last four years I haven’t let anyone get close to me except for Carl and Mona, but Mona had been paid to get close to me and she’d pushed and pushed until I’d finally let her in. I didn’t have her personally guiding me any longer but I did have the lessons she’d imparted in me; lessons to not close myself off from those around me.

  I’d been knocked down just a week ago but I didn’t want to be that person who just lays there and takes it. I wanted to be stronger than that. After all these years I suddenly felt like I was ready to take a chance and open myself up to something new, to someone new. So swallowing my trepidation I forced myself out of my comfort zone and accepted Nic’s invitation.

  I didn’t know him that well but in the short time I had I felt some sort of connection to him; it was really weird. He made me feel lighter and carefree, he was making me laugh, and I didn’t do that very often. And heck, it was only lunch. It seemed like a small, beginners step.

  “I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard.” I gasped breathlessly.

  Nic pulled into the parking lot of Manny’s. It was actually called ‘Come Meat Manny’, but everyone just called it Manny’s. Shutting off the engine he turned toward me and unexpectedly grasped my hand. I froze.

  It wasn’t that I was necessarily opposed to c
ontact with others, I just wasn’t accustomed to it. The only people who touched me were Mona and Carl.

  I made myself relax at the innocuous gesture and it was like Nic had been waiting for just that sign. Turning my hand over he rubbed my palm with his thumb. It felt nice, but it was sending some uncomfortable hot flashes through me, as well as tingles to some very interesting places. I shifted in my seat attempting to dispel it.

  Nic’s eyes were locked on mine and as I shifted the green of his pupils darkened to a deep emerald. I stared in wonder at the change and my throat constricted from the sensations his thumb was eliciting. It made me recall this morning when we’d shaken hand and the tingly heat that had fizzled up my arm. That too had left me feeling rather shaken in utter astonishment.

  As Nic continued to stroke my palm breathing became difficult and my lips parted to allow more air in and out. His gaze lowered to stare at my mouth and his pupils dilated to take up almost all the green. He had such beautiful eyes and a really nice mouth. Blonde stubble covered his jaw and around his mouth giving him a sort of scruffy appearance that only accentuated his good looks.

  Was that stubble as soft as it looked?

  His skin was flushed under that stubble, and I noticed his breathing was getting heavier. My face felt flushed too; actually, my whole body felt like it was on fire.

  His body shifted in my direction and I jumped slightly in surprise pulling my hand from his grasp. “It’s getting really warm in her.” Was that my voice? I sounded like a smoker. I cleared my throat.

  “Let’s go eat.” The timber of Nic’s voice was low and gravely sending shivers down my spine. Not a cooling one.

  I fumbled for the door handle, finally got it open, and tried to hop out, but instead got jerked back in. Idiot. I’d forgotten to take my seat belt off. Nic was getting out his side so I think he missed it. God, I hope so, how embarrassing.

  Unclipping the belt I twisted to jump out again but found Nic standing in my open door. Sitting in this truck put us at eye level.