Nic's Devotion: An Endless Series: Book One

by Sara Hess

  I hugged her closer and rubbed my cheek against her hair. It was so damn soft. “He knows you weren’t conning him, but he’s going to hound you for a rematch to try and get his man card back.”

  She giggled. “Was that in the pot? I don’t remember seeing it in there.”

  I snorted. “It gets taken every time a guy gets schooled by a girl.”

  “How do you guys make it through a day?” She shook her head sorrowfully.

  I chuckled inwardly at her remark but kept my tone somber. “It’s a minefield of pretty smiles and innocent visages.”

  A laugh burst from her lips and I smiled. She was the only girl who could make me both lust and want to make laugh simultaneously.

  Guiding Carrie into our recreation room I appropriated the pool table from some random people I didn’t know but who knew me. It was good that they were at least familiar with the people throwing the party. I racked up a game for us to play. For the last forty minutes I had sat as patiently as I could watching her interacted with my friends, now I wanted her undivided attention. I was craving it.

  Carrie wasn’t as proficient at pool as she’d been at poker, in fact, she sucked. She completely missed what she aimed at and the only ball she made in a pocket regularly was the white ball. This was great for me because I got to help her and that required a lot of touching on my part. I would lean over her back and assist her in aiming her stick…wishing it was my ‘stick’ she was handling…and the bent over position also had me picturing another pose.

  The entire experience ended up being both parts ecstasy and agony.

  Carrie sported a continuous blush, her body vibrating whenever I got close, and I began to comprehend that she wasn’t doing as well as she could because of my constant nearness. Maybe I should have stopped when I noted this, but I didn’t. It pleased me immensely that she was affected by my presence and touch.

  “Here you guys are; we were wondering where you’d run off to.”

  I pulled my face out of Carrie’s hair, but kept my hand on her arm where I was assisting her in pocketing the eleven ball to see Amanda walk into the room. She was carting Noah along with her and holding a bottled margarita her face slightly flushed from the alcohol she’d already consumed. Noah just smiled inanely allowing himself to be towed around.

  Amanda stumbled up to the pool table. “We’re going to be taking off. I’ve reached my limit of alcohol and all I can do now is sober up, and I don’t want to do that here. The party goes from fun to stupid and I just get tired and want to go to sleep.” Amanda grinned drunkenly. “And Noah doesn’t want that to happen.”

  “Shit no.” Noah agreed.

  Amanda released Noah’s arm and leaned against the pool table with a shit-ass grin. “We heard about Carrie’s little poker game. Jax has been going on and on about how she swindle them all while serving Landon a good set-down at the same time. Everyone is ribbing him on it. Landon won’t be living that down for a while.”

  Carrie tensed slightly next to me and a frown creased her brows. Amanda skipped around the table and pulled Carrie into an embrace laughing. “You are my all time idol, girl.”

  Noah laughed from the other side of the table. “Yeah, Landon’s still in a stupor trying to figure out how it all happened. When they said she played clueless about the Kenny Roger’s lyrics only to utter the rest of the line later I almost busted a gut.”

  I saw Amanda sway and Carrie steady her quickly before she could stumble and fall. Amanda giggled. “I need to make a quick stop at the restroom before we leave. Carrie, want to go with me?”

  Carrie’s expression turned fretful. “Are you okay?”

  Amanda waved off Carrie’s concern. “I’m fine, just need to pee.”

  Carrie blushed and glanced toward Noah and me like she was embarrassed at Amanda’s spoken need to urinate. It was cute.

  “Okay, you lead the way.” Carrie linked her arm with Amanda and they tripped from the room.

  Noah walked over to me and slapped me on the back. “After hearing that story I think I fell a little in love with that bit of a girl myself.”

  Jealousy raged even though I knew the words were only stated because he was impressed at Carrie’s actions. I started racking up a new game composing my nerves. “She’s a firecracker,” I grunted.

  A laugh burst from Noah and gave me another slap. “That really bothered you, didn’t it? You are so on your way to being whipped.”

  I shrugged off his hand in annoyance. I wasn’t on my way to being whipped. Yeah, I really liked Carrie, but there was no way I’d let myself become whipped.

  “Shut it.” I grumbled, tossing him a cue stick. He laughed as he walked around and lined up his stick for the break.

  A few minutes later I was leaning over the table lining up a shot when a hand stroked over my back. For a moment I thought it was Carrie but the touch felt wrong, and I knew Carrie wasn’t yet comfortable enough to touch me this freely…yet.

  Turning I saw that it was Nikki with her hand on my back. Taking a step to the side out of her reach I analyzed the table. “Nikki.” I acknowledged uninterestedly. Fissions of unease and irritation flowed through me at the sight of her. I didn’t want Carrie seeing Nikki with her hands all over me, and her presence also made me wonder if she was the bimbo Amanda had been talking about at the game.

  She gave me a sultry smile…she must practice it or something because it always looked the same…but for the first time I saw the resemblance it had to a hyena…right before it attacked. “Nic, you’re looking good.”

  Same smile, same opening line. I leaned over the table lining up a shot. “Nikki, I’m here with someone.”

  There was a pause from her end but I didn’t bother to look. I’d been giving this girl the brush off for weeks now but she didn’t seem to be getting the hint.

  “That doesn’t stop you from looking good.” Nicky restated moving closer.

  Looks like I had to be less subtle. I gave her my full attention. “What it does mean is that I’m with someone else.” I repeated coolly.

  For a second her predatory sex gaze flickered uncertainly, but then it returned full force. “Well, when you’re not…” She lifted her hand to fondle her necklace trying to tease me with her exposed cleavage. That package had already been fully viewed so it wasn’t that much of a tease.

  Disquiet ran through me at the thought of Carrie meeting Nikki. Who knows what Nikki might say and how Carrie would react to it. Carrie had heard the rumors about me, but to have it shoved in her face might be too much.

  I wanted this girl gone, like right now, but before I could hustle her out Amanda tripped back in the room…alone. Alarm swept through me.

  “Amanda, where’s Carrie?”

  Amanda looked around confused. “She should be back already. I had to shoot upstairs to grab my purse and she was headed back this way.”

  Not waiting for further explanation I rushed from the room. I don’t know why I was so panicked, she’d probably just stopped to talk to someone, but the emotion couldn’t be reasoned with.

  The house was packed and I had to push through the masses. Some people tried to stop me to talk, guys and girls, but I ignored them.

  Carrie wouldn’t have left, would she? A flash of black hair and a light blue shirt caught my eye near the stairs and I stopped to look but didn’t see her. I was about to turn away when she suddenly popped into view. She was against the wall…surrounded by three guys. It was lucky I’d even seen her with the way they encircled her. Tension and heat crawled up my spine as I pushed my way closer finally recognizing the males. It was the three stooges from the team; Matt, Trey, and Curt.

  Carrie’s expression was a mask of anger, but I could see that’s all it was; a mask. Her eyes were flickering fear and panic. I had almost reached them and I might have been able to control the fury that was coursing through me if Curt hadn’t reached out and touched her hair, and then her face.

  I literally saw red. Closing the distance I grabb
ed Curt’s shoulder, spun him away from Carrie, and delivered a sucker punch to his face. Stumbling back into the crowd he fell taking down a few screaming bystanders. He lay there dazed with blood dripping out of his mouth and I stepped forward to continue his pummeling when a hand gripped my arm from behind. Thinking it was one of the other two dickheads I swung around leading with my fist, but instead of making contact with a face my fist slammed into Noah’s palm.

  His expression was concerned. “Nic, calm down; you’ve taken care of him. Carrie needs you now.” Noah jerked his head sideways.

  I tracked his nod to find Carrie and Amanda embracing. Actually, Amanda was doing all the hugging, Carrie just stood there clenching her hands and I could hear her whispering ‘no, no, no’ over and over. My anger didn’t abate, but my concern for Carrie overrode it.

  Stepping around Noah, and ignoring all the stares, I leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Carrie, honey, everything’s okay? You’re alright.” Giving Amanda an appreciative nod I exchanged Amanda’s arms with mine. Seth and Landon pushed through the crowd taking in the scene. Seth’s expression turned dark in anger as he seemed to read the scene correctly, Landon just raised an inquisitive eyebrow. I gave each a nod in Curt’s and his lackey’s direction.

  “Explain the situation to them.” I directed beyond pissed. They nodded grimly.

  “Come on, honey; we’re getting out of here.” I murmured. Holding her close I steered her toward the stairs and guided her up past the tape. Her arms remained at her sides, hands tightening rhythmically. I continued with the soft reassuring words all the way to my room. Stepping through the door I closed it behind me and sat at the end of the bed cradling her in my lap.

  I’d seen her experience something like this before, only this time seemed to be worse. She was still repeating the word ‘no’, but it was tapering off. The hands resting in her lap continued their movements, but her head had settled against my chest as she began to relax, or just tire out. Rocking her I kept up my soothing words and eventually her hands stilled, her breathing evened out, but her ‘no’ had turned to soft weeping.

  The sound of it was killing me. To watch her as she went through one of her episodes was hard enough, but now to hear her cry. “Please, Carrie, don’t cry. Everything’s okay. Those shit heads won’t ever bother you again.” I rubbed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

  Her hands remained in her lap but she burrowed deeper into my chest. “It’s not them, it’s me.” She sniffled into my shirt.

  I frowned. “What’s you?”

  She inhaled a shuddery breath. “Those guys were just being jerks. I should have been able to handle them. I thought I was.” She took another shaky breath. “They came up on me as I was walking back to the pool room. There were so many people around and they suddenly come out of the crowd surrounding me. I was startled at first, and then they asked me if I was the girl from the poker game. The one you…the one in the middle said I must be one hel…heck of a player to handle a table full of six guys. From the way they laughed I didn’t think it meant the same thing to me as it did to them.”

  No, she didn’t have that kind of mind, but my blood burned at the sexual inference they’d been referring to. If I heard even a hint of that kind of talk making the rounds about Carrie those guys would be walking balls free for the rest of their lives.

  I continued rubbing her shoulder as she talked. “He then made a comment that I wouldn’t make as much off just the three of them, but that they could offer more of a quality experience rather than quantity. It was then I began to comprehend their suggestive remarks.”

  When I got my hands on those three, especially Curt, I was going to beat them into a bloody, mangled mess. They were going to be both balls and dick free.

  “I got really mad at what he was saying…but they started closing in on me and it was hard to hold onto the anger.” Carrie’s voice lowered. “He was getting kinds of handsy and I was about to push him away when you came up from behind him.”

  Carrie raised her head to finally look at me. Her eyes were red and awash with tears, and her beautiful hair fell messily around her head. I smoothed it back off her face.

  “Relief filled me when I saw you. I knew you’d make them go away, but when you hit him and he fell on the ground there was all that blood…there was this moment…a memory.” She swallowed and closed her eyes as though she didn’t want to think about it. Her head nestled back onto my chest.

  Her partial declaration had me wondering what memory she was referring to. What was the underlying cause of her episodes? She’d said blood and it reminded me of when she’d turned white at the Sports store when I’d mentioned blood and gore.

  “Can you talk about this memory?” I asked.

  Carrie inhaled sharply and tensed. “I’m really tired and I should probably go home.” Her body slumped. “But I don’t want to go back downstairs and walk past everyone. I feel like such a fool. Everyone saw me freak out.”

  I let her evade my question…for now. “You didn’t make a fool of yourself. Everyone’s attention was on me beating the crap out of Curt. But if you don’t want to face the crowd we can just stay up here for a little bit longer and wait for the party to wined-down.”

  I was all for Carrie staying. Hell, I wanted her to stay the whole damn night…and wasn’t that the kicker, because girls did not spend the night. Holding her securely I scooted us up toward the head of my bed and lowered us to our sides facing each other. She was stiff next to me, staring hard at my shirt.

  “Did you at least have some fun tonight?” I asked, lying completely still not touching her.

  A sigh puffed from her lips. “Yeah, I had lots of fun.”

  I idly rubbed her fingers that were resting between us. “My friends really liked you.”

  She didn’t say anything to that at first, but her fingers moved beneath mine. Relief trickled through me at her positive response to my touch.

  “I know Seth likes me.” Carrie uttered softly.

  I scowled and lifted my head off the pillow. What did she mean by that? Had Seth made some sort of play for her? Jealousy reared hot and heavy.

  “How do you know that?” I asked sourly.

  She flicked a smile up at me and I could see that her ice blue eyes were glazed with exhaustion. “Well, you did give him my winnings tonight.”

  My head flopped back on the pillow and I grimaced inwardly. Where in the hell was all this jealousy and animosity coming from. I’d been ready to go down and have a very serious conversation with a good friend, and one of the biggest guys I knew.

  “Actually, he’s just holding them.” I corrected, going back to playing with her fingers. “But I promise that won’t change his affection for you.”

  Carrie lifted her hand to cover a yawn, her eyes blinked wearily, and her body slumped further in relaxation. I could see that this episode had tired her out like the last one. “Is he aware that he’s just holding it, because that discovery could influence his affectionate feelings? He might end up resenting me.” She countered drowsily. I could tell she was rambling now; not really paying attention to what she was saying. She was barley awake.

  I leaned closer to her and whispered softly. “You’re awesome. No one could hate you.”

  Her eyes closed and pinched faintly. “That’s not true.” She exhaled groggily. “My mom hates me.” The words were slurred as she fell into sleep, but still understandable.

  I frowned. Why would she say that? The girl stayed at home to take care of her mom when she could be living on campus and not have to deal with taking the bus every day. She worked two part-time jobs to help out with the bills at home. Her mom should be grateful as hell.

  Sounds from the party were muffled enough to not disturb Carrie as she slept. Her breathing was even and her face relaxed. Fuck, she was beautiful, and I was having a hard time stopping myself from drawing her body close into mine. But that would have felt like I was taking advantage of her as she slept; feelin
g her up when she was unconscious.

  Instead, I laid there staring at her wondering what in the hell had happened to her, and what in the hell was happening with me.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Carrie

  A heaviness pressed down on me. It was difficult to breathe. I tried to push and shove at the weight on top of me but I couldn’t budge it. I began to cry because the weight began to hurt me. It was grabbing and pinching me and I didn’t understand why. Why would it be hurting me? I heard and felt my clothes ripping and I could barely breathe, and then I really couldn’t breathe. Suddenly the weight stopped hurting me and slumped heavily onto my body. Something warm and wet was pouring over my face and chest, it got in my mouth. It tasted like pennies I’d stuck in my mouth one time. I pushed and wiggled out from under the now motionless burden finally getting free. I fell to the floor and scooted away on my butt, and looking down I saw that my torn clothes were soaked in red. There was red on my hands and on the floor… it was everywhere. Red, red, red…

  My eyes flew open and a gasp burst from my lips. The haze of terror slowly faded as I recognized that it had just been another nightmare. It had been a couple of weeks since I’d had one of those. It would be great if I never had another.

  I focused on the ceiling and my breathing trying to clear my mind of the images that had taken over my subconscious. The height, structure and color of the ceiling did a lot in making me forget about my dream because it wasn’t anything like what my bedroom ceiling looked like.

  Looking around in confusion I took in the room I was in; cream walls, masculine furnishing, and posters of lacrosse. I was in Nic’s bedroom. Why was I in Nic’s room? Rolling my head to the side my eyes widened in shock at the body lying next to me in the bed.

  Nic!

  My breath exploded out and I took note that it ruffled the hair that was lying on his forehead. His slumbering face twitched and I held my breath at the thought of him waking up, but he continued sleeping. Sagging in relief I let out the breath I’d been holding…slowly this time.