"We'll be in the lounge, Cary." His eyes, however, didn't leave my face. "Angel," he said softly, taking the steps necessary to bring him within inches of me. I kept my face tipped down at the floor, frown in place and tumble-weed rolling through my head.
"Are you regretting phoning him?" he asked quietly at my side, not touching me, but close enough to feel the heat coming off his body.
"No," I said just as quietly back.
He hesitated, then asked, "Are you regretting leading him on?" I cringed at his words, because that's in effect what I had done. But not intentionally.
"It wasn't my best decision," I admitted softly.
"But not why you're cutting yourself up right now," he surmised. I shook my head in agreement. "Then it's what you said," he added correctly. "Or maybe that I was there to hear it." Bingo.
His fingers found my chin and lifted my face up to his.
"I have a confession, angel," he said softly, laying first one kiss on one cheek, then another on the other. Then following those up with kisses on each eyelid and then my nose. "For eight years no one has come close to you either. Not a single one. For eight years you've been the standard by which all others were measured and failed to reach."
My eyes opened slowly to look into the stunning ice-blue of his. My heart leapt from my chest, just as he enveloped me in his arms and kissed me soundly on the lips. And just as quickly as my heart leapt free, he caught it and returned it in one piece back to me.
The kiss became a little frantic, somehow we ended up on the couch. Nick on top of me, his hand up the inside of my shirt, wrapped around my breast through my bra, the other hand tangled in my hair tilting my head to the side to allow him perfect access to my lips, chin, throat and neck. He didn't waste any time devouring them either, he licked and nibbled and bit and soothed again with another lick, making me writhe beneath him, frenzied myself to feel his skin beneath his shirt.
"Cary will be in your bedroom packing," Nick said breathlessly against my lips. "I gotta have you now, stake my claim, make you mine once and for all. Where, angel?"
I couldn't think straight to save myself. "Um..." I said fumbling with his shirt in his jeans, trying to pull it free to gain access to his skin.
"Eva, angel, I gotta fuck you. Here? Or where?"
"Bathroom," I said through a mouthful of his flesh on the side of his neck. Cary's room would be out, so was mine and the only other place we could lock the door would be the bathroom. Thankfully it was at the front of the house, away from where Cary currently was. Anywhere else he could walk in on us and I was thinking that would not be a good idea, even if thinking was a little hard right now.
In an instant Nick had me up off the couch, but still wrapped in his arms and under his lips and tongue.
"Which way?" he demanded against skin.
I pulled him into the hallway, took a quick glance to make sure Cary wasn't coming out of the bedrooms down the back and crossed the hall to the bathroom. Nick closed the door behind us and locked it in a flash.
"Skirt and knickers off," he demanded from his position by the door. "Leave the boots on, I wanna fuck you in those."
I stripped the denim skirt I had on down my legs, then went back for my underwear, not even thinking of disobeying his command. I was already wet and well on board with any plans he had.
"Top and bra too. I want to see all of you in the mirror when I take you from behind. I want you to watch how beautiful you look while I move inside you."
I swallowed but did as he said.
"Turn around, hands on the vanity, arch your back." His voice was getting lower, rougher. I could see a muscle twitching in his jaw.
"What about you, are you going to strip too?" I asked, getting into position.
"Not enough time," he said gruffly. It sounded like sandpaper over rocks.
He came up behind me and leaned forward, his hands beside mine on the bench, then licked a trail down my back, from my neck all the way to my rear.
"Jesus, Eva, you are so fucking beautiful," he said, pulling back and undoing his belt and jeans. I heard them slide to the floor. "Spread your legs for me, angel." He helped me with the tip of his still booted foot against the inside of each ankle. His eyes found mine in the mirror. "This is gonna be fast and hard. Me claiming you, OK?" I nodded. "I'll love you slow when we get home, angel, but right now I have to do this my way." I nodded again, stunned at his honesty and the raw need I could see in his eyes.
His hands found my hips, I think they were shaking before they touched me. He pulled me back further, arching my back even more and spreading me wide for his taking.
"Ah, fuck," he said, swallowing. "You drive me crazy, angel. You make me want to shout to the world you are mine." His hand ran over my ass and then down my rounded curves to between my legs. A finger stroked through my folds finding them saturated. "Wet," he growled. "All for me."
Again I nodded, because really, what else could I say? He made me this way, hungry with need, trembling with anticipation, wet and wanting and waiting for him to take me as only Nick had ever been able to do in the past.
"Ready?" he asked, softly, leaning forward and laying a kiss on my bare shoulder.
"I was ready five minutes ago, Nick," I advised and received a grunt of amusement and then the tip of his erection pressing its way inside.
"Yes," he gasped as he continued to work his way in and out slowly - so much for hard and fast - his eyes never leaving mine. Then still holding my eyes intently, he buried himself to the hilt and breathed out, "Home."
It was all a bit frenetic after that. He found his pace - indeed hard and fast - and I was right there with him, encouraging him on, "harder, faster, more" over and over again as he sunk in deeply in one swift plunge and pulled out to the tip, almost completely free, then slammed back in again - over and over again. I felt sweat trickle down my spine and he leaned forward and lapped it up, never alternating his speed nor depth, just pounding into me relentlessly, driving himself to the very edge.
"Play with yourself, angel," he instructed. "Make yourself come and I'll be right behind you."
It was difficult to release the edge of the vanity, his movements so forceful I'd needed both arms to brace for each thrust, but he must have realised, because he altered his pace slightly, changed the angle and depth, which meant the force tapered off enough for me to brace with just the one hand. Allowing me to follow his instruction and slip a hand between my legs.
"Oh fuck, that's a turn on," he rasped behind me. "I'm gonna get you to spread your legs for me while you play your guitar naked one day," he whispered huskily against my ear, then moved his hand down my right leg, wrapped his fingers around the back of my knee and lifted my foot up to the vanity.
The new position allowed us both an excellent view in the mirror of him impaling me from behind and my fingers rubbing circles on my nub at the front.
"You are the sexiest cowgirl in the world, Eva," he said on a groan. "I'm not gonna last much longer, babe, come. Now."
It was like he'd flicked a switch, commanding me when to orgasm. Within a split second a wave of pure bliss rolled over me, making me groan and then mutter my own "Fuck!" as Nick slammed harder and faster into me, his face a mixture of pleasure and pain as he breached that final wave right behind me.
Then loud enough for Cary to hear, I was sure, he groaned thickly, "Fuck!" as his sex pulsed inside me, the undulation of the muscle obvious from the angle we were at before the mirror. His eyes had shut as he'd given himself over to the ecstasy completely, but I got to see it all. Him, face enthralled with bliss, his hard cock slowly sliding in and out of me as it pulsed his release inside.
He sagged against my back, but didn't forget to help me to lower my leg first. His arms came around my waist as he lay delicate kisses across the skin of my shoulders and neck.
"You are mine, Evangeline Rowe," he announced. "No more running, no more hiding, no more thinking yourself out of my bed." His teeth came down on the sk
in between my shoulder and neck, and bit firmly, making me surprisingly turned on rather than wanting to jerk back in pain. He laved his tongue over the bite mark soothingly. "Mine," he said softly, staring at his mark. "Inside and out. And don't you forget."
His eyes came up to meet mine. We stared at each other for several seconds, neither moving. He was slowly slipping out from between my legs and I could feel his release trickling down the inside of each thigh. It was incredibly erotic. My legs twitched with a delicious rush of desire, my walls squeezing against Nick's shaft as it continued to slide out.
He cocked his head at me, a small sexy smirk on his face. Then he rolled his hips, pushing himself back inside. I felt him hardening again, which made me squeeze my thighs tight together in response. He pulled me away from the vanity and walked me to the tiled wall, then pressed my body flat against it. The cold tiles stung my heated chest and stomach, and then he pressed his hard chest against my back and I moaned. The temperature difference from my front to my back was exquisite. I'd never felt anything like it before.
"Once is not nearly enough, angel," he whispered in my ear, starting to roll his hips rhythmically.
His hands came down and clasped mine, then lifted them, fingers entwined, to above my head on either side. His entire body encased me against the wall, from top to bottom I was contained by his frame, by this man, who left me breathless and panting for more. He didn't stop his steady pace; sliding in and out. Already he was fully erect again, stretching me deliciously wide.
"I want to turn you around so I can kiss the fuck out of you, but I can't pull away for even a second to reposition your body," he declared through the rhythmic thrusts. "Are the tiles too cold?" he asked, concern lacing his words.
"They're warming up," I breathed out between his thrust.
"Eight years I've dreamed about you, Eva. And now I can have you whenever I want, however I want. And I can't fucking get enough."
I groaned as his lips trailed down the side of my neck.
"How else do you want me?" I found myself asking.
"This not doing it for you, babe? We can change it up."
"No this is good, I have no idea why I asked that question," I admitted, a little stunned I'd interrupted the moment at all.
He laughed against my skin, a hot huff of air that sent further shivers down my entire body.
"Fuck," Nick rasped. "I am so fucking crazy for you." A few more thrusts, then, "Let's try this."
He pulled us away from the wall, still somehow managing to continue to thrust inside me as though any break in that motion was simply impossible.
"Bend over and wrap your hands around your ankles," he instructed. "The head rush will add to your orgasm." I did not want to think about how he'd learned that.
So, I just did what he said. Oh good Lord, did he feel like he was going so deep this way. I groaned on every single thrust he made; slow, strong, deep.
"You like that, angel?" he asked.
"God yes," I managed on another groan. Nick laughed. He'd laughed a lot that first night we'd spent together too. The fact he hadn't lost his ability to enjoy life, to live in the moment and have fun, was an immense relief. It was part of what made Nick; Nick. His humour, his outlook on life. He could be having the dirtiest, raunchiest sex and he'd still find something to laugh about.
"Jesus, angel. This is so fucking good," he declared after a few beats of silence from both of us, the only sound was him sliding in and out, and the slap of his thighs against the back of mine. "You close, babe?" he breathed above me. Then when I just groaned in reply, his hand slipped around the front of me, between my thighs and stomach, and found their mark. One sweep of his finger over the little knot of nerves and I was done.
I may have screamed as I came, I'm not sure. Nick didn't stop rubbing my sweet nub, exacting every ounce of the orgasm from me for as long as he could. The rush of blood through my body was dizzying, I gasped as I came down from that high, thinking I was about to pass out from the sensations he'd induced.
"Hang tight, angel," he growled behind me, both hands back on my hips, his pace picking up again. "Ohfuckohfuckohfuck!" he repeated softly the closer he came, then with three hard, fast and deep thrusts he exploded with the sexiest groan I had ever heard in my life.
We both kind of collapsed to the tiled floor, his arm around my waist holding me up off the cold ceramic, his other hand pressed firmly into the ground to keep us upright, even though we were on our knees. I was thinking if he didn't do that, we'd topple over sideways.
"I can't fucking see," he said hoarsely. "Christ, Eva. You've fucked me blind."
I started laughing. "I think that's my line," I told him between sucking in air to laugh. We both fell to our sides laughing together. Nick didn't release his hold around me and made sure his body was the one on the hard floor, mine was lying on top of his or at least against it. Even in our moment of abandonment, he still made sure I was protected and safe from the hard, cold floor.
I was so in love with this man. I wanted to tell him, but I just couldn't say the words. What was I afraid of? Rejection? Maybe, but I was fairly sure after everything he'd said and done, he wouldn't run away if I declared my love. Then what?
Admitting it and then losing him, when we returned to New Zealand, and my Aunt or her boys decided to finish off what they started.
My hand smoothed over his thigh at my side, finding the dressing easily. Right leg, upper thigh. It was still tender; Nick flinched slightly when I touched it. Only two weeks, but the bruising around the wound was deep, so the damage had been severe. My stomach roiled at that thought. At the fact my relations had done this to him. His wound, his injury, was because of me. I didn't know how to assimilate that thought.
"Angel," he whispered below me. I turned my head and looked down into his eyes, he was aware of what I was thinking. "We'll get them," he promised. "They'll pay for this" - he shifted his thigh to indicate what he was talking about - "and for taking your Dad and beating on you."
I let a mortified breath out. My Dad. I hadn't even asked about my Dad.
"It's OK, angel," Nick said quickly, reaching up and cupping my face. "I needed us to connect first before I brought up your Dad. I'm thinking you needed that too. But now we both know you're mine and no one else's" - he smiled brilliantly at me, forcing me to lift the corners of my mouth in a semi-smile too and then roll my eyes for effect - "we can talk about him now too."
I swallowed, prepared myself for the worst and then met his ice-blue eyes, which had melted at some stage over the past half hour or so.
"We've got him, Eva. He's safe in a secured hospice." He sat up and pulled me onto his lap, wrapping an arm about my waist and running his hand through my sex-messed hair. "It's not good though, angel. He's been asking for you and he's not got much time left, that's why we've got to go on the next flight back."
Just when one thing in my life falls back into perfect place, a place it should have been in for the past eight years, another crumbles at my feet, shattered beyond repair. I just prayed we would make it in time, because I had a thing or two I needed to say to my Dad. And if I didn't get the chance now that I was being given, I wasn't sure how I'd hold my head up proudly ever again or mend that little piece of my heart that belonged to my Dad.
Chapter 22
I Was Revising My Position On That Statement
We heard Cary making obvious noises out in the main part of the house. Clearly he was letting us know he had finished in the bedroom and was aware of what we were doing - or at least where we were hiding. I felt a hot blush rush up my cheeks and Nick reached up and gently followed it with his finger.
"He's a man, angel. He's well aware of why I came here."
"Why you came here?" I semi-repeated in a question, thinking maybe he came here just for the sex. But that couldn't be right. Could it?
"To take what I want, unapologetically. And make her mine."
My eyes flicked up to meet his. Heated ice-blue stared bac
k at me. He raised an eyebrow at me in a challenge.
"Do you doubt that?" he asked softly.
Did I? No. Nick had proven again and again that he wanted to be in my life and he wanted me in his. Sure, eight years ago he'd let me run away, but he'd given a pretty solid explanation of why. So we could both grow up and become the people we wanted to be. And we had. Nick had a highly successful and sought after security and investigations firm, and I was a Country singer, experienced in the rodeo ring that is Nashville's music world. We'd grown up, followed our dreams, but both of us had never forgotten that night. Nor had we found a substitute for it.
And here he was, taking me back, when - if I was honest - I was ready to go back. I'd done my time here, had a ball, now it was time to face my past. To show Aunty Jessie, Levi and the boys that I wasn't little ole Eva Rowe, tattered guitar and hand-me-down clothes, scrounging for some chips at lunch.
Well, the guitar was still tattered, but I'd buy another one when we got back. I'd also have to find a place to live, but I was sure Gus or one of the guys would let me bunk with them for a week or so, until I got myself sorted. If Dad had moved into a hospice, the council would have cleaned out the rest of his flat. There's no going back from a hospice and there was a waiting list a mile long for those flats.
"Eva? What are you thinking?" Nick asked, bringing me back to the fact we were naked - or at least I was, Nick was partially naked - on the bathroom floor, and that he was waiting for an answer, and that Cary was waiting in the lounge for us to emerge from our noisy, frantic love making session in the bathroom off the hall.
"Um..." I said, blinking rapidly.
Nick huffed a breath out on a laugh.
"Get dressed, angel. Let's go see your flatmate."
"Okey dokey," I muttered getting up and starting to don clothes.
When we came out of our sneaky seductive cave and into the bright lights of the lounge, Cary was watching TV. He flicked his gaze over me quickly, then returned to the TV screen with a small smirk playing on his lips. I stopped inside the door to the room, hands on hips.
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