by Lynn, Donina
No other guy, even Mike, had ever caused her to react the way she did with Nick. It was more than attraction. He was like a force of nature or a vortex spinning in the ocean tempting her to swim closer until she reached the point of no return and was sucked into the abyss that was all him. Instead of swimming away like she normally would do, this time Becca was determined to float along and see where the current took her.
Becca looked in the mirror again. Even with her new resolve, she couldn’t help being nervous, a good nervous. She had the jitters that came along with the excitement of a first date. She had changed three times, trying to remain casual for Henry and Eva’s while still looking nice. The sweater she had finally chosen was a green that set off her eyes and gave a hint of cleavage. Becca had to fight the urge to pull it up. What was she worried about? Nick was already fully acquainted with the girls.
A darn fine introduction it was, too!
She wore her favorite jeans and a black belt that matched the knee-high boots she had found in her closet still in the box. She was no fashionista and didn’t have a pile of shoes cluttering up her closet, but when she had seen the boots she couldn’t help but buy them.
Her hair was down in soft waves, and she had applied some make-up. The subtle green on her eyelids added to the color of the sweater making her eyes sparkle. She smiled at her reflection knowing that sparkle had less to do with the color and more to do with the man picking her up in a couple minutes.
Becca had to admit she liked her new attitude. She didn’t know what direction she was heading in, but at least she felt like she was finally taking a step forward.
Her phone started to buzz, and she grabbed it off the stand. Not recognizing the number, she wondered who could be calling her and hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful, you ready?” Becca heard the familiar deep voice.
“Nick? Do I even want to know how you got my number?”
Nick laughed through the phone. “I’m a man of many talents. I’m downstairs parked outside the bakery.”
Becca smiled at the thought of his talents. The man didn’t exaggerate. He had mad skills including a tongue she still thought should be bronzed.
“I’ll be right down. Pull around back. There’s another door for the apartment.” She grabbed her jacket, locked the door, and hurried down the steps to the back entrance.
When she opened the door, she had to close her eyes and open them again to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. He was leaning against an older Jeep Wrangler wearing a blue and black flannel shirt with a blue thermal underneath, jeans, and black work boots. He couldn’t look more perfect if she had dressed him herself. It was like a picture of her dream man had come to life and was standing in front of her.
She was always attracted to the outdoors type. There was something about a man in a flannel shirt and work boots that made her want to rip them off. It was the rugged look that drove her crazy. She shook her head as she walked up to him.
He opened the door for her and asked, “What?”
“Nothing, just not what I was expecting.” She jumped in to the passenger seat. “I took you more for a BMW kind of guy. Maybe even a Hummer, but definitely not a Jeep.”
“Oh, I like the sound of a Hummer. Do you know where I can get one?” He cocked his head and lifted his brows at her.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Not tonight, I don’t.”
He closed the door laughing and came around to slide into the driver seat. “Before we start our evening, I have something for you.” He reached in to the backseat and then handed her a bouquet of roses. There were eleven white roses surrounding one single red rose. It had to be one of the most perfect roses she had ever seen. Fully bloomed, its vibrant red color was stunning.
She turned to Nick and said in almost a whisper, “They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Becca hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to ask, but she had to know why he placed one red rose in the middle. “Nick? Why the one red rose? I mean they are gorgeous, but…”
Nick cut her off. “In life, we are surrounded by beauty. The people we meet, a sunset and flowers just like these.” Becca watched as his hand skimmed over the white roses. “Sometimes, though, we get lucky, and we catch a glimpse of a rose where its beauty surpasses all others. Its perfection calls to you. Its delicate petals beckon to be touched, and its sweet scent intoxicates you until you can think of nothing but that rose. It stands out against all others, and you would give anything just to be able to look upon its perfection once more.” He put his hand under her chin and lifted until she was level with his eyes. “You, Becca, are that rose.”
Becca swallowed the lump that gathered in her throat and fought the tears that had collected. That was the most incredibly romantic gesture she had ever received. She didn’t know what to say. This amazingly sexy man had just told her she was beautiful and stood out from other women. She felt special, wanted, and desired. His words had made her breathless, and she could feel the tug on her heart.
His thumb stroked along her jaw, and he cupped his hand to her cheek. She leaned in to his touch wanting to get closer to his warmth. She closed her eyes enjoying the moment and the feel of him against her skin. Too quickly, he had pulled away, and she opened her eyes to look at him.
His eyes had grown more intense, and his voice was husky when he reached again into the backseat. “I have something else for you.”
There’s more? Becca wasn’t sure she could take anymore gestures without becoming a blubbering mess in his seat. She already felt dangerously close to an emotional meltdown.
That’s always the perfect way to start any date. Yeah, not so much!
He handed her a box with a red ribbon.
“What’s this?”
He chuckled and said, “Just open it.”
Becca slowly untied the ribbon, trying to hide her trembling hands. She opened the box, unfolded the tissue paper, and burst out laughing when she realized that it was her forgotten panties. “You are full of surprises. Thank you.”
Nick turned in his seat and started the engine. “We are just getting started. There might be some more surprises in your future. Ready?”
She nodded her head. Becca wasn’t sure she was ready for everything he had planned. What she was sure of was that she was interested in knowing more about the surprise of a man who was sitting next to her.
Their tour had been limited to a few places that were lit at night. She pointed out a few local historical sites and then directed him to drive out of town. They passed a pond that was used as a fishing hole during the summer months and an ice rink during the winter. When she told him to turn onto the dirt road that led to Henry and Eva’s, he told her he had already been out to their house during the day.
“You went to their house?”
“Yep, I helped Henry fix a hole in their barn this afternoon.” He shrugged. “Eva asked if I would come out and lend a hand. She has a knack at getting her way.”
Becca snorted. That was understatement. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble. I’m glad she asked though. They’re both stubborn, and they think they can handle anything that a twenty-year-old could. They refuse to acknowledge that being over seventy has some limitations, even for them.”
Nick shrugged again. “I enjoyed fixing the barn. I don’t get a chance to work with my hands that often, and it felt good to put on the tool belt. They are a great couple, and they only had great things to say about you.”
Becca was going to ask what they said, but her thoughts went in a different direction when she imagined Nick in a tool belt. She could see him shirtless with a slight layer of sweat glistening on his body, his tool belt hanging loose around his hips as the muscles in his back rippled when he methodically swung down with a hammer over and over again.
She yanked herself out of her fantasy and squirmed in her seat. A warm wetness was beginning to collect between her legs. She looked over at him, worried he might have guessed where her th
oughts had been but relaxed when she saw him watching the road.
Nick made one last turn and stopped the Jeep when they reached the house. Becca frowned when she saw that there weren’t any lights on.
“Aren’t they home?”
“Nope, they went to visit Henry’s brother for some poker and beer. I thought they were joking until Eva told me that she usually won her milk money on poker nights.” He laughed at her confused face. “Don’t worry. You won’t go hungry. Oh and ‘us kids’ are to make sure we have fun.”
Becca shook her head and laughed. That sounded like Henry and Eva. “Well, if they aren’t here where are we going to eat? Are we invading their house?” Becca couldn’t be mad at them even though she was obviously there under false pretenses. She did have an uneasy feeling though. It didn’t feel right to be there while they weren’t, and her nervousness came back in full force at the thought of being alone with Nick all night. She was expecting Henry and Eva to be the buffers and help ease her nerves.
“Nope, we aren’t going in the house.” He jumped out and quickly made it around to open Becca’s door and help her out of the Jeep. “Come on, I have another surprise for you.”
She placed her hand in his and gave him a questioning look. He just smiled and started leading her around to the back of the house. When they came around the corner, she noticed there was a light on in the barn. He led her to the doors and asked her to close her eyes. She heard the door squeak open, and he came behind her to place his hands over eyes.
“No peeking.” His body gently nudged her forward, and he removed his hands after they stopped moving. “Ok, open them.”
Chapter Nine
Nick looked down at Becca. Her face was lit up like a child on Christmas morning. He made a mental note to thank Henry for his picnic in the barn suggestion. Seems fifty years of marriage had taught him a trick or two. He had assured Nick that Becca would love the idea, and he was right.
She looked up at him with her green eyes beaming. “It’s perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He took her hand and led her to the blanket. “Go ahead and get comfortable.”
Nick moved around turning on soft music and extra lighting he had hung while he was there in the afternoon. With the wood construction and bales of hay, candles weren’t an option unless of course he wanted to add torching the barn to the evening’s activities. Instead Eva had given him strings of white lights to help add a touch of romance. He checked the heaters that had been placed around the room to keep out the cold night air and finally turned off the main overhead lights to the barn.
When he came back to the blanket to sit down, the sight waiting for him took his breath away. The soft lighting shimmered across Becca’s features and surrounded her in almost an unearthly glow. Touches of light danced in her eyes, and her skin looked even fairer against her full raspberry lips. She looked like an angel, and Nick’s chest tightened at the thought of how much he wanted her to be his angel.
His. What is it about this woman? How could someone he barely knew have such a hold on him? Sure, there was the physical attraction. Hell, what straight guy wouldn’t want to be with her? But it was the intensity of that attraction that rattled him. Her touch, her scent, her taste only created a need for more. He craved her with a hunger he never experienced before. It was almost primal in nature, the fierce desire to chase, catch, control, and devour.
Then, in complete contradiction, there was the peace she brought him. One single memory, thought, or whisper of her name stilled the whirlwind that had taken residence in his mind. She anchored him against the raging anger and guilt. With her, he found a focus that he thought had been lost.
Becca was an addictive contradiction of turbulence and tranquility, hunger and indulgence, lust and harmony. She was an enigma that beckoned to him to be figured out.
Whether it was with a little help from Eva or not, he had gotten his chance and had the night to prove to her that they should pursue whatever this was between them. Nick didn’t need a flashing neon sign to know something or someone had her holding back. She all but told him that herself with the way she had run away and fought against her own attraction. So when he had planned their date, he wanted to make sure he showed her without a doubt how special she was and that he was there for more than a quick repeat performance of the gazebo. Damned if he knew what “more” actually meant, but for right now he was sure he wasn’t willing to walk away and give up on her.
Nick sat forward and asked, “Hungry?”
“I’m starving. What do you have in there?” Becca inched in to lift the top of the basket and peek inside.
Nick leaned over to move her hand and chuckled. “I honestly don’t know. I had a little help with our dinner.” He gave her a wink. “Let’s see what our chef left us.”
Nick spread out containers full of fried chicken and fresh fruit, a loaf of French bread, and a bottle of wine. He laughed when he got to the bottom and found a small wrapped plate of brownies. “Well, this should give the secret away of who did the cooking.”
Becca joined the laughter. “Leave it to Eva to give me my own dessert.” She reached over opening one of the containers. “I’m going to forgive her though because she made her chicken. This stuff is amazing.” She took a bite and moaned.
Nick leaned back against a bale of hay and crossed his legs. How could he not just watch and enjoy? He couldn’t take his eyes off those luscious lips. He remembered when it was him that she had taken in her mouth. The feel of her tongue swirling around him had been sweet torture. The thought had him growing within his jeans, and he needed to adjust his position before it became uncomfortable.
Becca opened her lids and cocked her head at him. “What? Have you tried some yet? Don’t judge until you do.”
He laughed when she waved her drumstick at him. “I think I can be perfectly content just sitting here watching you eat. Can you moan again? That’s my favorite part.”
She shrugged. “Ok by me. You watch, and I’ll eat. But don’t blame me if you have to find a wheelbarrow to get me out of here after I polish off all the chicken myself.”
Nick threw his head back and laughed again. It felt good to laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he truly enjoyed himself. Instead of feeling weighted down, he felt lighthearted and free. He shook his head. Maybe she really was an angel.
Sitting forward, he grabbed a piece for himself. “Oh, no you don’t. The wheelbarrow is reserved for after I get you sloppy drunk and take advantage of you.”
Becca lifted an eyebrow. “Are you being arrogant or hopeful?”
Nick smiled at her use of the question from the party and returned with the same answer.. “Both.”
At least he was being honest. Just because he wanted more than a quick roll in the hay, didn’t mean he wouldn’t take advantage of the bales littering the barn if the opportunity arose.
They continued to eat while talking about their likes and dislikes. Nick discovered they enjoyed the same types of music, foods and even movies. He was pleasantly surprised that her favorite meal was pizza. He had expected something like lobster or even worse. One girl he’d met actually said she could live on caviar. Who in their right mind would want to live on fish eggs?
She was nothing like the women he was accustomed to meeting. Hell, the models he had been with didn’t eat. They would just push their food around their plates. Becca was different. She wasn’t afraid to be her own person and didn’t live by the expectations of others. She was a simple down-to-earth woman who enjoyed simple things. He was captivated by her, and the more he learned the more he wanted to know.
Nick refilled their wine and moved to recline on his side. They had since cleaned up and left just their glasses after dinner. He bent his elbow and rested his head on his hand. “I’m assuming your favorite flower is a white rose considering they were in the bakery and pictured on the logo.”
Becca reclined on her side to face him. “They were my mother’s favorite. Sh
e grew them in our garden and always seemed to have them around the house.” She shrugged. “I guess they became my favorite because of that. They remind me of her.”
“You were close to her.”
Becca nodded and looked down to absently pick at threads of the blanket. “I miss her. It’s been almost a year since she passed away. She spent years in a wheelchair and was then diagnosed with cancer. Even with all the obstacles she faced, she never stopped seeing the good in life and greeted each day as if it was a gift. She could always get me to laugh, especially the times I seemed to forget how. My mom was the strongest woman I’ve ever known.”
Becca had grown silent, and Nick wasn’t sure if she would continue or if he wanted her to go on. A weight settled on his chest when he heard the sadness in her voice, and he was struggling with what to say to her when she took a breath and continued.
“In my junior year of college, I had come home for spring break. My parents wanted to take me somewhere special, and we decided on a show in the city. I always loved musicals, and after seeing one I would sing the tunes all the way home.”
She glanced up. “Can you imagine a two hour drive with only show tunes being sung from the backseat? You would think they would have turned up the radio or invested in ear plugs. Instead my mom would sing with me while my dad would cheer us on and ask for more.”
Becca moved her head back down to focus on the blanket. “It was the night of the show, and of course, I wasn’t ready on time. I swear always being late is hardwired into my DNA. We were going to miss the opening, and I suggested we go see the Spring Concert at the university’s satellite campus about an hour from home.”
Nick’s heart ached for Becca. He knew what had happened next. A part of him felt guilty for not stopping her from reliving that night while another selfish part of him wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss the memories away until only thoughts of him remained.