“Maybe it has nothing to do with respecting her.” He falls to the mattress beside me, staring at the ceiling. “She’s gone, and there isn’t a day that passes that I don’t think about her.” He turns his head towards me. “But with you, I finally feel free from the hurt I’ve been holding on to. It's like I’ve been held under the water, gasping for a breath, and you came along and lifted all that weight.”
I’ve always understood he would move on from losing Mia at some point. I suppose I’d never thought I’d be the one he’d be doing it with.
His mouth tilts in the kind of grin that makes girls brain dead. I shove on his chest. “Will you stop it?”
“Stop what?” The grin deepens. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
“That”— I point— “right there. That stupid, cute smile.” His tongue peeks out of his mouth, licking the corner of his lips, and I bite down on mine. Never in my life has anyone made me so frustrated.
“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” He rolls onto his side, using his bicep as a pillow. His fingers play with the hair around my face, and everything inside of me softens. The worries that accompany him and me are instantly gone. His other hand wraps around my hips, rolling me over to face him. “What else can I do to frustrate you, huh?”
His fingers spread wide over my hips, inching my shirt up until there’s full contact with my skin. In small circles, he rubs his thumbs over me. Not able to look him in the eyes, mine flutter shut, focusing on the way he touches me. My skin heats up, and the breaths I take become shallow. The bed dips, and he moves closer until we are connected toe to chest.
“Open your eyes,” Nick orders.
“I’d rather not,” I whisper, embarrassed by the uncertainty in my voice.
“And why not?” He brushes the pad of his fingers over my eyelids. His touch is so gentle, I barely recognize it.
“If I open my eyes, Nick, you’ll look at me.”
“I’m looking at you now, Hannah.”
“And if I see you looking at me, there will be this inevitable rush, a rush I’m still not certain I’m prepared for.”
“Open your eyes, Hannah,” he demands again.
This time I listen, and I’m pierced by the blue. He leans in, and I place my hand on his chest to stop him.
“On my drive over here, I kept asking myself a million questions.” I sit up, clutching my knees to my chest.
“Like what?” He moves beside me, leaning against the headboard.
Why does he have to look so damn hot? His jaw ticks while he patiently waits for me to say something, anything, but no words come to mind.
“Just kiss me once, and then we’ll talk.” I move to my knees and nearly moan when Nick grabs the side of my face, slipping his fingers into my hair.
The kiss is quick. Too quick.
“You good now?” Nick says against my lips, smirking through his laughter.
“It’s not funny.” I pull back and smack his chest, smiling at him.
He focuses on my mouth, only making me smile wider. “I can get used to that.”
“You’re distracting, you know that?” I plop beside him, shaking my head.
There is no world I live in where I’d ever think I’d be in Nick Kovac’s bed with him. The way he’s looking at me has me forgetting my left from my right, completely stunned by the affection in his eyes.
“What do you want to know?” he says. “Do the wheels in that pretty head ever stop turning?”
“I may be overthinking this,” I blurt. “I mean, my worry is I’ll overthink this and screw it up before it’s even anything.”
“I like you, Hannah, and if I were to guess, you like me, too.”
“It’s not that easy, and you know it.”
How naïve of him. It will never be that simple when it comes to me and him.
Chapter Twelve
Nick
“You’re right, it’s not that easy, but you know what is?” I say, not giving her another moment to freak out more than she already is.
Hannah shifts away from me, already knowing what’s coming.
“Nick.” Her voice is stern but sexy. That won’t work well in her favor.
“Touching you is easy.” I glide my hand down her arm. Her coy look makes me laugh. Like she doesn’t know exactly what I mean. “Talking to you is pretty easy, too.”
“Oh, yeah?” She leans forward, a little more interested in what I’m saying. “What else is easy?”
“Kissing you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t think too hard about it. It’s something I decided I wanted to do one day. Probably because you like to bite the corner of your lip, kind of like you’re doing right now. It’s impossible to ignore.”
“I don’t do that.” Hannah covers her mouth.
Like I didn’t already see.
Like I don’t always see it.
“You do.” I pull her hand away, and there it is, perfectly tucked between her teeth. “I notice everything about you, Hannah.”
“Okay, you need to stop.” She scurries off my bed and paces at the foot. “We should talk, right?”
I crawl to the end, and reach out, wrapping her hands in mine. “What do you want to talk about? You want to know what happens next? I can’t tell you that. Do you want to walk out of this room, holding hands and not keep us hidden?” I raise an eyebrow, already knowing her answer. “I didn’t think so, so you tell me what you need from me.”
“Do you even know what this is, Nick?” She pulls her hands away, and I groan, falling back onto the mattress. “I didn’t think so.”
“Will you quit worrying? I’ve spent the last year worrying about everything. Do you know what that’s like, to constantly have your mind consumed by one thing? Because I do, and it got me nowhere. How many times do I have to tell you, when you’re around, it feels right, and I’m not willing to give that up because you can’t stop worrying.”
“I don’t know what to say.” She throws her hands up, pacing back and forth. Her bottom lip quivers. I can think of one way we could stop that, but I resist, watching her while she works through whatever it is. She needs to figure it out in her own head.
Knowing what I want is easy. She’s standing right in front of me.
“We can stop this right now, Hannah, if that’s what you want. We can go back to being friends.” I stand and walk to the door, opening it. “You can stay, or you can go, but dammit, I’d really like you to stay.”
Hannah’s hand glides over the wood of my bed. Damn, can she move any slower? Is she trying to torture me? She contemplates her next move in a way that has my stomach tightening.
Her tongue pokes out, wetting the curve of her lip. She stares at her feet, taking her time to get to me. Our eyes lock when she boldly looks at me. A storm starts to brew between us.
Electricity crackles, and thunder awakens us both.
“You coming or going, Hannah Barnes?” I swing the door open further.
She stops in front of me and smirks. I lean forward, expecting her to kiss me, but there are no lips there. She ducks under my arm and out into the hallway with a slow giggle.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I reach out, wrapping my arm around her waist, and tug her back into my room.
“You can’t just manhandle me, Nicholas Kovac.” She twists to face me, and I lock my hands behind her back. Playful Hannah is something I can work with.
“You have no idea what I can do.” I walk forward, forcing her backwards onto my bed. Her shirt rides up, exposing her perfect creamy skin. I bend down and kiss the bone right above her hip. She shivers, moving my lips closer to another patch of skin.
“Nick.” She breathes my name, and it does something crazy inside of me.
I lift her shirt, exposing more of her, stopping at the bottom of her bra. Her hands find a home in my hair, and she moans from the small swipe of my lips against her stomach.
“You pulling on my hair only eggs me on further.” I pull away from h
er skin, missing the contact between us.
“Keep going,” she whimpers.
I look up at her, melting away what’s left of her resolve.
“I thought you wanted to talk?” I smirk, toying with her.
Not allowing her a chance to second-guess, I cover her body with mine and press my open lips over hers, exploring her tongue with mine. She grips the back of my neck and tightens our hold on each other. My hand skims around her back, and I fall between her legs. She squirms and reaches between our bodies, stroking me through my gym shorts.
“Nick,” she whispers.
A sense of urgency drives my dick forward.
“I can get used to you saying my name like that.” I kiss along her cheek and down her jaw, growing harder from her touch. She squirms again, like she can’t sit still. “Hannah, do you need something?”
“It’s been awhile since...”
“Spit it out, sweetheart. If you’re in need of something, you have to ask for it.” I know what she wants, but I’d really enjoy hearing her ask for herself.
Holy shit! She’s hot as hell underneath me. Like an act of the gods, I don’t move, reveling in the way she puffs her chest up underneath me, silently begging me to do what she needs. I won’t. She’ll need to ask nicely first.
“You think you’re so cute, don’t you?” She lifts up to kiss me, but I draw back, holding myself above her.
“If you want something, I’m going to need you to ask.” I lower myself, grazing my nose along the edge of hers. A sheet of goose bumps covers her skin.
“Shut the door.” Hannah leans back on her elbows, a sinful smile nearly blinding me as I scoot off her to do as she asks.
With my back against the door, I watch her, taking everything in that’s in front of me. The way her hair falls against her shoulder blades, and how one glance from her makes me feel untamed, like I’ve never touched another girl in my life.
It’s never felt like this. My physical relationship with Mia took time, and when we were together, every touch had been filled with this undeniable affection. I loved her more than anything. I had always thought that was how it was supposed to be. Sweet and subtle.
Now, with Hannah, looking at me like I’ve already made her come twice, I’m wondering if I’ve missed out on the unbearable want, I’m feeling right now. Every inch of her deserves to be touched, and I’d give anything to be the one doing the exploring.
Hannah nibbles on her lip, and I step forward, but instantly freeze when she sits up, crossing her legs in front of her, and pulls her top over her head. She tosses it, and it lands at my feet.
“What’s it going to be, Hannah? You going to use words to tell me what you want, or have me stand here all day with a rock-hard dick?” I bite down on my tongue when her eyes slowly assess me, landing right on the bulge in my shorts. There’s no hiding it.
She stands from the bed, wearing nothing but her white, lace bra and leggings. They hang low on her hips, giving me a perfect image of the bones jutting out. Hannah’s skinny, but not frail. She has the perfect amount of curve, a little something worthy of holding on to, and the best tits I’ve seen on a seventeen-year-old girl. Perky and round, begging me to—
When she reaches past me and locks my door, my thought is cut short. I’m pulled to the bed, and Hannah falls back down on my mattress, looking every bit a wet dream. One leg at a time, I crawl onto the bed with her. Up on my knees, I look down, grabbing my phone from the nightstand, and push Play. A soft song filters through the room, and she smiles, happy with my choice.
“Get rid of my pants,” she demands.
I do as she says. The sight of her black lace panties has me pausing. She wiggles her hips, encouraging me out of the fog in my head. As I pull the denim down her lean legs, she gazes at me, eager as hell. She has never been hotter.
“I’m going to fuck you one day, Hannah, but not today.” I brush the hair away from her face. Her eyebrows scrunch together. A cute confusion sets in. “Because when I do, you won’t be able to control yourself.” I kiss along the strap of her bra and up onto her neck. Lavender and vanilla may be my new favorite scent. “You smell so damn good.”
I pull back and find Hannah’s eyes shut. Her chest lifts and falls like a good song, rising in parts and calming in others. I cover her heart like she did that first day in my basement, the moment it changed for us. She covers mine with hers, guiding it down her chest, over her stomach, stalling once the lace tickles my fingertips.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been with anyone,” Hannah blurts.
“Good.” I rest back a little, keeping my hand tight against her skin. This possessive feeling I’m experiencing is new. The idea of anyone else touching her infuriates me.
“You’ve come before, though, right?” I cross my fingers, praying to any god who wouldn’t hold it against me, that she hasn’t. That’s a gift I’d like to repeatedly give her.
“What does this look like, amateur hour?” she scoffs, licking her bottom lip. “Yes, Nick, but only by myself.”
“Would you like to help?” My dick grows harder at the thought of seeing her small hand touching herself.
“Let’s see if you can swim on your own first.”
At the thought of touching her, my eyes can’t stop from skimming down her body until they land on the lace kissing the highest part of her thigh. I slip my fingers into her panties, burning a path until I hit the bare skin hidden away. She’s smooth.
“It’s fun and all to splash around in the shallow end, but it’s much warmer in the deep end.”
At her words, I plunge my finger into her pussy. Her body bucks wildly from the sensation.
She wasn’t lying. It’s warm and welcoming as hell. All I can imagine is sinking my cock into her. My eyes skim her body and find her eyes shut again. She’s panting with every tug and push of my finger. My thumb circles her clit, and she bucks even more.
“Fuck this!” I climb off the bed, fall to my knees, and wrap my arms on the outside of her legs. With one quick tug, her ass is to the end of the mattress. She sits up, staring down at me to see what I’ll do next. Softly, I hook my fingers through each side of her panties and draw them down her legs. “Jesus Christ!”
“You going to stare at it or eat it?” Hannah runs her tongue along the inside of her cheek, popping it out just enough to show me she’s ready.
I groan, more than happy to give this girl what she wants. I dip between her thighs, and she lets out this cute giggle at the first swipe of my tongue. Her fingers skim through my hair, tugging on the ends. She lifts her knees, and I hold tight to her thighs.
“A little to the left,” Hannah says through a sweet moan.
I lift my head and smirk. “You’re bossy in and out of my bedroom.” This earns me an angry groan and a forceful hand on my head, pushing me back to the Promised Land.
Working her over with my tongue, I slip a finger deep inside her, caressing her until she’s panting. Her moans grow louder and louder. Blindly, I reach for the speaker and crank the volume to mask her pleasure. Her body vibrates when I suck on her clit, which only makes me lap her up quicker. She grips tightly to the sheets, pulling them close to her body.
“Fuck! Me!” Hannah gasps, sitting up and looking down at me. The way she stretches out her excitement with two small words brings out an animal inside of me.
“Trust me, I plan on it.” I crawl up the bed, laying her back down, and kiss her. She doesn’t wrench away like I expect her to. Instead, the taste of her on my tongue draws her in further towards me.
“I’ve never done that before,” I say, backing away, waiting to see her reaction.
A satisfied light comes into her eyes. “If I had to guess, you do that”—she points down— “as a hobby.”
I stare at her until I can’t take it anymore, letting out a loud, proud laugh. “Good to know.”
“I don’t think you understand.” There’s a teasing laughter in her eyes I love to see. “Now that I know
what this can do”— she kisses me, pulling away far too soon— “I’m going to be giving your mouth much needed exercise.”
Hannah boldly pushes on my chest, forcing me to lie down. She creates a trail of kisses across my chest, swooping her tongue over one of my nipples. I’m shocked to feel a spark ignite from the sensation. She grazes her tongue over my abs, and warmth pools in my stomach, needy for her to move lower.
With hooded eyes, she peeks at me through her eyelashes, lowering my shorts. I spring free, and her hand wraps around the base of my dick. At the first upward tug, I lift up on my elbows, too happy to watch as her mouth covers the tip.
Her tongue loops around the head of my dick, and I swear I’m seconds away from coming. My hand reaches between her legs, and like they belong, I run my fingers over her bare center. Her moan vibrates through her tongue.
“Holy fuck,” I whisper, resting my hand on the back of her head.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Why’s your door locked, man?” Kellan’s voice startles us apart.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Hannah says, searching the floor for her panties.
I’m holding them on the tip of my finger, swinging them back and forth, already having jerked on my pants. She snatches them from me and slides them up her legs, leaning on the side of the mattress for support.
“Hold on, man.” I kick my briefs under the mattress.
Hannah stands in the middle of my room, her arms out to her sides, wearing nothing but her bra and panties. “What are we going to do?”
“You need to get some clothes on.” My eyes skim her body, marveling at how impeccable she is.
“And you need to conceal that wood you’re packing in your gym shorts.” She bends down, checking me out, and picks up her jeans and shirt, pulling them on as I tug a shirt over my head and open the door.
Kellan leans against the doorframe. “What are you doing?” He spots Hannah sitting at my computer desk and looks at me through narrowed eyes.
Under a Different Sky Page 14