Noah leaned forward and saw a black and gold square stuffed inside the lipstick-dotted glass. “Is that a—”
“Condom wrapper? Yes. And if you look over here…”
She directed his gaze to a plate covered in shepherd’s pie guts. He turned his head sideways and started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. It was that or puke. “Oh, fuck off.”
“I know!” Nicole was giggling hard and fast, a chipmunk on speed. “I always knew he was gross but that’s—”
“Disgusting.”
His revulsion only made her laugh harder. She threw back her blue-black hair and lost herself to giggles. He watched as she gripped the kitchen bench for support. Her hand was so close to the used condom, he couldn’t stand it. He strode over and picked her up.
“Where. Are. You. Going?” Nicole gasped, her body convulsing in his arms.
“Leaving. Right now.”
He carried her out of the house, placed her beside his van. She was still laughing and he had to wait a whole minute before asking, “How you feeling?”
Nicole wiped her eyes. “Good. Happy.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I can’t think of a better metaphor for Aaron than what’s in there.” She waved at the house. “That’s what he’s like, all this nice stuff covered in…”
“Shit?”
She grinned. “Yes. But I was the only one who ever saw it, and I never had any proof to show anyone. Even myself. After he did something mean I’d question my judgement because I know I can be uptight and oversensitive. I never believed that he could be the problem because he always looks so good and knows what to say.”
She gave a giddy, guilty laugh. Noah stayed silent. It was that or asking for her ex’s car registration and calling in some old favours. Risk his good behaviour bond for the first time in years.
She was looking at him, waiting for him to say something. He needed to talk, but he had no idea how to put across the knotty tangle of his feelings in a way that made sense. This was the stuff of paintings; aubergine for anger, aquamarine for relief, rose gold because she was rose gold.
Her ex had been a dumb cunt to buy her a silver watch. She wasn’t silver, just like she wasn’t uptight or oversensitive. She was warm and bright, supple and strong. She glowed from the inside. She was rose gold. He opened his mouth and choked. Again. He cleared his throat. “What now? You want to get your stuff?”
Nicole blinked. “Oh, um, yeah. Sure.”
Idiot. He was an idiot. What the fuck was wrong with him? She was pouring her heart out and all he could do was nothing. Worse than nothing. Change the subject. But then what did he expect? He looked back at the house. “Where do you wanna start?”
“Upstairs, I guess.” Nicole pressed her lips together. “Oh no….”
“What?”
“I just realised I didn’t bring anything to take my stuff in. God, I’m stupid.”
Thank fuck, a chance to redeem himself. “I’ve got boxes.”
“You, what?”
“I brought boxes. I had a few lying around the house because of—”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Nicole ran at him and threw herself into his arms. It was quite a jump; for a second she clung to him like a koala. He dropped his cigarettes to stop her from slipping. “Nikki.”
“Sorry,” she said, still hugging him hard. “You’re just so, so nice.”
Christ, she even smelled like rose gold, like fresh bread and sunshine. His heart started going like a bass guitar. “They’re fucking boxes.”
“No, it’s more than that.”
Then she kissed him like it was nothing. Bliss numbed his brain. He cupped the back of her head and tasted rose gold, felt it welling up in his own chest, like maybe he had it in him, too.
“I’m so attracted to you,” she mumbled, but he didn’t reply. He didn’t need to talk when he could show, and he could show her right now. He was just starting to get some tongue happening when he heard a car pulling up nearby.
Nicole tore her mouth from his. “Oh no.”
They both looked at the driver, but it wasn’t her ex. A middle-aged woman pulled up next door and was staring at them through her windscreen.
“Who’s that?”
A blush spread across Nicole’s cheeks. “Mrs Harris.”
“She looks pissed.”
“We are making out in public.”
“Private property.”
“I don’t think she appreciates the distinction.”
Nicole shifted and, reluctantly, Noah let go of her ass, letting her slip back onto her feet. “Want me to get the boxes out?”
“Yes, please.”
They headed back into the house. He trailed Nicole through her kitchen, holding a box, breathing through his mouth to escape the smell. Nicole avoided the mess as best she could as she collected a crystal clock, a ballerina figurine and a space age potato peeler.
“It’s the best one I’ve ever found,” she explained when she caught him looking at her funny. “No way can Aaron keep it.”
“No objection here.”
He waited for her to collect more things, but Nicole clapped her hands. “Okay, that’s all for this floor, should we head upstairs?”
“You sure you don’t want the plates or glasses or anything?”
“No, he can keep it all. They’re disgusting.”
He frowned. Despite the grot, they looked expensive and he’d bet his left nut Aaron hadn’t picked out or paid for them. “I can wash them while you do upstairs?”
She stared at him, her eyes so wide, there was more white than blue. “You’d do that?”
“I don’t want to do it.”
“But you would. You’d wash all this gross stuff for me?”
“Uh, yeah?”
Pink stained her cheeks and the way she was looking at him made him wish he wasn’t holding the box. “You’re not gonna jump again? I might break your clock.”
She smiled but her eyes were bright. “I’m going to go upstairs and empty out my wardrobe. Can you meet me with a new box?”
“Sure. I’ll have a smoke and head up.”
He headed outside and saw Nicole’s blonde neighbour was still in her car. She got out when she saw him, unlocking the doors so two kids burst from the back, shrieking and shouting.
“Come and get your things,” she called. The kids ignored her, rushing over to the fence.
“Who’s that?” one asked, loud enough to let him know he could answer himself. Noah opened his mouth but blonde mum beat him to it.
“Kids, get away from the fence!”
“But, Mum!”
“I mean it!”
She hustled her brood away from him and if looks could give cancer, she’d be a bigger health risk than durries. He gave her a wave, hoping to smooth things over, and pure fear washed over her features. She practically shoved her kids into the house, casting terrified looks behind her the whole time.
“Fuck.”
He’d been in Brunswick too long, he’d forgotten how white bread the burbs could be. Probably thought he was Nicole’s bad news side-piece. Mrs Harris’ curtains twitched. He sighed and lit up, thoughts of the condom crusted plate flashing through his mind. He bet Mrs Harris smiled and waved when she saw Nicole’s ex. It wasn’t fair. Yeah, he had tatts and a criminal record, but he’d never left a used dinger on a plate.
He smoked his cigarette to the filter, waiting for Mrs Harris to quit spying on him. She didn’t. Either that or her curtains were full of mice. He had a feeling if he didn’t get out of her eye line soon, the cops would be called.
“Welcome to the neighbourhood,” he muttered, flicking his butt on the lawn and heading to the van. He grabbed another box and headed inside and up the stairs. The off-white carpet was dotted with crumbs and streaks of black polish. God, Nicole’s ex was one feral asshole.
“Hey,” Nicole called. “I’m almost done!”
He followed the sound of her voice, nudging the
furthest door from the staircase open. Nicole was standing over the bed arranging glittering dresses inside what looked like a big sports bag. “I forgot I had this! Helpful, huh?”
Noah grunted, taking in her old bedroom. It wasn’t too bad. There were hardly any personal touches. If it wasn’t covered in coffee cups, dirty clothes and electronic cords, it would have looked like a hotel room. “Your ex been redecorating in here, too?”
“Yeah, sorry. He’s so gross.” Nicole sounded satisfied. “Why didn’t he hire a cleaner? He can afford it.”
But Noah had known men with her ex’s attitude his whole life. The kind who wouldn’t wipe his arse if he could get his missus to do it. “Too lazy.”
“True,” Nicole said cheerfully. “But that’s not my problem anymore.”
There was a small painting hanging over the dresser. He put down the empty box and examined it. It was an owl flying into a snowstorm. It was a pretty thing, the snow fluffy owl was cruel-beaked and proud. The brushwork around the wings was a bit sloppy, but there was life there. Beauty.
Nicole got up and stood beside him. “I got it at a charity auction and I just fell in love with it.”
“It’s good.”
“I was worried you’d think it’s tacky.”
“Why?”
“Because you have such good taste.” She hesitated. “And because Aaron thought it was tacky.”
“I don’t think Aaron’s in a position to call anything tacky ever again.”
She laughed; a high, happy laugh, and he saw rose gold. She was so sweet, so fucking lovely. They looked at each other for a beat too long and Nicole cleared her throat. “I’ve filled the bag, could you maybe take it downstairs and I’ll start on the box?”
“No problem.”
I can’t, he thought, descending the grimy stairs. I can’t fuck her in her ex’s bed, that’d make me as big a prick as he is.
But he was hard against his thigh, his head full of how she’d looked and felt the first and last time they’d fucked. Even the sight of Mrs Harris posted behind her curtains wasn’t enough to put him off. If anything, it made him want to do it more. Fuck this uptight crusty house and this uptight crusty neighbourhood, if she was down, he was down.
When he returned to Nicole’s bedroom, sex didn’t seem to be on her mind. She was deep in a dresser drawer, piling old receipts on the floor.
“I should have filed this ages ago,” she muttered. “I can claim loads of stuff in here.”
“There something else I can do?”
“No, I’m almost done. See what I did with Aaron’s stuff?”
Noah looked around. A big pile of clothes, books, the duvet and bed sheets, and a tonne of miscellaneous trash had been humped into the far corner of the room. “Wanna burn it?”
She laughed. “Kind of, but it’s not worth it. Aaron’ll just think I did it because I still love him, and I don’t need that.”
He watched her pile the receipts into a shoebox, around a pair of sparkly heels. “They’re sexy.”
“Oh! Thanks! I’ve never had a guy be nice about my shoes before.”
He nodded, hating her ex some more. “Want me to take the boxes out to the car?”
“I guess, but I have no idea where I’ll put all my clothes and stuff in Brunswick. With all three of us home, there’s hardly any space.”
“What about at my place? It’s not far from yours and I’ve got a spare bedroom now Paula’s gone.”
She beamed at him. “Oh, that would be amazing! Thank you.”
There was another hot moment, both staring, neither of them talking. A bolt shot through him—her nipples were pushing against her t-shirt. His hands became loose fists. He wanted to suck them more than he wanted his next cigarette, his next breath. She stood, a little unsteady on her feet, and pulled out one of the top dresser drawers, walking to her bed.
“I’ve kind of forgotten what’s in here, actually.” She upturned the drawer and colourful stripes spilled across the mattress. “Oh, um…”
She’d just tipped a rainbow of lingerie onto the bed; silk thongs, garter belts and bras. Filmy, frothy shit that would look incredible on her. She glanced up at him, a flash of faux-shocked eyes. She was hoping he’d do something about it. Well, she’d come to the right place. In this pretty, ugly house full of expensive bullshit and filth, he was going to fuck her like they just invented fucking.
Nicole was gathering up her tiny panties like autumn leaves. He didn’t remember crossing the room, it happened like a cutaway in a movie. One minute he was near the door, the next he’d snatched her up. She tilted her mouth to him, offering, and he took it without question. The kiss was like melting into springtime snow. “I like all that silky shit.”
Nicole’s lips were red with kissing. She looked more like an elf princess than ever. “Really?”
“If I could take my hands off you, I’d ask you to try them on.”
She kissed him again. Her mouth was hungry, desperate, demanding to be taken out of her head and into pleasure. For the second time that day, he conceded. Only this time he didn’t have the willpower to play games. He grabbed her ass and hauled her up against him. She moaned, wrapping her legs around his back. “Noah.”
God, the way she said his name in that bratty, urgent whine. He cupped her right tit, pinching her nipple. “Yes, baby?”
The blue of her eyes shrank as her pupils blew outward. “Do me again, please? Do me like you did before?”
The longing in her voice made his cock throb. She wanted to fuck him in her ex’s bedroom. The dirtiness of the request transmuted his fear that he was exactly what was spray painted on his front door. What was the point of being a big, ugly bastard who scared people if you didn’t occasionally get a transgressive fuck out of it?
“What was it like before?” he asked.
“Hard. Mean.”
A sinking sensation. Concrete. Swamp water. It shouldn’t have been so shitty—knowing she felt about him the way he did. That the thrill factor, and the fact he owned a van were the only reasons they were here. But it was, and it pissed him off.
“Noah?”
He turned Nicole around and pushed her into her rainbow lingerie. “I can do whatever I want. You’d better do what I want, too.”
“I will.” She slid out of her shorts to expose a soft blue thong that framed her ass like a dream. “Please hurry—he might come home.”
He reached down, yanking off Nicole’s t-shirt and unsnapping her bra.
“Noah!”
He pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Get your panties off now.”
She pulled down her underwear, exposing the perfect peach slice of her pussy. She was wet. The smell of her called to him in a way that made him dizzy. He unbuttoned his jeans, dropping them to the floor, and pulled his cock from his briefs. He was fully hard and a single stroke had him pushed to the edge.
“Noah?”
“Yes, baby?” He reached between Nicole’s legs. She was soaked, and when he slid his fingers inside her, she shrieked like a whirlwind. “You want more?”
She nodded frantically.
“Okay,” he said, withdrawing from her. “You’ll get your fast fuck, but because I want it, not because of your ex. You’ve got some nerve talking to me about him when I’ve got my hands on you.”
“I’m sorry, but Aaron—oh!”
He spanked her ass, not at full-force, but not gentle, either. He spanked her again on the right side, eliciting a half-aroused, half-humiliated scream.
“What are you doing?”
He pushed his fingers through her hair, bunching the silken strands like rope. “You mention that asshole while I’m touching you, you’ll get it twice as hard. Understood?”
She nodded, spreading her legs wider, clearly so horny, she’d agree to anything. He reached for his jeans and his wallet when he saw something that changed his mind. She was still wearing the watch, that silver fucking watch. “Give me your left hand.”
She rais
ed it at once, watch flashing in the afternoon sun. He turned her wrist over and flicked the catch.
“What are you doing?”
He pulled the watch away. “It’s his. You’re not wearing it while I fuck you.”
The watch slid away like a shiny dead snake. He tossed it into the pile of her ex’s shit and looked for her tattoo. He couldn’t see it. Nicole had snatched her hand away, covering her wrist with her other hand. “You’ve already fucked me with the watch on.”
“You think that’s helpful?” Noah spanked her again. “You’re done, Nikki. He’s fucking history. Get rid of your tattoo, buy another watch to cover it up, just don’t wear his shit while I fuck you.”
She turned to face him, her cheeks as red as her ass. “Why do you even care?”
A thousand answers hovered; he ignored all of them. “Spread your legs.”
She did what she was told, arching her back. Her right hand was still cupping her wrist though, concealing the daisy chain. Fine, let her have her secrets.
He reached for his jeans. His blood felt hot, too hot. Too long had passed since they’d done this. He’d wanted to eat her out, show her he could do more than fuck fast and hard. He slid two fingers inside her and she rode him like a cowgirl, pumping back on his fingers. Blood pounded in his ears and cock. He pushed up into her, his mind blank, his body beyond ready.
“Do me, Noah. Please?”
He worked his fingers inside her but she shook her head.
“Your cock. Please?”
Fuck, she was so goddamn needy. He wasn’t going to give in.
“Please?” she said again. “Please?”
His head spinning, he pulled away from her. He gave himself a second to admire her, long-legged and bent over, before lowering his mouth to her cunt. He’d make her come that way, grinding on his face the way she had on his fingers.
Nicole reached back, grabbed his shoulder. “No.”
“Don’t want your pussy licked?”
She pulled him closer. Her pussy pressed up against his bare cock and she smiled. “I want you to do me like last time.”
The memories almost had him bite through his tongue. He reached for his jeans and swore. “No condom.” He’d considered slipping one into his pocket but that felt fucking presumptuous. Now they were screwed. “Do you have any?”
So Steady: Silver Daughters Ink, Book Two (Silver Daughters Ink Book Two) Page 18