“But I thought…that is, I mean,” she stammers, a light blush covering her face. I lean down and kiss the freckles that dust her nose and feel her shiver at my touch. Good to know I’m not the only one affected by our nearness.
“No other way to say it than bluntly…I don’t date, I find someone for what I need and move on.”
“Are you saying you hit it and quit it?”
Her words cause me to chuckle. “Yeah, baby, pretty much. But there’s a reason why I don’t…or rather why I wasn’t doing relationships. I met Piper when we were juniors in high school and fell hard for her. She was a tiny thing, not as petite as you are, but still, she had pretty much every guy’s tongue hanging out. We started out as partners on a project and soon we were dating exclusively. I, of course, thought she was the one and had already planned our future together. I’d go into the military and she’d follow along wherever I was stationed.”
“What happened?” she asks when I go silent.
“It was about a month before we graduated and she found out she was pregnant. Our parents were fit to be tied but I was ecstatic and figured we would get married before I went off to basic so she would be on my insurance. We…we were supposed to go out that Friday night but she texted me to tell me that she was sick. She hadn’t been at school that day, so I believed what she said, no questions asked. When I did ask if she wanted me to bring her anything, she told me no. She avoided my calls all weekend and stopped answering my texts. Monday came and she wasn’t in school. Same with Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday, I was frantic, thinking something was really wrong especially when she walked in and I saw how pale she was. She avoided me, which wasn’t easy in our small school, but I finally cornered her. That’s when she told me that she wasn’t ready to be a mom and she had gone in that past Friday and ‘taken care of the problem’. Shayla, she wouldn’t even look at me when she told me she killed our child. She said she didn’t want to see me any more and tossed my letterman’s jacket in front of me. I left school and went home, completely shattered. Somehow, and I still don’t know how, my folks got the school to believe that I had mono or some shit and I ended up finishing my senior year from home. I picked up my diploma from the office, not bothering with graduation, and a month later, headed off to basic training. She was the last person I had a relationship with.”
Her quiet sobs have me pulling her closer. “Shhh, baby, it was a long time ago.”
“How…how could she have done that though? I mean, the circumstances behind Amelia being conceived were less than perfect, but that never crossed my mind. Ever.”
“I don’t know, to be honest. I haven’t spoken to her since that day. She still lives in town and I’m sure my folks have seen her, but if they have, they’ve never said a word. But that experience caused me to have trust issues.”
“How am I different? I don’t understand, Nick.”
“There’s something inside of you that calls to me, sweetheart. Knowing that I didn’t completely understand your situation at the time but seeing how you were doing everything you could for your child is another reason.”
I take a few seconds to wipe the tears from her face before I lean in and kiss her. It’s not a passionate kiss, but there’s so much promise behind it that something deep inside that I thought was broken feels like it’s been knit back together. When I finally pull back, I see the wonder in her eyes and realize that I’m likely the first man who’s ever shown her any genuine care and concern and I vow then that I’ll be the only man.
“I’ve never been in a relationship,” she whispers, “so I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong but you and all of this? It feels right somehow.”
“For me too.” Retelling that hell has me feeling depleted and I pop the leg up so I can stretch out, pulling her into my side. “Let’s just curl up for a bit, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I hold her close as she drifts off, her small sighs doing something I don’t want to examine too close. Leaning closer, I kiss her head and whisper, “No clue where this is leading, but I’m along for the ride.”
Shayla
I could get used to this. Waking up cocooned in the warmth of Nick’s arms, feeling things I don’t understand, I wish I wasn’t so damn naïve about stuff. Seeing that it’s gotten later in the day, I ease away from him, my face flaming when I realize I’ve thrown my leg over him and there’s a part that’s very much awake. “Where are you going?” he asks, his arms tightening a bit.
“Need to stir the soup,” I reply, my face flaming as I realize just how cozy I’ve gotten while we slept. Now anxious to move, I pull my leg back and at his groan, realize I’ve accidentally kneed him. “Shit! Nick, I’m so sorry!” I quickly maneuver out of the chair not looking at the man whose dick I just crushed.
“I’ll be okay.” His voice sounds strangled and both hands are now clasped protectively at his groin, his head thrown back in agony.
I hurry into the kitchen and stir the soup, then to keep my hands busy, I pull out the stuff to make drop biscuits. Anything to stave off my thoughts of how I might have hurt him.
Warm arms encircle me from behind and he says, “I’ll be okay, Shayla. Promise. It’ll work again.” His words cause a small giggle to escape and he chuckles before continuing, “Remind me to never piss you off.”
I’m not sure where the sassiness comes from, but I reply, “I’m sure your mom wants grandkids some day so behave, and it won’t happen again.” He starts tickling me and soon I’m laughing so hard that tears are streaming down my face. I see a look cross his face and before I can say anything, his lips are crashing down on mine.
Heaven. I’m in heaven. I know I’m behind the power ball so to speak when it comes to men, but this one who is holding me so close while his lips and tongue seek to turn me into a pile of goo doesn’t seem to care. Long delicious minutes pass as I give into his kisses and I feel my body responding. When we finally pull apart, we’re both panting for breath as he leans his forehead against mine. “You’re gonna be the death of me,” he murmurs.
“How?” I’m genuinely curious now.
He glances at me and says, “I’m trying to take things slow, keep in mind that all of this is new to you, but damn, when you respond the way you do, that thought wants to fly out the window.” I can feel my face heat up and I studiously avoid looking him in the eye, choosing a spot over his shoulder instead.
“I wish I didn’t feel as backward as I do right now,” I admit. “I’m sure most women wouldn’t have any issues pushing things further,” I start –
“I don’t give two fucks about that, Shayla,” he interrupts. “I just don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for is all.” His words send warmth through me as I realize that he’s not pushing for more. I’m not stupid by any means and know that he’s holding back somewhat and waiting on me. Based on my reaction to his kisses, I don’t think he’ll be waiting as long as he thinks.
“You won’t, Nick. Um, you hungry?” When I see the gleam in his eyes, it dawns on me that my choice of words was not the best. “For food, Nick.”
He nods and pulls away to grab a couple of bowls and soon, we’re back in the living room in front of the kerosene heater eating the soup that’s been simmering all day. “Did your house mother teach you anything else?” he asks as he uses his biscuit to soak up the juices.
“She taught me how to sew and now that I have a place, I want to find a sewing machine so I can make things for Amelia.”
“We’ll go shopping again, baby,” he promises. Once we’re done with dinner, he takes my stuff and heads into the kitchen stating he’ll clean up and I should go get more warm clothes on as the power is still out. I head into the bedroom and dig out my thermal top and bottoms, as well as another pair of sweats, figuring that the layers will help keep me toasty. Once I have my stuff in hand, I go into the bathroom and change before brushing my teeth. A noise has me turning my head to see Nick standing against the door frame,
already changed into a dark blue thermal top and gray sweatpants. “Got another toothbrush?” he asks.
I nod and he steps into the bathroom to take it and proceeds to brush his teeth. I don’t know what to make of his casualness because I’ve never had it, but deep inside, I like it. Taking the pitcher, I fill it up with water from the tub and rinse the sink before handing him the bottle of water I used to swish. “I’ll uh, just go get into bed,” I stammer, a blush creeping up my face.
“You may want socks too, Shay,” he states, glancing at my bare feet.
Nodding, I head back into the bedroom and grab some fuzzy socks. I know how I am and that they’ll end up under the covers but right now, I want toasty feet. The room is cozy, and he’s closed the door to keep the heat from the heater inside. Before he comes back, I crawl into my side of the bed and then realize my heart is pounding.
Nick
I grin at her back as she hurries to leave the bathroom. I know I’m pushing her a bit, but she’ll hopefully soon realize that I’m in this for the long haul and that at some point, we’ll be doing a helluva lot more. As I finish up, an idea comes to mind which has my dick hardening in my sweats. Down, boy. She’s not ready for you to come out and play just yet. As I head back into the bedroom, I note that she’s as far over on ‘her side’ as she can be and still be on the bed. I’m fixing to change that, however, and hope my idea doesn’t blow up in my face.
“You warm enough?” I ask as I crawl under the covers and scoot close to the middle.
“Yeah,” she mumbles, not looking at me.
Reaching out, I pull her close so she’s plastered to my side. “We’ll stay warmer if we cuddle,” I tell her, pulling the blankets up so that she’s fully covered.
“Are you sure you’re not just trying to cop a feel?” she questions, a slight grin on her face.
“Baby, if I wanted to do that, I’d just do it,” I tell her, maneuvering so we’re face-to-face. “You wanna play twenty questions?” I ask.
“What?”
“Well, I’m not really tired, but with it being dark already and no power, there’s not much else to do.” Yet my traitorous dick reminds me, thickening again at the fact she’s in my arms.
“I guess we can. You first.”
“How tall are you?”
“Hmm, I think I’m five-four or five-five,” she replies. I’m nearly six feet six inches, so I pull her closer so our heads are even and realize her feet are slightly below my knees.
“Yeah, that seems about right. Your turn.”
“Did you like being in the military?”
I stop to think about her question. I liked the structure and the order, and of course, working with the dogs, but I hated other aspects. “For the most part, yeah. Taught me how to work with and train animals, which is what I primarily do at the sanctuary.”
“What’s your favorite food?” I ask.
“Anything I don’t have to cook myself,” she states. “I like to cook, but sometimes, I want to have it cooked for me.”
“Makes sense. Guess it’s a good thing I know how to cook, huh?”
Her giggles surround me in the darkness and I can’t help but lean in and kiss her. “Got another game we could play,” I whisper against her lips.
“What’s that? It’s too dark for board games or cards.”
“You ever heard of seven minutes in heaven?” I ask. Smooth, Nick, real smooth.
“No, what is it?” Her innocent question has my brain exploding with thoughts and I spend several moments getting myself back under control.
“Well, teenagers usually play it at co-ed parties. They pick a person and then go off to a quiet place and spend seven minutes making out.”
10
Nick
Long after she falls asleep, I lay there thinking. My ‘idea’ of another game backfired in many ways, even though in the grand scheme of things, we didn’t go as far as my dick wanted.
After the first seven minutes, when she pulled back and was trying to catch her breath, she whispered, “Can we play again?” I lost count of the times I reset the timer on my phone, her soft sighs making me determined to do what I could to give her something she should have gotten growing up. And now, she’s all yours. Yours to teach and yours to take care of. You need to make that claim official with the club as soon as possible.
Fuck. I’m not sure how long I can keep things innocent, especially since the last round, her top had inched its way up and I connected with smooth, soft skin. I felt her nipples pressing against my chest, and it took everything in me not to slide my hand up further and palm her breast.
A raspy sound has me leaning over her. “Shayla?” I murmur. She doesn’t answer so I brush a kiss over her forehead, pulling back when I realize she’s burning up. “Oh, baby,” I mutter, slipping out of the bed and getting dressed. “I need to get us out of here.” Making sure the covers are pulled over her because she’s starting to shiver, I kiss her again and leave the bedroom, using my flashlight app to navigate through to the living room. Grabbing my jacket, I quickly dress and with my keys, I head outside, groaning when I see how deep the snow has gotten.
No help for it, I need to get us to the house and get her seen. I start my truck and grab the shovel to dig out a path. Connecting my Bluetooth, I call my dad and when he answers, say, “Dad, I know it’s late, or early, but Shayla doesn’t sound right. Can Ben get to your place? I’m warming up the truck now but don’t know how bad the roads are so it might take a bit.”
“I’ve got the plow on the front of the truck, I’ll head in that direction,” he replies. I can hear my mom in the background and then hear him tell her to call Riley and see if Ben can come and bring his medical bag.
“See you soon,” I reply before disconnecting the call. Time to get her bundled up and out to their house.
When I go back inside, I quickly shut down the kerosene heaters then nearly have a heart attack when I see that she’s thrown off all the covers and stripped her top off. A faint sheen of perspiration covers her, and I know she’s got a helluva fever going. Despite that, the sight of her plump, full tits has me fighting a raging hard-on.
“C’mon, baby, let’s get you dressed and get some help,” I say, as I maneuver first her thermal top then a sweatshirt over her head. She doesn’t reply, but the raspy sound of her breathing has me moving faster.
Before long, I have her bundled in her comforter, her purse slung over my shoulder as I carry her out to the warming truck. She moans slightly and I whisper, “You’re going to be okay.”
Shayla
God, it’s so hot and I have to pee. My eyes pop open and I realize I’m not in my bedroom. A tug on my arm has me glancing over and I see an IV in my arm. What the hell is going on?
“Shh, you’re okay, baby,” a rumbly voice says in my ear. Turning my head again, I see Nick next to me, his arm thrown over my middle.
“Nick?” Damn, I sound like a frog that’s been gargling glass. “Nick? I need…I need to use the bathroom.”
He all but jumps out of bed and has me scooped up in his arms and in the bathroom before I can process anything. When he doesn’t leave, I clear my throat. At his look, I say, “Uh, I think I have it from here.”
“Who do you think has helped you every other time? Plus, your IV bag has to stay elevated.” Wait, what?
My face burns in embarrassment at the thought that he helped me when I had to go to the bathroom before. “Can I convince you to let me do this alone?” I mutter.
“No, but I’ll turn around.”
“Great, just fabulous.” I see his shoulders shaking in laughter and I would hit him, but my bladder reminds me that there’s a reason I’m in here to begin with. Keeping my eyes averted, I quickly do my thing, wipe and flush before I stand and pull up my sleep pants. Which aren’t mine, either! What the hell happened?
I move to the sink and wash my hands then brush my teeth before I turn to go back into the bedroom, not looking at him once.
&n
bsp; “Shayla, look at me,” he commands as I get back into the bed.
Mutely, I refuse. The embarrassment pouring through me won’t let me look at him. No, I’m praying that the ground opens up and swallows me whole.
I hear him sigh before he says, “I’ll go get you something light to eat and something to drink.” Still not looking at him, I nod and scoot back so I’m sitting against the headboard. He leaves the room and I swallow hard trying not to break down in tears.
Yes, I’m embarrassed, especially about him tending to me in that way. Other than my grandmother when I was a child, I’ve never had anyone care for me like that. It seems so, I don’t know, intimate. At the group home, if we were sick, we had to do it ourselves. Of course, I was never as ill as I apparently was this time, but even still. Knowing that he had to do what he did and we’re not at that point in our relationship? Mortifying. Hell, I don’t think I’ll ever be at that point with anyone, even him.
Nick
As I walk into the kitchen, I’m worried about her reaction. I don’t understand what the big deal about me helping her is all about. She needed help and I was there. Somehow, I’ve upset her, though, and now I need to fix it.
“Shayla okay?” Dad asks from the stove where he’s making breakfast.
“Uh, I don’t know. Think I pissed her off, Dad.”
“She’s been out of it for days. How in the hell did you manage to piss her off?” His confusion is evident in his tone as he turns to look at me.
“I told her that it’s been me taking care of her.”
“Oh, Nicky, you should have realized that the kind of girl she is, she’s not going to understand,” my mom says, coming into the kitchen.
Nick: Black Tuxedos MC Page 7
