She giggles and steps back. “John!”
I reach for her again and she runs away around to the passenger side. I slowly walk towards her. “Nicki, I won’t be able to concentrate on driving if you don’t let me sneak a peek. My imagination will take over.”
She shrieks as I suddenly lunge at her and press her into the side of the truck. She giggles and squirms as I tickle my way up both her thighs.
“People will see,” she warns as I push up her dress.
“There’s no one here, baby. Just us.”
I push her dress all the way up, past her thighs. My cock hardens as I’m treated to the sight of her barely-there bikini bottoms. They’re tied together at her hips by a single elastic thread. There’s a fringe along the waistband. I run my fingers along it and she gasps in surprise. Oh yeah. That’s hot.
“Wow,” I breathe, fixing her dress and stepping back quickly while I can still control myself.
If she were any other girl, I’d have her bent over my truck already.
“You might wanna fix that before we get to your parents’ house,” she says, gazing at me wide-eyed.
I follow her line of sight and see the tent in my board shorts. Shit. “Offering, are you?”
She blushes and looks away. “No,” she mumbles quietly.
I laugh. “I’m just kidding.” I haul open the passenger door. “Get in, cutie.”
She climbs in and I swallow hard as her dress rides up her thighs. I look away quickly, shut the door and walk around to the driver’s door. Damn, taking things slow is gonna be harder than I thought. Down, boy. Down!
Chapter 22
~Nicki~
“They’re too deep, John. These scratches have gone right past the clear coat and the color. It’s right into the primer,” John’s dad, Tom, informs him as he runs his fingers over the scratches all along the driver’s side of the truck.
His arms folded and defensive, John shakes his head and says, “I can fix it well enough for now. A good sander, some heavy-duty compound, a wool pad, polish and paint.”
“Forget it. I’ll take you into the shop today. We’ll get the entire side replaced.”
“Too expensive,” John mutters as he scrutinizes the damage.
“I already told you that I’d give you the money. You know the only thing I won’t finance is that rock ‘n’ roll hobby of yours.”
Uh oh. I actually see John’s shoulders tense at his dad’s words. His back is to me, but I can only imagine the look on his face right now. “Hobby?” he basically spits.
“That’s right. I’m betting it had everything to do with this crass word scratched into the side of your truck now. I’ve told you so many times that that life only leads you into trouble like this, John. If this isn’t a sign to finally give it up, I don’t know what is.”
“This…” John growls. He gestures angrily at the scratches. “…has nothing to do with my music or the band.”
“Like hell it doesn’t.”
“It’s because he protected me!” I cut in before John puts his fist through something.
They both spin around in surprise.
“What happened, Nicki?” Tom asks me, gently.
John shakes his head at me, willing me not to tell him. But I’m not gonna let him take the blame for this.
“A frat guy on campus was bothering me and John stepped in to help me.”
Tom eyes John. “Is this true?”
“Yes,” John grunts.
“And?” Tom presses.
“And what?” John snaps.
“I can see the bruise beneath your sunglasses,” Tom tells him. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed you gritting your teeth every time you move. You fought him, didn’t you? You got into yet another fight.”
John flashes me an I-told-you-so glare. Oops. So, that was why he didn’t want me to tell his dad what had happened. Oh crap.
“You’re not in high school anymore, John. The time for these infantile school boy scraps is long past. You can’t settle things with your fists. You need to show some maturity. This is not the way that adults—that future lawyers—do things.”
“Sometimes the only way to settle something is like a man,” John retorts.
Tom scoffs. “That sounds like your Uncle Jim talking.”
“Tom!” Karen’s voice thunders from the door connecting the garage to the house. She saunters into the garage, turning her nose up at the mess. She makes the same expression as she takes in the sight of her husband. He’s wearing baggy jeans and an oil-stained t-shirt. His spiky graying hair is dripping with sweat and trickling down his forehead. She’s dressed in her usual sophisticated way. Her chestnut brown hair looks gorgeous in a half-up, half-down do. She’s wearing a fitted white blouse and a navy blue pencil skirt, along with a pair of heels that probably cost more than an entire semester’s worth of tuition. “Perhaps you can put a pin in this conversation and save it for a time when our son isn’t on a date.”
She folds her arms across her chest and fixes him with a glare that insists that she means business; that she won’t tolerate anything but her way here.
“A date?” Tom exclaims, looking between John and me.
“Yes,” Karen says. She smiles kindly at John. “Isn’t that right, John?”
“How did you know?” John asks, taken aback.
“A mother knows these things,” she says with a wink. She walks past them and joins me a few feet back. She whispers in my ear, “You look very pretty in a dress, Nicki. Very feminine. The hat is a nice touch too.”
I gasp. That’s how she knew! I rarely ever wear a dress and especially not one so girly-looking—or feminine—as she put it. Most of the time, I dress just like one of the guys. But I’d wanted to make an effort; to look nice for my first date with John today. I didn’t even buy this dress. It was another gift from Chloe. She’s rich like John and whenever we go shopping she always secretly buys me something. And every one of those “somethings” is either too incredibly sexy or girly for my taste. But they seem to be coming in handy lately—first the chemise and now this dress.
“Thank you,” I say politely.
“This is really happening?” Tom asks, still cautious about believing it.
“Yeah, but we’re not discussing it,” John says. “I’m here about my truck. That’s all.”
Tom waves his hand dismissively. “Forget about the truck. I’ll have it fixed for you by the end of the day.” He hands John some keys. “Here.”
John’s eyes look as though they’re about to pop right out of his head. “You’re kidding? The Audi? You’re gonna let me drive the Audi?”
I’m getting the impression that this is some sort of prized possession of his father’s, judging by John’s reaction. I scan the garage. There are two bikes and four cars parked inside it. I have no idea which one this Audi is.
“Just for today,” Tom says. “And maybe on your way to the airport after your wedding too.”
John freezes and chokes, “Wedding?”
“You and Nicki?” Tom responds as though there’s no question about it and John is the strange one for not seeing it.
John eyes me and I look away quickly, blushing like a damn idiot. God, this is awkward.
“Dad, don’t.”
“Honey, don’t be so dismissive,” Karen says. She looks right at me and asks, “Right Nicki?”
“I…uh…” I stumble.
“You’re embarrassing her!” John shouts. “That’s it. Kitchen. Now,” he orders his parents.
He strides towards the door leading into the house and his parents follow him inside. I’m left in the garage, my eyes wide and my mouth agape. Poor John.
***
“Sit!” I snap at my parents as I take my sunglasses off, place them on my head and rub my eyes tiredly.
They both take a seat at the kitchen table as I pace around them, trying to rein in my agitation.
“Let’s get one thing straight; this is a date. Our first date. Noth
ing more.”
“You two have known one another for four years, John. You’re not starting at the beginning here,” my mom says.
My dad grips my arm roughly and tells me, “That doesn’t mean you get your dick wet tonight.”
“Tom! Do you need to be so crass?” my mom shrieks.
But my dad doesn’t break his intense gaze or his crushing grip. Still staring at me, he tells my mom, “Karen. I need to discuss a few things with John. Give me a moment.”
Mom gets up from the table. “Sure. I’ll go talk to Nicki for a bit.”
Oh fucking great. Dammit!
Dad releases me and I shake out my arm in frustration. “Sit down,” he commands.
I sigh and do as he asks. There’s no choice once he starts barking orders. God, I feel like I’m one of the victims at one of his infamous depositions or something. This is not gonna be pretty.
“I know you’re used to playing the field. You’re like your old man in that respect. If you only knew how many women I’ve—”
“Dad! Please, for the love of God, spare me.”
“Fine. Nicki is not one of your easy women…your…groupies.”
I nod. “I know.”
“Do you?”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean; with her history you need to be extra careful with her.”
“Dad, I know. I know that better than anyone! I was there, remember? Fuck! What do you think of me?”
“Tone down your language!” he barks right back at me.
But I’m done now. I shoot to my feet and slam my fist down on the kitchen table. “You wanna know why I had to get physical with that frat asshole? She was a game to him. A game. Last night, I stopped him from fucking her while she was drunk off her ass, crying and terrified. And, yeah, I used my fists. Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn’t have done the same if you’d walked in on that…if it had been Mom lying there like that? Fuck, he’s lucky I only did the minimum. And that’s why he keyed my truck.”
My dad is too stunned to say anything.
“Nicki is my fucking angel and I’ll treat her that way. The fact that you’re questioning that tells me how little you really think of me. I mean; I always knew I was a disappointment. I just didn’t think that it extended to this—to you questioning my integrity like this.” I rub my face roughly with both my hands. “Fuck this,” I mutter as I storm out of the kitchen.
“I’m sorry!” he calls out.
I stop short. Sorry? He’s apologizing to me? Well, this is a first. History has just been made.
I turn back around and raise an eyebrow in surprise. He stands up and approaches me, muttering, “God, you really do have your mother’s temper.” He seizes my shoulders and lowers his voice as he tells me, “This will sound a little odd, given the circumstances, but Nicki is like a daughter to me.”
“I know, Dad.”
“I don’t want to see her get hurt. When it comes to other men, you can protect her. But now it’s you, John. You can’t protect her from yourself, hence my little lecture here. But after what you’ve just told me, I see that I don’t need to worry about protecting her from you. There is nothing to protect her from.”
“I want her,” I admit.
I can tell by the look on his face that he understands my meaning. “That’s natural. But there’s a difference between wanting and taking what is not ready to be given to you.” We lock eyes and he says. “You understand?”
“Yes.”
He smiles and then something odd happens. He hugs me. I tense at the unexpected and unfamiliar contact. “I’m proud of you.”
What? “You know I’m just scraping by at college, right?”
He doesn’t let go of me. Instead, his hold tightens. “You’re the man that I’d always hoped you’d become.”
“It’s her,” I find myself admitting. Shit, where did that come from? I haven’t even admitted that to myself yet. But it’s the truth. Nicki has that effect on me. She makes me better.
My dad laughs and pulls back. “It usually is. Your mother had the same effect on me.”
“Really? I thought you were always a straight-shooter, Dad. Perfect and all that bullshit.”
He grins. “I think it’s best if you keep on believing that.”
This time I’m the one laughing. I clear my throat and say, “Okay, I should get going. You’re sure about me driving the Audi?”
“You’ve always been a good driver. Go ahead.”
“Thanks.”
“You should probably wipe those tears out of your eyes before you head back to her.”
Shit, all his talk about him being proud of me has made me fucking emotional. I’ve never heard those words from him. “Dust,” I lie, as I wipe my eyes with the back of my hands.
He chuckles as I walk away.
Chapter 23
~John~
As I belt out the lyrics to one of mine and Nicki’s favorite songs—Bruce Springsteen’s Land of Hope and Dreams—I watch Nicki strumming on her acoustic, opposite me. She closes her eyes, getting lost in the music. I knew this was a good idea. She’s always at her most relaxed when we play.
And we both love this place. The ravine. We used to come here so many times during our last couple of years of high school to write away from the rest of the world with nothing around us but nature for miles.
We’re sitting on the grass embankment just like we used to, a few feet from the waterfall.
After leaving my parents’ house, Nicki had talked non-stop; a nervous reaction of hers. I knew what it was; the expectations of this ‘date’. The sexual expectations. It’s not like we’re starting at the beginning; we’ve known each other for years.
The strangest thing is; I’m nervous too. I’ve never had to control myself before. I’ve always just taken what I’ve wanted, when I’ve wanted it. But Nicki isn’t like the women I’m used to screwing around with. I don’t wanna mess this up and scare her. And it’s hard. I’m hard.
At least I know I’m capable of holding back and thinking with my head instead of my dick. That night I had my tongue between her legs had been proof enough. Being able to shut it down after taking things that far had been a true act of strength. The way she’d looked up at me afterward, the trust there in her eyes—that’s what’d stopped me.
We’re halfway through the third verse when I hear her mess up, missing the chord change. Her eyes snap open. Her hands still and she smiles sheepishly. “Oops.”
“What was that?” I ask, amused as hell. Nicki never fucks up like that.
She lowers her gaze, trying to hide that guilty look in her eyes. My God, what’s she thinking about? She can barely look at me. Is she thinking something dirty?
“Nicki?”
She places her guitar back into its case on the grass beside her. She takes her time closing it before finally turning back to me and responding innocently, “Yeah?”
“What was that?” I repeat, not taking my eyes off her as I put my own guitar back in its case as well.
“I…uh…nothing.”
She’s lying. But I know I can get it out of her.
She knows it too and she stands up quickly.
She takes off her sun hat and places it carefully on her case. And then something shocking happens. She kicks off her sandals and, before I know it, she’s stripping off her dress as well. She giggles at herself for a second, unable to look anywhere near me as she stands there in nothing but her bikini. Damn, she’s so fucking hot.
She takes off towards the lake. She jumps in and screams as she hits the cold water.
I’m on my feet in a split second, pulling off my shirt and shoes.
“John!” she shrieks as I plunge into the lake, drenching her. Shit, it is cold. I’m greeted by a face full of water as she splashes me.
“That’s really asking for it,” I threaten, wading towards her.
She tries to get away, but she ends up backing herself into the bank instead. Nowhere to run no
w, baby.
Her eyes widen as she realizes she’s trapped. Laughing, she holds up her hands in surrender. “Sorry. Truce?” she asks, hopefully.
“Uh uh. We have to be even first, before you can call a truce.”
“Wait!” she begs. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking about; why I had that look on my face.”
I’ve gotta hear this. I step back and fold my arms across my chest. “Shoot.”
“I…uh…I was thinking about our date and you sitting there singing and how I couldn’t believe where we are now…you know…together, because when I first met you I…uh…I had a bit of a crush on you.”
I smirk at her. I had no idea. She’s good at playing things close to her chest. “Really?”
“Get that cocky grin off your face,” she scolds me. “It was your voice…not your personality.”
“My voice, huh?” I press, wanting to hear more; much more.
“Yeah, I’d seen you play before I even walked into that audition the day we met. Your voice…that sexy rasp…the power…the emotion…it…well, it got under my skin.”
“You mean it turned you on.”
She blushes like crazy. But then she manages to get it together and she tells me, “Keep your ego in check. As soon as I got to know you, any little thing I had for you went away.”
I slap my hand over my heart. “Ouch! Why?”
She shrugs. “I figured out you were a womanizing asshole.”
“Is that right?” I say, moving closer to her. “How about now, baby?”
Her eyes flicker over me shyly. “You’re different with me.”
“Damn right I am. You wanna know why?” I say, leaning into her and whispering in her ear.
“I…why?” she struggles to utter, flustered by my closeness.
“Because, baby….” I whisper slowly, “…you are mine.”
I pull away and watch her try to catch her breath.
“Okay, so now I’ve told you, we’re good? Truce?”
I shake my head. “No way.”
Without giving her a warning, I lunge at her. She shrieks in surprise and tries to make a break for it, trying to pull herself onto the bank. I catch her and grab her around the waist. She screams as I pull her back into the lake. And then I dunk her under the water quickly, before pulling her back to me. Laughing, I tell her, “Now, we’re even.”
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