I Choose You

by Lopez, Bethany

  Kent pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly.

  “Thanks, I’m glad that you can appreciate how important Roni is to me,” he looked up to get his bearings. “We’re about halfway through this trail. We’d better speed it up if we’re going to get you home in time to shower before work.”

  They hit the trail hard. Nicole used the time to clear her head and to reflect on what Kent had told her about his childhood.

  They’d led very different lives, and Nicole couldn’t imagine the obstacles he’d dealt with growing up, but she was very impressed with the man he was today.

  Kent made sure they did some cool down stretches before getting back in the car.

  He’d worried briefly that Nicole would look at him differently when he’d told her a little about his upbringing, but he was happy that he had. He wasn’t ready to tell her everything yet, but he was comfortable with what he’d told her.

  He drove her back to her apartment and walked her to the door.

  “Do you want to come in?” Nicole asked him, her face was flush from exertion and glistened prettily.

  Kent felt a strong urge to gather her in his arms and take her to her room, kissing and stroking her gloriously toned body along the way. He imagined carrying her into the shower and lathering her up.

  He shook his head, trying in vain to calm his raging hormones. He felt like a teenager again: unbearably horny and unable to find release. Well… At least not the way he wanted to.

  “Um, no,” He replied gruffly. “I’d better not. You have to get ready for work and I have some stuff to do at my house. I’ll give you a call later.”

  He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then turned and jogged down the stairs, leaving her there staring off after him, the confusion she felt apparent on her face.

  Chapter Nine

  Nicole was finishing up backing her bag when she heard a knock on the front door, indicating Kent had arrived with dinner.

  Kara was going to be picking her up to go to Austin in a couple hours, and Kent had offered to bring dinner over for her and Roni before she left.

  Roni had to work this weekend, so she couldn’t go on the Austin trip, but Nicole was excited to get away and see Bree and Colin. She was sure that Roni would enjoy having the apartment to herself for a few days. They were getting along great so far, but it was always nice to get some alone time.

  Nicole zipped up her bag and took it out into the living room to set it by the front door. She prided herself on being punctual, and didn’t want to make Kara wait when she arrived.

  Roni had let Kent in and they were setting the table for dinner.

  “Hey, Kent,” Nicole said, walking over to give him a hug.

  “Hey, Babe,” He replied, giving her a quick squeeze before releasing her. “I was just asking Roni if she wanted to spend some quality time with her big brother this weekend.”

  “Really? Big brother? You are like two minutes older than me.” Roni said wryly.

  “Still counts,” Kent countered with a wink.

  “Mm mm, that looks delicious,” Nicole said, her stomach grumbling as they opened containers of tacos, beans, rice, salsa, and guacamole.

  “The best you’ll ever eat,” Kent promised.

  “That’s big statement,” Nicole replied. “We have some excellent Mexican food in Dallas.”

  “Yeah, but this place is run by a sweet old lady who moved here from Mexico in her teens, and makes her own tortillas.” Kent boasted. “I’m telling you, no one makes a meal like Señora Garza.”

  “Let’s stop talking about how good it’s and dig in,” Nicole counted with a laugh. “I’m dying over here.”

  Kent and Roni sat down and Nicole began to make their plates. Kent couldn’t help but smile as he watched her, always the perfect hostess. He thought briefly at how perfectly he could see her in his life, long-term, then scowled; the last thing he needed to be thinking about was what a wonderful wife Nicole would make.

  “You okay?” Roni asked him. “You look like you got a bad bite.”

  Kent shook off the annoying thoughts and smiled at his sister. “No, I haven’t even tasted it yet. I was just thinking of something.”

  “Well stop thinking and start eating,” Roni said with a laugh.

  Nicole was already savoring the delicious combination of flavors, so she just smiled absently at the twins. She’d always wished she’d had siblings. Growing up as an only child, her parents had made sure she never wanted for any material things, but she’d always longed for a sister or brother.

  Kent smiled at her obvious enjoyment of the meal.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  Nicole could only nod as she enjoyed every bite.

  “Rich called me and said he would be coming home for Halloween,” Kent said.

  “Great,” Roni groaned.

  “What’s your problem with Rich?” Kent asked her. “I didn’t raise you to be rude, but you seem to be every time you’re around Rich.”

  “I’ve seen too many guys like him, that’s all,” Roni answered.

  “Rich is nothing like Hank, Roni, he’s a good guy. You should give him a break.”

  “Hank?” Nicole asked curiously.

  “My ex,” Roni stated.

  “Rich said it looks like he’s on track to graduate in December, so it looks like you’ll have to get used to him being around full time.” Kent informed Roni.

  Roni didn’t reply she just went back to eating with a scowl on her face.

  When their bellies were full, Roni went to her room to wash up, while Nicole and Kent settled in the living room to wait for Kara.

  Kent sat down, picked up Nicole’s feet and placed them on his lap. He picked up one perfectly manicured foot and began to massage it gently.

  Nicole settled back and closed her eyes, groaning softly and smiling reflexively.

  “That feels wonderful,” She said in a soft tone.

  Kent quickly realized his mistake when he couldn’t pull his eyes from her beautifully curved mouth and his vision blurred at the sounds emitting from her throat.

  God, she was hot.

  He continued rubbing and pressing his fingers deeply into her skin, and tried not to dwell on the fact that her other foot was pressing perilously close to his hard cock.

  “Shit, when is Kara gonna get here,” he wondered miserably.

  Nicole lifted her other foot, and pulled the one he was rubbing out of his hands, indicating that she was ready for the other one to be massaged.

  She opened one eye and grinned saucily at him, so he picked up the other foot and began rubbing, laughing in spite of himself.

  When she put her other foot down, it inadvertently landed right on top of his strained jeans, causing him to jolt and her eyes to fly open.

  Nicole sat up and moved closer to Kent, as he watched her warily.

  He’d never been so afraid to have a girl coming at him like she wanted to eat him alive. This was unchartered territory.

  Nicole had felt his erection, so she knew that he was turned on, but the look he gave her indicated that he was anything but. She wasn’t sure what to do. She really wanted to kiss him. She wanted to be in his arms and feel his hard body pressed against hers, but she was afraid of rejection.

  She was debating with herself whether she should ask him what was wrong, or just throw herself at him, when there was a knock on the door.

  Nicole got up to answer it, but not before she noticed the look of relief that crossed Kent’s face. She felt her stomach jitter with disappointment.

  Had he changed his mind about dating her?

  She opened the door and Kara came bounding in.

  “Road trip!” Kara yelled.

  Nicole laughed as she watched Kara dance around the room with excitement.

  Roni came out of her room and said, “Hey Kara, don’t you look cute.”

  Kara had a teal blue tank top on with a long white skirt that was twirling as she spun around.


  “Thanks, Roni,” Kara said, stopping to give the other girl a hug. “I so wish you didn’t have to work and were coming with.”

  “Me too,” Roni said with regret. “But I do have a hot date with my brother to look forward to.”

  “Best date in town,” Kent chimed in, as he came over to give Kara a hug hello.

  “I’ll say,” Kara said with a wink. “Hey, Kent, I was going to ask if you wouldn’t mind giving Pete a call to hang out one night while I’m gone. I want my man to have some fun and not just sit around missing me.”

  Kent chuckled at that.

  “Sure, we could probably get a poker night together or something. No worries, I’ll take care of him.”

  Kara beamed at him.

  “Thanks.”

  She turned to Nicole, “You ready?”

  Nicole nodded and walked over to pick up her bag.

  They all walked down to Kara’s car and Nicole put her bag in the backseat, opening the front zipper and pulling out a water to keep in the front with her.

  She walked over to the curb where Roni and Kent were saying goodbye to Kara.

  “Tell Bree and Colin we say “Hi”,” Roni was saying to Kara.

  Kent didn’t say anything about Briana or Colin. He hadn’t since she’d brought up the trip, which made Nicole wonder if he still had feelings for Bree.

  “I have to get going too,” Kent said, looking briefly at his watch. “You girls have fun,” he said to Nicole and Kara, then turned to Roni and said, “I’ll give you a call to set something up.”

  He turned to each of the girls and gave them a kiss on the cheek before he walked away and got into his mustang. Nicole was left staring after him, as the other two girls looked on.

  “What was that?” Roni asked Nicole.

  “I’m not sure,” Nicole replied. “Ready, Kara?”

  “Sure thing, girl,” Kara replied with one more smile for Roni before she got into the car.

  “See ya,” Nicole said as she got into the car, then waved as the pulled out of the parking lot.

  Nicole looked out the window and thought briefly that getting away for a few days might be the best thing for all of them.

  Chapter Ten

  It only took about two hours for them to arrive at Briana and Colin’s apartment in downtown Austin.

  When they pulled up to the apartment complex, Briana noticed Kara’s car and started jumping up and down. Kara pulled up alongside her and rolled down the window.

  “Hey, pretty lady, can you put us up for the night?” Kara asked, followed by a booming laugh.

  Briana jumped in the backseat and told Kara how to get into the parking garage.

  “I’m so excited that you guys are here,” Briana squealed with delight.

  “Me too!” Nicole said, turning around in her seat to look at Bree while she spoke.

  Briana looked as pretty as ever, her long chestnut hair was pulled back in a fat braid and her brown eyes sparkled with excitement.

  When Kara parked they all jumped out of the car and gave each other a round of hugs. When Kara and Nicole hugged each other, they all laughed at their exuberance.

  “Do you need help with any of your bags?” Bree asked.

  “No, we each only brought one bag,” Kara assured her as they got their bags out of the car and followed her to the elevator.

  “This is a beautiful complex,” Nicole observed.

  “Oh, my gosh, we love it!” Briana gushed. “We looked around a lot, and decided to go with a loft, just so we could have the other amenities that this building offers. It has a gym and a pool, there is a Trader Joe’s next door, a hiking trail nearby, and we are within walking distance to 6th street.”

  “What’s 6th street?” Nicole asked.

  “You’ll see,” Kara and Bree said with a laugh.

  When they reached her floor, Briana walked them down the hall and let them into the apartment. It was a large open space with wood floors. Briana and Colin had decorated it in country style, and managed to reflect their personalities. There were sports memorabilia scattered amongst the pictures and wall hangings, and the kitchen looked like a chef’s dream.

  “I hope you don’t mind, the sofa is a sleeper, so the two of you will share that.” Briana mentioned as they set their bags in the corner.

  “That’ll be fine,” Nicole responded.

  “Where’s Colin?” Kara asked Briana.

  “He’s at work. They had evening practice, but he’ll catch up with us later. I have to admit, with him working and me going to school, we don’t get much chance to socialize, so I’m really looking forward to going out tonight. He’s going to meet up with us later.”

  “Let’s get ready then,” Kara exclaimed, unzipping her bag and pulling out her make-up case.

  “Yay,” Briana said happily.

  They all put on fresh make-up and fixed their hair, then set out for a night on the town.

  Nicole hadn’t been in a city since she’d left Dallas, so she was looking forward to hanging out somewhere other than the bar and grill.

  They walked down 6th street, and Nicole was surprised how many people were milling around.

  “Wow, this is a lot different than being home,” She observed with a laugh.

  Bree nodded her consent, then ushered them into a bar that already had a crowd on the floor, dancing to a local band.

  They made their way to the bar and Bree spoke loudly so they could hear her. “They don’t have a cover here and have a special on pitchers, so this is where we usually hang out. Is beer okay with you guys?”

  Kara and Nicole both nodded and Kara said, “Sure, but let me get the first round.”

  They each had to show I.D. in order to get a glass, but they were quickly given their pitcher and Briana led them to a booth in the back of the bar. Close enough to see the band, but far enough away that they could still talk.

  At the first sip of the cool brisk ale, Nicole smiled and licked her lips.

  “I’m so happy to be here. Thanks for inviting me, Bree.”

  “Of course, I’m excited that you could come. I have been begging Kara to come out ever since we left. It was perfect that you guys had the same days off.” Briana said with a smile, as she reached over to give Kara’s hand a squeeze. “So, fill me in on all of the gossip.”

  “Well, Pete and I are doing great, “Kara said with a big grin on her face. “He has given up all pretense of living in your room and has moved all of his belongings into mine. Bree, he’s just the sweetest thing!”

  “Aww, that’s great, Kara,” Briana gushed happily. “I knew you two would be perfect together.”

  “I know you did, but I never imagined that I could love that red-headed stud the way I do.” Kara was practically glowing as she spoke.

  Nicole and Bree both giggled at that.

  “How’s everything going with you and Roni?” Bree asked Nicole. “You guys are officially roomies now, right?”

  “Yeah,” Nicole answered. “It’s been great. Thank you so much for telling me that she was looking for a place, she really is the perfect roommate. I like her a lot.”

  “But not as much as she likes her twin,” Kara divulged to Bree, causing Nicole to blush with embarrassment.

  Briana looked at Nicole with obvious curiosity. “Really? You like Kent?”

  Nicole was worried that Briana would be mad, or things would be awkward, and she really wished that Kara hadn’t said something about her and Kent already. She’d wanted to tell Briana when they had a little more privacy.

  “Um, well, yeah… We’ve been out a couple times.” Nicole admitted sheepishly.

  Briana smiled broadly and reached across to hold Nicole’s hand.

  “Nicole, that’s great!” Bree assured her. “Kent is a terrific guy. The best. I can really see you two together. In fact, I remember him checking you out back when I was there. He’s had a thing for you for a while now.”

  “Really?” Nicole asked with surprise. “You d
id?”

  “Yeah. I think it was at our place at one of the parties and at the bar. I totally saw that he was interested in you.”

  “Are you sure it doesn’t bother you?”

  “Totally sure,” Briana exclaimed. “Kent was never really mine, not in that way. I promise that I’m truly happy for the both of you.”

  “Awesome,” Kara said loudly as she downed her beer. “Now what do you girls say we go tear up that dance floor, huh?”

  They nodded and finished their drinks, then went out on to the dance floor to move to the music.

  They danced until they were exhausted. That’s where Colin found them when he walked into the bar.

  He caught the stares of many of the male patrons, as they watched the three beautiful girls dance together on the floor. They were laughing, absorbed in each other and oblivious to the people watching them.

  Colin walked up behind Bree and put his arms around her, matching her moves with his own.

  He nuzzled her neck and was pleased to hear her intake of breath.

  “Mmmm,” Bree purred. “You really shouldn’t do that; my boyfriend could be here at any moment.”

  She giggled and he spun her to face him and kissed her soundly on the lips.

  “Hey, Baby,” He whispered in her ear. “I missed you today.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes, his dimples flashing as he smiled at her.

  “I missed you too,” Briana said, returning his smile full force.

  Colin tore his eyes from Briana’s and turned that heart-stopping grin on Nicole and Kara.

  “How’s it goin’, Ladies?” He gave them each a hug, then asked, “You want me to grab another pitcher?”

  They all nodded and made their way back to their table to wait for Colin to join them.

  “You guys look like you’re doing great,” Kara said to Bree once they were seated.

  “We really are,” Briana gushed. “I couldn’t be happier.”

  “That’s so wonderful, Bree. You both deserve it.” Nicole chimed in, a little envious at Colin’s obvious adoration of Bree. She wondered again about Kent’s recent less than affectionate behavior.