by Ace Gray
“That will attract attention.”
“I don’t fucking care about attention!”
I cringed and my hands somehow found a way to tighten on the wheel. It wasn’t worth the fight, I didn’t even know if I could string together an argument so I followed directions, pulling the Hennessey into a generic, but bright, gas station. This car would have been painfully out of place even if we weren’t idling rather than filling.
I managed to pry my fingers from the steering wheel and flex and wiggle them. My wrist popped when I stretched it and I gasped. It stung in that funny-bone, zingy way, and I couldn’t help that it triggered tears.
“Hey.” Nick’s voice was so soft it was hard to hear over the engine. “Don’t cry. I swear to God I’ll protect you. They won’t touch you, Sweets. I swear.” He kissed the inside of my palm before reaching to unbuckle my seatbelt. The car still shook gently beneath us as he pulled me over into his lap. “You were perfect. You did perfect.”
“I know,” I sobbed. “It’s just too much. This is all too much, Nick. All the damn time with this shit.”
“What’s too much? Am I too much?” His hands tentatively circled on my thigh.
I don’t know what possessed me to start laughing through the tear tracks, but some of the tension eased from Nick’s shoulders when I did.
“No, the interruptions. Do they pick the perfect cock-blocking moments on purpose?”
Nick started laughing, his fingers flexing into my thigh. He leaned in and kissed my forehead.
“There’s my girl.” He smiled against my skin. “I whole heartedly agree that we did not get to break in the car appropriately but it’s not worth crying over.”
“It’s just emotional overload.” I tried to stop tearing up as I burrowed into him. “What happened?”
He didn’t answer me. His hand slid up towards my face and wove into my hair. He turned my face toward his and took my lips in one of his kisses. I tried to pull away, knowing full well he was avoiding the question and taking advantage of my weakness. My lips worked against his for a few moments then he pulled back enough so I could ask again.
Nick didn’t hesitate, he slid his hand between my thighs at the same time his tongue slipped between my lips. He stroked me and pushed my back against the passenger side door. My body bowed up to writhe on his fingers and my head pressed back against the glass. His chest rumbled as he twisted to lean over me.
A knock pounded on the driver’s side window. Nick jumped and his fingers curled into me. When the second knock came, lighter this time, Nick folded back into me. Those perfect lips took mine again and then he whispered, “To be continued.” Swiftly he pushed me back into the driver’s seat and jumped out of the car. “Do not get out of the car,” he said bluntly but this time a small smile accompanied his order.
Two black Range Rovers had pulled up, both effectively blocking the Hennessey from the road. For the slightest moment I got nervous but then I surveyed the gas station. Jaime stood front and center waiting for Nick. Colton and Terrence flanked him, alert, by the driver’s side doors of their respective vehicles.
A giant breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding broke the silence in the small cab of the car. There was anything but silence outside. Nick’s voice boomed, his hands waved wildly and Jaime tried not to shrink away.
I should have been standing up for Jaime. I almost rolled down the window to shout something at Nick but my fingers trembled at the switch. There was no way I could go the usual ten rounds with him right now, not even for Jaime. It was all too fresh, too similar to before. The thought of more guns in my life made my stomach churn.
Unceremoniously the car died beneath me, and I slumped back into the driver’s seat. My forehead fell against the steering wheel. It was still warm and sweaty from my death grip. The car door creaked on the hinges but I didn’t look up.
Nick was still barking at Jaime as he ducked in and yanked on my thigh to slide me off the seat. His bellowing seamlessly continued as he threw me over his shoulder, completely unconcerned that my barely covered ass was the only thing Jaime, Colton, Terrence or any unsuspecting passerby would see.
“Nicholas Bryant!” I shrieked but he didn’t pause.
I flushed scarlet and scrambled to cover my ass as he carried me to the passenger seat of one of the idling SUVs. Thankfully I couldn’t make eye contact with anyone; I didn’t want to see their looks. Though it would have been fine if they’d caught the fury flushing my cheeks.
Bryant slammed the door as soon as I was in the seat and went back gesturing wildly at all three of the men. I buried my head in my hands, at a loss for the entire evening.
Eventually there was a soft knock on my window. My head whipped up and focused on Nick digging around in the still-lifeless Hennessey. When I finally turned toward the gentle knocks, Jaime managed a small smile for me. I had to ball and flex my fingers to steady my hands but I managed the window.
“I need the code to both gates, please.”
“I’m so sorry Jaime.”
“Don’t be. Not your fault. Not his either.” He nodded towards Nick’s bent body, which was still swearing repeatedly, as he dug around in the little car. “Codes?” He arched his eyebrows and managed another smile for me.
“Maintenance gate is 08, 29, 16, 03, 24, 13. Main gate is 64, 24, 65, 27, 27, 92, 68.”
Jaime nodded before adding, “He’ll take you right home. You know he’ll take care of you too.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled my knees up to my chest, ditching the stilettos as I folded into the seat. Of course I knew. And finally it was based on action rather than just words.
The only thing Nick said on the drive back was to cover up with the emergency blanket from the roadside kit hidden in back. I’d had to run into One Madison like that, being photographed every single step. Even now, drinking scotch on the couch, the tension was coiled tight in my shoulders.
Bryant had stormed toward the office the second the elevator door opened into our apartment. I was folding up the stupid blanket and tossing my heels aside when he circled back, reached for my hand, kissed it, eyes closed ever so tightly, then stormed off again. I hadn’t seen him since.
I sighed. Everything was crumbling and he was going right along with it. I wasn’t sure of myself either, my footing was far from certain. Part of me wanted to soothe my agitated love. Even with all of his best efforts, shit was still happening, and with increasing frequency. The other part of me was keeping my fists balled so I didn’t slap him.
I picked up a book but couldn’t focus to read the words. I tried to watch TV but it was simply a tidal wave of noise. I even picked up the camera Nick had been smart enough to grab out of the car but couldn’t bring myself to flip through the photos. My head fell back against the couch, and I settled for studying designs in the light fixtures overhead instead.
After a glass or three of scotch and watching the sunrise climb in the sky, I must have fallen asleep because New York and the living room were dark when my eyes fluttered open. There was a sick feeling in my stomach, some residual dream making me nauseous but mercifully there hadn’t been blood.
Sharp hisses coming from the open office door were what had roused me.
“The fingerprints say Christopher and two others. We don’t have the other sets back yet. If they’re in the system it’ll be twenty-four to forty-eight hours. But the real concern is that he’s getting smarter. I wouldn’t be surprised if these two were clean.”
Jaime was back.
“Footage?”
“A neighbor two doors down got the vehicle plates but that’s it. She has to get state of the art security put in there, particularly if you two will be going alone again.”
“We won’t be,” Bryant growled back. “Whether she likes it or not, get the company out there to install everything in the next twenty-four hours.”
Like hell you’re going to make changes to my house.
Nick’s highhandedness made my back bristle and my temper propelled me off the couch and toward the office. Suddenly I didn’t give a shit that we’d been attacked at my home. Nor that I still wore underwear and a leather jacket for that matter. I didn’t even snatch the blanket Nick had wrapped me in at some point, I just barged in.
“No one is installing anything in my house without my permission.” I shoved my hands onto my hips and narrowed my eyes at Nick.
“You’ve been eavesdropping?” His face pinched to match mine.
“I just woke up.”
“Fine. You bet your ass I’m getting a security system out there.”
“No,” I barked.
Jaime simply shifted his gaze between the two of us.
“Yes.” Bryant took a step towards me.
“Unwarranted and unasked for.” I glowered and took a step toward him as well.
“Unwarranted?” His roar made me jump. Jaime looked surprised too. “Did you not see what happened this morning?”
“I saw but nobody tells me anything, so I’m not exactly sure why it matters.” I threw my hands up and squinched my face, knowing damn well I was being outrageous, but somehow unable to rein myself in.
“You saw someone sneak uninvited onto your property and fire a weapon in your bedroom. That should be sufficient explanation.”
“It should.” I took a deep breath. “But when I know damn well there’s more to it, I’m not so easily placated!” I was able to roar every bit as loudly back as I stomped my foot.
“Jaime, get it installed. We’ll discuss the rest later.” Bryant’s eyes flashed with a menacing gray as Jaime slunk around me and out of the room.
Nick and I stood seething at each other, heavy breathing the only sound filling the space until the soft familiar tones of the elevator sliding shut intermingled.
“I’m sick of this shit, Kate.” Nick stepped toward me and curled his hands into the leather of my jacket. “I will not let your ego get in the way of protecting you. You are mine! Mine to take care of, mine to keep safe. Mine!”
His lips crashed down upon me.
“You will get a security system.” He bit down on my bottom lip. Hard. “You will start respecting my decisions.” Nick’s hand came to my ass and squeezed hard before snapping like a whip against my skin. “You will trust me!” He reached up into my hair and yanked my head back, opening my throat to him.
I shoved against his barreled chest. “I do trust you!”
He didn’t budge and, as I struggled to regain my balance, I noticed his eyes flashed blue.
“Nick, you don’t trust me. I can make my own decisions if you just let me.” I pushed harder against him. His hands came to my arms and gripped tightly.
“Kate, I’d let you if you ever made something resembling a sensible decision.” He slammed me up against the window in the office.
“Nick…” I protested but his lips mashed back into mine. My body thumped up against the glass again.
“Mine, Kate. You’re fucking mine.” He undid my jacket just enough to yank it down over my shoulders, effectively trapping my arms against my sides. “And I will protect you.”
His temper had boiled over as he bit my lip again. When he let go I thought I tasted something salty.
“Let me protect you,” his voice broke when he said it.
His hands were every bit as frantic as his lips, his voice. They were clawing at the thin straps of my underwear. The fabric gave when he spun me to face the windows. Before I could answer, cool glass pressed against my skin. Nick yanked my jacket down further so my chest was exposed. He used his hands and the glass to press my breasts up.
“Please.”
Sobs were thick in his voice. He bit my earlobe and let his hand worm between my thighs.
“Nick, let me in,” I whimpered as my head rolled back into his chest. His fingers plunged into me, my body still trapped.
“I have, I am. You let me in.” Distress was thick in his voice, him a man on the brink. A zipper behind me was a quick interruption to his fraying emotions. “Let me take care of what is mine!” He cried out as both of his hands came to my ass. He pulled me wide and notched his cock against me.
“Let me take care of you.”
He bit down on my shoulder as he shoved up into my backside.
I screamed. Loudly. Nick was too big, too thick to just shove up in me, but this was too frantic and I wanted him too badly to stop.
“Let me in,” he whimpered into my ear.
Was I keeping him at arm’s length? Was standing up for myself the same as keeping my wall up?
When you’re in very real danger, yeah, you kind of are.
He thumped me up against the window again, and I surrendered to his thrusts. To him. Nick kept intermingling kisses and bites on my shoulders and neck and ears. They were the only thing that kept me from feeling like I was splitting in two.
“You do take care of me.” My breath was fogging the glass. “Ahhhh.”
He was still shoving up into me. Over and over. His fingers fondled either my nipples or between my thighs. We’d slid toward the couch. I didn’t notice until Nick folded me swiftly over the armrest. My face was on the leather for a brief moment then his hand wove into my hair and yanked my head back. I moaned loudly in pleasure as he hammered into me.
“Let me protect you. Let me love you.” His hand snapped against my ass and my moan turned into a MMMmmm. “Sweets, please,” he plead. “Please let me love you.”
That was it. Of course protection meant the same thing as love to him.
“Yes.” Was out of my mouth before I thought much about it. “I love you.”
“Oh Sweets.” His voice completely melted.
That was all he needed to hear. He let my hair go and pulled my body back to his. His fingers fumbled for a second then were at my zipper. He whipped the jacket out from between us and I arched against him.
His arm wrapped around me just below my chest and pinned me the way the jacket had. The other hand snaked up and around my neck. Nick held me tighter to his body than ever before. I didn’t know how it was possible but my legs tangled with his, my fingertips went to his jeans, my back laid fully to his front.
Nick’s fingers wormed their way into my mouth and pulled it wider. He tasted sweet and I hummed again. When his hands shifted to play at my nipple, perfectly in time with his thrusts, my hands scampered to get a better hold on him.
I let out a garbled shriek when he twisted me back to glass. One of my hands flew from his body to the cool surface, flexing against it and then limply trailing down. The other one stayed, firmly dug into his denim.
“You’ll take the new security system?” He pushed into me. Hard.
“Yes.”
“You’ll let us, me, take care of you?” His words were so staggered, so hard for him to get out.
“Yes.” My moans were getting more mangled.
“You’ll let me love you forever?” Nick shoved in and stayed there.
I don’t know if it was his broken begging or the way he stretched me, maybe even the way his fingers fluttered against my skin, but I came. Hard. My orgasm crashed around me, like a brutal wave hitting a wall. Hitting me hard enough to shatter my bones. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t feel my toes, I couldn’t even really see straight. I could just feel my muscles clamp down as pleasure wracked my body.
Nick’s groan behind me sounded muffled like he was underwater but it was the fact that I could hear anything at all that was shocking. I didn’t even consciously decide to sag into him, my body just went limp. His hand clamped tighter around my ribs as he pumped hard into me. I assume he came around the time he bit down roughly on my shoulder.
I wasn’t sure how we ended up back on the couch, with N
ick draped fully over me, but the world was coming back into focus as he kissed my neck and leather enveloped my skin. Nick gasped between kisses and let his fingers wander across my neck.
“Did you mean it?”
He nuzzled into my hair.
“Wha…?” I couldn’t get full words out.
“Can I take care of everything?” His warm breath came and went on my shoulder.
“Can you just ask me?” My voice was breathy.
He leaned in and everything inside me twitched when he bit my shoulder again.
“Nick, if you just ask me, I’ll let you.” I sighed. “I’ll let you do anything.”
He chuckled against my hair and pressed his hips against my ass.
“Just include me,” I begged and he kissed my jaw.
“I’ll try. I’ll always try.” He was still kissing every inch of my skin, wrapped oh-so-tightly around me. “Kate Elliot, you’re it for me. Let me be everything for you, too.”
I twisted, gasping when he fell out of me, then again when I saw something brand new and utterly shocking in his eyes. My entire universe swirled there in front of me.
“Nick, you already are my everything.”
He slowly started kissing me again, taking my lips and sucking where he’d broken skin before.
****
Neither of us could see very far past each other. I was tracing the lines of his face with my fingers the way my eyes had the night I’d forgiven him. He traced tenderly along my collarbone.
Our relationship was in my hands again. Nick was an unwavering rock, determined to protect me, as unnecessary or as excessive as he might be about it. I softened even further into him, hoping he would sense it mirrored my deepest feelings.
In hindsight, it wasn’t a good thing we were so wrapped up in each other. If we’d continued fighting, or refrained from disagreeing in the first place, we might have noticed the wispy pillar of smoke that rose from the balcony. Or that a man sat with an ankle crossed casually over his knee, smoking a Cuban cigar on the frigid patio.
If Jaime had stayed…
