Solving for Nic (Self Made Men...Southern Style Book 2)

by Lexxi Callahan

  “See? Beautiful.”

  Her breath caught and her lips parted as he resumed taking total control of her body, hell, her entire existence with each dangerous roll of his fingers. She didn’t recognize herself in the wanton creature leaning back against the tall dark man who was doing wicked things to her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away as he built the small nuclear explosion inside her. Her muscles seized then broke loose in a shattering wave of white hot pleasure as she watched herself fly apart like lightning in his hands.

  Nic caught her before she collapsed. He sat down in one of the armchairs and pulled her into his lap, refusing to admit to himself how good it felt when she curled into him. He held her, while reaction shivered through her.

  She hadn’t made a sound. How could she be so quiet and come that hard? Amazing. “Okay?” A strange protective urge swept over him.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be okay.”

  The instinct to lose himself inside her right then was staggering, but Nic had never been controlled by his emotions or his sex drive.

  “Don’t make me do that again.” She melted against his chest, pressing her head under his chin. Technically it might have been a cuddle, except Nic didn’t cuddle but he liked how she felt curled against him, and he pulled her tighter against his chest, and rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

  “I’m going to make you do that a lot, beautiful girl, but I’ll make sure we’re at home next time.” Nic shut his eyes hoping she didn’t realize he’d said home…he’d meant alone.

  She nodded. “Kay.” The word whispered across his overheated skin.

  “I couldn’t help myself.” He hurried to cover his slip. “It’s these shoes. When I do lock you up, you’ll be wearing these. They are spectacular.” He'd meant it as a joke, but there wasn't a shred of humor in his words.

  No, he meant them. He wanted to carry her off and lock her away and keep her all to himself. He didn't want anyone else near her.

  She laughed. The sound played around in his chest, teasing at his heart, making it feel strangely light. “You haven’t gotten the bill yet.”

  She slid away from him, unsteady on the five inch heels. She turned around, dazed and vulnerable. “What is this, Nic? What are we doing?”

  Another protective instinct swelled inside him. Maybe he was getting in way over his head but instead of backing off, he did something he’d never done before. He tried to reassure her.

  “Let’s see, I’m taking you out to dinner.” He kept it light and gentle. “We’ll have some interesting wine. Talk about all sorts of unimportant things. Then I’ll take you home and kiss you good night. I think you call that a date.”

  He wanted to see her smile all the time, except when she was screaming out his name the way he planned for her to as soon as he got her home…no, he meant alone.

  “A date?” She wished the amusement in Nic’s eyes wasn’t turning her insides back into mush.

  “Yes, what did you think?”

  “That we’re having fun.”

  “If you consider going insane fun, then I guess I’m having a lot of fun. Take your time. They’ll hold our table as long as it takes.”

  She watched him leave in the mirror, the door closing behind him. Her legs were weak and her arms were too heavy. Curling up in the armchair he’d been sitting in and going to sleep was way too tempting.

  A date. Really? A date meant possibilities, not a stolen week she’d already labeled a fling.

  A week, she reminded herself. She could handle a week. A fun week to get him out of her system. She had to remember this was temporary. She couldn’t let herself get so caught up in him that she forgot who she was. Or what she had to do.

  When she stepped outside the dressing room a few minutes later, his eyes skimmed over her. The approval in his smile didn’t quite match the admonition in his words. “You didn’t follow my instructions.”

  She stopped short, her forehead creasing in concern as she frowned. She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or not. Who did he think he was anyway? She wanted to tell him that he had no right to give her instructions then she remembered that arm candy probably always did as instructed. Still she wasn’t playing dumb when she asked. “What instructions?” She honestly didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “Two dresses and a pair of shoes doesn't equal a lot.”

  “Oh.” The word escaped. Was she supposed to apologize for not going crazy in the boutique? They were only here for a week and he knew she didn’t want him buying her a bunch of clothes. “Wait.” She stepped forward when he brushed past her toward the racks of hideously overpriced designer wear.

  She watched, equally excited and horrified as he added more dresses, a teal silk robe with a huge poppy on the side, and a few outfits she had been drooling over earlier. Then he found the lingerie and Lizzie discovered she could turn multiple shades of pink and purple at the same time. Grateful there was no one else in the dress shop, she could hardly breathe until he told Anna he was satisfied.

  “Nic.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Don’t get all this. It’s too much.” She glanced down at her feet and tried to feel guilty. But the shoes were fantastic and there was no way she could feel anything but sexy in them. Oh, she'd have hell to pay later if her father or brother found out, but she would make sure that didn’t happen.

  “Humor me,” he said, as they left the shop.

  She leaned against him, balancing on the heels. “You're spoiling me.”

  “That's the idea,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

  “I could pay for this if I had my purse. I couldn’t find it back at the house and my cell phone is in it too.” She stopped talking when she saw his expression turn slightly guilty. Shock rippled through her “You didn’t take it, did you? Because that would be a little scary.”

  He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Paradise. Remember? No cell phones allowed and you don’t need your wallet while you’re with me.”

  “You have your phone.”

  “I’m not on vacation. Relax, Lizzie. It’s safe.”

  Well, that was something. At least her cell phone was safe, because she certainly wasn’t. She was trying to decide what she thought when Anna handed her the small bag that matched the Jimmy Choos. “I added a few things you might need,” the lady confided.

  Lizzie popped it open and found a lipstick, mints, tissue, powder, hand sanitizer and basically everything arm candy should be concerned with. She took a deep breath but it caught in her throat. She’d spent five hours in a resort full of telephones and it hadn’t once occurred to her to ask to use one.

  “You ready?” Nic asked, his smile telling her he’d thought the same thing. He held his hand out for her. “Choose fun, Lizzie.”

  She placed her hand in his and did exactly that.

  The restaurant had a veranda right out on the beach. Wind chimes mixed with the sound of the surf as they were seated at the table closest to the water. Candles gave off a soothing warm glow and there were flowers everywhere. Lizzie didn’t think she’d ever seen a more beautiful setting. She couldn’t believe they had it all to themselves, but none of the other tables were occupied. The interior dining room was packed and people had been waiting for tables when the hostess walked them straight through.

  There was already a bottle of wine open on the table and Nic waved off the server and poured their glasses himself. She sipped it cautiously. It was lighter than she expected and fruity. She set the glass back down. “Berries?”

  “Not too dry, then?”

  She took another careful sip. She was reeling from earlier and the setting was intoxicating enough. She didn’t need to add more trouble to the mix with alcohol. “No.”

  The server returned with a menu for Lizzie. Her heart threatened to escape her throat as she hesitated before opening it. She blinked a few times, plastered on her best smile and tried to act normal. She hated being such a freak about food.

  “Is ther
e a problem with the menu? If you don’t see anything you like…”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry.”

  No surprises there. None of his first dates were ever hungry. “The fish is good.”

  She flinched. “There are mushrooms.”

  Okay, she didn’t like mushrooms. He wanted to know what she did like, besides plain scrambled eggs. Nic reached across the table and took the oversized menu from her. The server hadn’t given him one because all the chefs in his resorts knew his food requirements. He scanned the selection of specials. “The chicken is…” he stopped, when she shivered in revulsion. “You don’t eat chicken?”

  She took a quick sip of her wine. “No. Too many antibiotics and growth hormones.”

  “Free range or organic? No? But you do eat eggs?”

  “Yes, and dairy. I couldn’t live without ice cream.”

  “Then dessert’s a no brainer?”

  She smiled, and Nic felt the lightness return to his chest. He glanced back at the menu. “I’m going to take a guess and say no red meat or baby animals.”

  “No.”

  “Definitely not the suckling pig?” he teased her, looking back to see her struggling to smile as she turned a light shade of green.

  “Definitely.”

  “That leaves fish.”

  The opening he’d given her was too delicious to pass up. She sighed tragically. “This fish is a problem because I don’t have my cell phone.”

  His head snapped back. “You need your cell phone to order fish?”

  “I have an app.”

  “An app? Are you counting calories?”

  Lizzie swallowed hard. She couldn’t answer that. She was pretty sure arm candy did not track their calories in their head a week at a time. “No, there’s a Seafood Watch app. It helps find ocean friendly fish.”

  “Ocean friendly fish?”

  She nodded. “The ones that aren’t overfished. It can also let you know if mercury levels are too high and…” She trailed off when she registered the surprise on his face. “You don’t want to hear all this.”

  Nic pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Not true. I think you’d better download it for me although I would hope the restaurants in our resorts already serve ocean friendly fish.”

  Lizzie reached for the phone and he caught her hand, his thumb brushing across her fingers before releasing the phone to her.

  “Something you’d better know about me.” He eased back in his chair. “I’m a pescetarian. I only eat seafood, eggs and dairy.”

  Warmth cascaded through her. “Me too. I haven’t eaten meat since Stefan told me the truth about chicken nuggets.”

  Nic smothered a laugh. “I haven’t eaten meat since I moved to Texas.”

  Her eyes widened but before she could ask what he meant, the server appeared at their table.

  “Order for us. You don’t need the menu. Tell her what you want.”

  What was it like going through life knowing everyone made sure you got everything you wanted the way you wanted it? Different worlds. She took a light breath and ordered. “I haven’t had mahi-mahi this month.”

  “We have a special tonight,” the server offered. “Mahi-mahi Grilled with a lemon glaze served with roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts.”

  “Do you like Brussels sprouts?” Nic asked her.

  “Oddly, yes,” she admitted. “The special sounds good.”

  Nic ordered the same. The server left as the sommelier arrived with more wine. Lizzie glanced around the empty dining room while Nic tasted the wine. The restaurant was lovely. Ceiling fans turned down low kept the air moving and the candles flickered against all the white tablecloths covering empty tables. Which was odd, the lobby had been packed when they walked through.

  Surely, Nic wouldn’t clear out an entire dining room so he and Lizzie could have dinner alone? No one had come into the boutique while she was there either, and she’d walked right in at the spa, past ladies flipping through magazines and drinking Mimosas while they waited. She turned back to him. It was hard to believe he owned this entire resort. He could clear out the entire building if he wanted to.

  The sommelier left and Nic turned his attention back to her.

  “Nic, is it a good idea to keep all these tables empty?”

  He shrugged. “I like my space.”

  She couldn’t help comparing the menu prices versus the number of empty tables. Based on normal table turn over time, families could live on what it was costing Nic to keep the dining room empty but that wasn’t what concerned Lizzie.

  “Yes, but I’m sure your wait staff depend on tips.” Her cheeks burned at the shocked expression on his face. She really needed to Google how to be arm candy. She had no idea what she was doing.

  She cringed as he nodded at the dangerous looking man standing on the edge of the dining room. She’d noticed him in the lobby earlier and as he approached their table she realized he wore a sidearm under the understated gray suit.

  “Tag, ask the manager to seat these tables.”

  Tag glanced at Lizzie, surprise lifting his eyebrows although the rest of his expression didn’t flicker. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Who was that?” Lizzie asked, as Tag moved away.

  “Tag is head of my security.”

  “You have security?”

  Nic nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

  Alarm prickled through her as the server arrived with their salads. She lost the chance to ask more questions. Don’t forget who he is, Lizzie, she told herself as she set the pot of salad dressing aside, careful not to let it touch the spring mix. Salad dressing was a menace.

  “No dressing?”

  She shook her head, not wanting to meet his eyes. He was really going to think she was a freak. “Do you have any idea what can fall into dressing?”

  “I see your point.”

  Stunned, she watched him transfer the strawberries from his salad to hers. Lizzie caught her breath. This really was a date. She was on a date with Nic, and it didn’t feel at all like a first date He’d even remembered she loved strawberries.

  “You have the strangest expression on your face.”

  She didn’t doubt it. She felt strange. The whole world seemed to be tilted two degrees differently than she was. Enough to throw her off, but not enough for anyone else to notice. Except for Nic. Nothing got by him.

  “I’m not dreaming.” The truth escaped her before she could think of something clever to say. More hot color swept over her face. Someone needed to invent a laser therapy to stop the blushing response. Lizzie would happily be their first test subject.

  “You're wide awake.” He leaned back in his chair, a teasing, and slightly smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth. She could still feel that mouth moving along her shoulders, and his hands scalding her skin. “Do you dream about me a lot?”

  The arrogance of the question broke through the peculiar feeling of everything being familiar and strange at the same time.

  “I bet you always wake up before the good part?” His deep voice took on a hoarseness that shimmered all over her skin, then went deeper, stoking her inner glow into a raging bonfire.

  Nic watched the emotions play over her face. The wine, the candlelight warming her creamy skin was starting to get to him and he didn't like not knowing what he was going to do next. Except he felt a strange sense of anticipation. He hadn’t felt it in so long it had taken a while for him to recognize it.

  He hadn’t realized how bored he’d been. Had been for a long time. He was only thirty-one but lately he’d felt ancient. Not anymore. The ennui was gone.

  “What did you mean you stopped eating meat when you moved to Texas? Isn’t that steak country?”

  Nic shrugged. “Obviously, I didn’t want to be there. I refused to eat anything but fish because I assumed all they ate was beef. It was childish but Claudia was so eager to play happy family, she had the cook prepare special meals for me.”

  “
Sounds like she was trying.”

  “She was.” He remembered how hard Claudia had worked to make him feel welcome. “But I was an angry kid.”

  “Claudia’s your stepmother?”

  He nodded.

  “Angie’s your half-sister?”

  The fish arrived and Nic used it as an excuse not to answer. He watched her carefully lift her fork. When she tasted a bite and smiled, he relaxed back into his chair.

  “The fish is perfect.” She smiled then returned to the subject he’d hoped dinner would distract her from. “What about your mother?”

  Maybe it was the careful tone of her voice, or the gentleness in her expression but Nic found himself answering her questions. “She died when I was six.”

  “How old were you when you moved to Texas?”

  He watched, fascinated as she blinked back tears. Tears for him? How odd. He shook the strange feeling teasing at him and continued the story he never told anyone. A story that was somehow easier to tell Lizzie.

  “Ten.” Nic paused, swallowed back the rest of the story. He didn’t want to lie to Lizzie but he wasn’t ready for her to know the truth. He reached for the wine bottle and topped off their glasses and the words started spilling out of him before he could stop himself. “I was at boarding school. I broke my arm and Claudia used it as an excuse to bring me to Texas.”

  His heart stopped. He’d never talked about his childhood. Had never wanted to, but telling Lizzie took the sting out of the trauma he kept buried. She was easy to talk to. She smiled, her gentle expression understanding without being invasive. Then she surprised him by leading the subject in a different direction. “I guess public school in Texas was a big shock?”

  Lizzie sipped her wine and pretended she didn’t notice the relief sweeping over Nic. He’d already told her more than he’d meant to. She knew because he kept trying to slide behind his calm façade.

  “It was,” he agreed. “For one thing it was co-ed.”

  “Not a bad thing?”

  He shook his head. “No, not a bad thing. They didn’t have a rugby team so I played football.”