Nikki sits straighter as she affirms, "You're right. And I saw the same person as Austin and now that I think of it, Sara’s hair is more of an auburn shade. This person had almost a bright red color."
Knowing that he needs to inform his family of everything else that has been going on, he tells them about the financial concerns and sabotage of his company.
"I have people from the FBI looking into it."
"I think this is all related," Jameson declares. "If someone knows that you're on their trail, they're going to do whatever they can to get rid of you. You may not even be the only company they’re stealing from. Things like this happen more frequently than you know."
Joseph nods in agreement at his youngest son's assessment.
"So what should I do?"
"I think we set this bastard up," his father orders with a smile.
Austin’s brothers and sisters turn their attention towards their father, eyes wide in both awe and surprise. Usually his father was the level-headed one, always thinking through all outcomes before making a decision.
"What do you have in mind?" their mother adds, surprising the kids further.
Under her breath, Austin hears Cassidy murmur, "What the hell is going on?" as she assess their parents formulating a plan to catch whomever is out to destroy their son.
"So," Joseph bellows. "This is what we're going to do."
NIKKI SITS QUIETLY BESIDE Austin as she takes in the dynamics of his family. She smiles as they all speak over each other, overwhelmed by sheer love and concern for their brother.
Austin's body tenses up when his father suggests setting up the suspect. Nikki reaches over the blankets that cover Austin's lower extremities and takes a hold of his free hand.
Listening intently, she watches the room grow silent when Joseph divulges the details of his plan.
"In two days, it's New Year's Eve, and the town puts on one of its largest celebrations to ring in the upcoming year. We all plan on being at Logan and Avery's party, but this person doesn't know that. It seems they know Austin's every move, so let's start talking out in the open about going to the town celebration."
"But what about the party?" Avery asks, tears welling in her eyes as she tucks herself into Logan's arms.
"Oh, darling, we're still going to your party. We're just going to make everyone think we're going to the town celebration."
"Ok," his half-sister murmurs.
Speaking up, Nikki says, "I still don't understand."
Nodding his head, Joseph continues, "I suggest we use a decoy at the town festival and work with the FBI to apprehend the suspect."
"You know this town, Joseph. Everyone is going to want to be involved."
"That's what I am counting on. Someone is bound to see something suspicious. Hell, I bet the Busy Bees are already formulating the same plan."
"But what will we do to lure the person in?" Cassidy inquires.
"This is the part that the FBI will need to set up - it will be their man after all. We just need to think of something that will seem normal for Austin, but will have him alone."
The family is collectively lost in thought for a moment, formulating plans and scenarios until they are all startled by the doctor waltzing into the room.
"Well, Mr. Connelly, everything looks good and we'll be discharging you shortly. All I ask is that you keep your head wound clean and take it easy on your back for a few days. If you develop any headaches, please contact your primary care physician. Other than that, you're very lucky."
"Yes, I am," Austin replies as he squeezes Nikki’s hand and glances around the room. "I know that the Sheriff is going to want to talk to me when we get back to Carson, but I'd like to have the FBI colleagues I've been working with present so we can come up with something."
"I'll let Fred know. I'm sure he'll be ok with that," his father concurs before he and Amy usher everyone from the room, once again leaving Austin and Nikki alone.
"We'll be in the waiting room when you guys are ready," Logan explains as he pops his head around the door once more.
Nikki laughs and Austin's eyes shine as if he can feel it deep within his soul. She can't believe she ever felt that she needed to maintain her distance from him. He was everything that made her feel complete, and now that she was carrying his daughter, her soul absolutely craved him.
Nikki helps Austin dress in his clothing from earlier, except for the jacket that was torn into shreds from the blast and debris. His work boots and jeans all came out unscathed (minus a few tears), much to their surprise.
Finally, the nurse walks into the room with his paperwork and a wheelchair.
"I don't need that," he immediately asserts.
"I'm sorry, sir. It's protocol."
Begrudgingly, he lowers himself into the small-wheeled chair and taps his fingers along the arms as he waits for Nikki to gather his few bagged items. The nurse wheels him out to the small Emergency Room waiting area and sets the brakes. As he goes to stand, she nudges his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. The look on his face betrays his surprise at her strength.
"I have to wheel you to the transport area. Your friend is going to get his vehicle, then you can be rid of me," the older nurse explains.
Nikki chuckles in the background and he turns to look at her. She attempts to cover her mouth with her hand, but her shoulders continue to shake in laugher.
"What's so funny?"
"You just got put in your place."
"Humph," Austin grumbles, then spots Logan's car pulling up beneath the awning.
He turns his head to glare at the nurse, who only smiles down at him in return and pushes him outside.
"Now you take care of yourself. I'll get out of your way," the nurse concedes.
As she moves to enter the hospital's Emergency Room, she stops by Nikki and squeezes her arm slightly.
"You have your hands full with that one."
"Yes ma'am, and I couldn't be happier about it," Nikki responds.
The nurse turns and winks at Austin, then disappears behind the sliding glass doors.
"Do you need any help, man?" Logan inquires, helping Avery into her seat.
"No, I think I can manage."
Testing the locks on the wheelchair, Austin jostles back and forth a bit before rising from the chair. Nikki rushes forward and takes his arm, draping it around her shoulders.
"I'm fine, Nikki."
As she helps him walk to the car, the pain in his back seems to be growing with each step and he murmurs at last, "Well, maybe I'm not."
Austin manages to slide into the back of the BMW with ease and a sigh of relief. Nikki enters the other side and slides all the way to the center of the seat, rather than remaining close to the door. He wraps his arm around her, knowing that she wants to be close, and allows her to rest her head on his shoulder.
The car ride back to Carson from Asheville is long and tiring, and it isn’t long before all parties are discussing their need to turn in early. Of course, Nikki can only imagine the welcome party waiting for them as they return to town.
Once they pull off the highway and onto the main road that will take them to Carson, she nudges Austin awake - he had fallen into a deep sleep about ten minutes into the journey home.
"Hey, we're close to the site, so we can pick up your truck."
"Hmmm? Oh, right."
Reaching into his pocket, he grabs the keys that had remained tucked within its depths.
As they approach the town's main thoroughfare, Nikki spots most of the community standing on the walkways, waving and cheering for Austin's arrival.
"What did mom do?"
Avery turns in her seat and chuckles, "She does what she does best: gossip."
"It's sweet that they all want to see for themselves that you truly are alright. I've never seen anything like it," Nikki adds in a solemn voice.
"We are a big family here," Austin explains. "A family that all of you are now a part of," he adds to the group. "It wil
l be the same when each of you gets married, or when you give birth, or if something tragic happens. The Carson community bans together. You'll see."
After waving at a few of the stragglers standing at the edge of town, Logan pulls his car into the parking lot next to the demo site.
"Get some rest, man. Everyone can wait until tomorrow."
"I will, thanks for the ride and for taking care of Nikki," Austin replies, patting Logan's shoulder from the back seat.
Spinning in her seat, Avery garners everyone's attention when she exclaims, "Oh, I need you guys to help me a little bit on Saturday before the party starts. Do you think you can arrive around 5pm or so?"
"Sure, we'll be there as long as Austin is feeling up to it."
Nikki turns to check with Austin and he's already speaking to Avery, confirming that they'll be there early to help however they can. Even if he has to sit in a chair the entire time.
"You're not getting out of wearing a suit," Logan claims. "You'll sit and look dapper, but if I have to wear a suit, I’ll be damned if you don’t."
Laughing, Nikki exits the car and moves to help Austin from his seat, but as she reaches his side of the car, the muscular man is already stepping from the back on his own. She presses the key fob and lets Austin into the passenger seat without argument.
They head out of the lot and slowly make their way down Main Street towards Austin's home. Nikki barely touches the gas, moving slowly so that Austin can hang out of the window and wave and speak to everyone. It honestly feels like she's taking part in a parade, except she isn't able to perfect her princess wave.
As Angie's come into view, Nikki spots the matriarch herself rushing from the entrance with a plastic bag in hand.
"Austin!" Angie shouts as the truck approaches. Handing him the bag through the window, she reveals, "I've made you both some Sheppard's pie and a helping of apple cobbler."
"Thank you, Angie. I truly appreciate it."
"How are you feeling, son?"
"Better than I should, that's for sure."
Nodding her head, she winks in Nikki's direction before stepping back from the vehicle and waving them on.
Luckily, much of the fanfare has disseminated, so Nikki is able to get him back to home more quickly than she expected.
She takes the bag from Austin as they exit the truck and heads straight to the kitchen to serve the meal while Austin takes care of Duke. They sit down and eat quickly, finishing the hearty dinner and homemade cobbler in record time. An uncomfortable feeling sweeps over Nikki, but she is unsure of the cause. Looking up from her plate, she finds Austin's heated gaze as he glowers in her direction.
"I think we can put your bath to good use. The hot water will keep your muscles from tensing. I'll go get it ready for you."
As Nikki rises from the table, Austin grips her wrist as she passes.
Rubbing circles with his thumb on the sensitive skin of her wrist, Austin interrupts the intense sensation shuddering through her body by stating, "You better be naked and waiting for me in that tub, Nikki."
As he tears his gaze away from his plate and pins her with his stare, Nikki finds herself gulping and nodding in response.
"Oh...um...ok," she whispers, wetness pooling in her panties.
"Good. Because, sweetheart, the only remedy I need tonight is you."
AUSTIN WAITS PATIENTLY AT the kitchen table until he hears the water stop running in the upstairs master bathroom. He slowly stands and scrapes their plates into the trash before loading them and the utensils into the dishwasher. Noticing Duke at the door, he lets his dog into the mudroom and pats his head lovingly.
Figuring he has given Nikki enough time to settle into the water, he heads up the stairs unhurriedly. As he walks into his room, he removes his black Connelly Construction shirt, taking care not to disturb the stitches at the back of his head. Remembering that he has been shaved almost bald, he turns to gaze at his reflection in the mirror. Surprisingly, he doesn't mind the new look, though he does prefer his longer locks - while he is young and still has all of his hair, anyway.
At least I have options if I ever start going bald.
Swiping his hand across his slick head once more, he sits on the edge of the bed before bending carefully to remove his shoes and pants, tossing them towards his closet, followed by his boxer briefs.
The muscles in his back growl angrily in response to his movements when he stands. He grimaces slightly before the muscles relax and he can move forward.
The bathroom across the way beckons him closer like a siren's call, her song a melodic verse, only hinting at the treasure it holds inside.
Austin takes a deep breath and reaches down as he imagines Nikki's body soaking in the deep water. He strokes his cock once, twice, three times before opening the door to the bathroom and coming face to face with his vision.
And a vision she is.
Nikki's body lies sprawled under the water, her head resting back against the claw foot edge. A glassy vision of beauty set before his eyes.
She has twisted her hair up onto the top of her head. Loose wet ringlets scattered around her face and small waves of water lap at her chin, seeking a taste of her lips. The same lips that Austin craves. With her eyes closed, she doesn't see Austin approaching. One of her delicate feet strokes up the shin of her other leg, bringing her knee out of the water. Watching the droplets disperse across her taught skin, Austin hears a groan rise from deep within his throat.
At first her eyes open in alarm, but the corners quickly rise in amusement as she realizes that it’s him.
"Are you going to join me?" she asks innocently.
"In a minute…… I just want to finish looking at you."
Instead of remaining in her position, she stands and removes herself from the tub. The water drips down her striking body, and Austin finds another growl building in his chest as he watches her nipples pucker from the chill.
Unable to help himself, he reaches out to graze one of the pert peaks with the back of his hand, but she moves out of his reach and drops to her knees before him. Her hands glide up his legs and then back down his thighs, repeating the movement and coming closer to his dick with every stroke.
What seems like hours later, she leans forward and places her full lips on the tip of his penis as if she were kissing the soft skin. She continues to place kisses along the sides of his shaft before repeating the same movements on his tightening balls.
"Baby, you're killing me here," he growls.
She doesn't respond, instead, she wraps those full lips around his pulsing head and sucks him into her mouth. Nikki only takes him a few inches at first, but as she continues to glide him in and out of her mouth, she takes him deeper until he can feel his tip stroking against the back of her throat.
Fuck, she has no gag reflex. How did I forget that?
How he hadn't noticed that piece of information up until this point he'll never know. But to be frank, Austin always felt as if he were lost in another dimension every time he and Nikki came together in any sexual capacity.
Her hand joins into the exchange, Nikki performing a combination of stroking and sucking that will soon have him exploding in her throat.
"Nikki, fuck, I'm going to come, baby."
Instead of heeding his warning, she increases her speed and moans around his shaft, the reverberations of the noise vibrating against the sensitive skin.
The tingling deep within his spine begins and he knows that it's only moments before he spills his seed into her mouth. Austin taps her shoulder, but as she continues her ministrations, he finds his right hand gripping a lock of the hair on top of her head and guiding her into a faster pace.
As his load expels from the tip of his cock down the warmth of her throat, she swallows every morsel. She licks her lips clean as she releases his member from her mouth and stands before him with a satisfied smile on her face.
"Thank you, baby."
As she steps back into the tub, she replies over
her shoulder, "Don't thank me. I needed that as much as you did."
Crouching into the water, she tucks her knees close to her chest and turns her head towards him as he stands mouth agape at her declaration.
"Are you going to join me?" she asks again saucily and he finds himself breaking free of her spell and climbing into the tub behind her, tugging her body so that it rests against his.
"Is your back ok?" she asks before fully relaxing her body against him.
"Mmhmm," he murmurs as he cups some of the water in his hands and releases the liquid onto her chest.
They stay in the bath a while longer, until the rapidly cooling water becomes too much for them. Austin steps away first and retrieves a towel from the rod on the wall, wrapping it around his waist. Grabbing a second towel, he helps Nikki stand from the tub before drying off each piece of her body, paying special attention to the apex between her thighs.
"Austin," she moans. "I don't want you to overdo it."
"It's fine, darlin’."
Releasing the knot of his towel, he tosses his and hers into the wicker basket in the corner before grabbing her hand and escorting her to the bed.
Austin sits down, tugging Nikki between his thighs. His hands travel up and down her arms and neck as her face transforms before his eyes to one of utter relaxation. She tilts her head back and closes her eyes, absorbing the feel of his touch.
His hands explore her body further, turning their attention to her chest and stomach, spending a few additional strokes of affection on her protruding stomach where she is carrying their child. As he continues caressing from her breasts down to her upper thighs, her mouth opens slightly while her body shivers, goose bumps covering the surface of her skin. Austin's touch becomes more seeking as the tips of his fingers brush her breasts, grazing her rigid nipples just so. He slowly cups one breast fully within his hand, testing its weight and softness. Nikki’s breasts, now fuller from the pregnancy, seem foreign yet so familiar all at once. Leaning closer to her body, he licks the skin around her nipple, the pink areola now wet, and then repeats the motion with the other breast.
Coming Together: Welcome to Carson, Book Two Page 12
