The Morning After

by Dorie Graham

“Just watch. They’ll be passed out by the time we get back to our house. With luck, they’ll sleep until Peg picks them up at five,” Steven said.

  Niece number two obediently took Becca’s hand as they all headed toward the parking lot. Her sister’s head rested on her uncle’s shoulder as he carried her to the car. Dylan loaded the various bags and a striped umbrella into the trunk while Steven and Becca buckled the youngsters into matching car seats.

  Dylan stood back and dug through his pockets for his keys. Steven had trouble with the buckle and Becca leaned over to help him. On the whole, they formed quite a domestic picture. When Steven slipped his arm around his wife and they paused for a moment to gaze at their nieces, who were indeed settling down with drooping eyelids, an odd sensation stirred in the pit of Dylan’s stomach.

  In spite of the trouble the two young terrors had caused throughout the afternoon, in spite of the fact that they were someone else’s children, his friends cared for them as if they were their own. Steven had mentioned that he and Rebecca were trying for their first. It wouldn’t be long before they formed a happy family of their own.

  Dylan cleared his throat. “Can you two make it from here on your own?”

  “We’ve got it.” Steven nodded, his arm still wrapped around Becca. He motioned toward the backseat. “They look pretty harmless once they’re asleep.”

  Dylan swallowed past a lump in his throat as his gaze flitted over the pink-cheeked faces. No sense getting too attached to the idea of sweet sleeping children. It wasn’t as if there were any in his future. “Yeah, harmless.”

  Becca freed herself and moved beside him to plant a firm kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for helping out today. We probably weren’t as ready as we thought.”

  “They’re a handful.”

  “Well, we’ll just start with one. Then we’ll see.”

  “That sounds safe. You take care.” He turned to Steven. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ve got a drawing with the new foundation I want to show you.”

  “That’s straight. I’ll check it out. You have a good night. Hey, Dylan, have you thought any about calling Nikki?”

  Dylan blew out a breath. That one had caught him off guard. “She’ll be by next Saturday for the inspection. We’ll see how that goes.”

  Becca frowned but refrained from comment. The look she gave him said it all, though: he was an idiot.

  He bade them goodbye and headed for his car. If he’d had little to offer Nikki before, he had even less now. No partnership, minimal income for the next few years and not nearly enough time in the day.

  How could he possibly call her?

  As he pulled out of the lot and passed Steven’s car, that odd sensation stirred again in Dylan’s gut. Steven had it all: a thriving career, an adoring wife and the possibility of a family.

  Could that odd feeling be envy? He shoved the unpleasant thought aside, along with the disturbing thought that Saturday and Nikki were just a few short days away.

  16

  A SLIGHT BREEZE STIRRED the thick afternoon air as Nikki stood on Dylan’s doorstep with Ginger. The strange vehicle in the driveway seemed to indicate that the house inspector had already arrived.

  She inhaled deeply to try to dispel the funny feeling in her stomach as footsteps approached from inside the house. Dylan opened the door, then stepped back to let them enter. “Come in. The inspector has been here for a little while. I hope you don’t mind he’s already started.”

  “He’s the best,” Ginger assured Nikki as she brushed past Dylan.

  Nikki nodded and glanced toward Dylan, her heart thrumming. He avoided making eye contact with her and moved ahead of them into the kitchen. He gestured toward a man who fiddled with the lock on one of the windows. “Ladies, this is Hank Morris, the inspector.”

  “Morning.” The elderly gentleman nodded, his expression serious.

  “Hank and I go way back. Don’t we, Hank?” Ginger patted her hair.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Nikki cleared her throat. “So how does it look so far?”

  Hank moved to the next window. “So far so good. The seal is going on that refrigerator, though.”

  Her gaze swerved to Dylan and he shrugged. For just that second, the awkwardness seemed to evaporate between them and it was as though the night of the gala had never taken place. “Well, I don’t think that’s a problem. As long as the house’s structure is sound, I’m sure we can work out the rest of the details.”

  The inspector puckered his lips. “I just tell you like I see it. You make the call on what’s acceptable.”

  “He’ll give us a written report when he’s done.” Ginger gestured to the kitchen table. “Why don’t we have a seat?”

  “Yes…” Dylan hurried to pull out a chair for the agent. “Make yourselves comfortable.”

  “Thank you, dear.” The chair creaked as Ginger settled into it. “What is this I hear about you quitting your daddy’s firm? And right after making partner?”

  This time he caught Nikki’s eye as he held her chair. Warmth bloomed in her cheeks. She glanced away as she sat.

  “Well, you heard right.” He dropped into the chair opposite Nikki.

  “Looks good in here.” Hank made a note on his clipboard. “This way into the garage?”

  Dylan nodded and the man left. Ginger leaned across the table. “So out with it. Whatever made you do such a thing? I just couldn’t believe it, what with you getting the councilman acquitted and all. Seems to me you had it made.”

  His shoulders shifted beneath his golf shirt. Again his gaze pinned Nikki. “Just something I had to do.”

  Ginger’s penciled-in eyebrows drew together. “But why? I don’t understand it.”

  “I think what he’s saying is that he wasn’t happy practicing law.”

  “Oh.” Ginger shook her head. “I’ll bet that didn’t make your folks too happy.”

  “You’re right about that.” He leaned back, seemingly at ease.

  Ginger’s eyes narrowed as she digested that piece of news, her frown deepening. “So now what are you going to do? Go to work for a competitive firm? I hear the D.A. is looking for someone.”

  The question had Nikki turning to him, as well. He blew out a breath, then grinned. “Nikki’s right. I’m through with law. I’m studying architecture. One of the local colleges took pity on me and accepted my application for enrollment. I’ve been working with Steven Benson, a good friend of mine who’s a local architect and who’s letting me do a kind of apprenticeship with him. I’m doing that as well as taking classes.”

  “That’s wonderful, Dylan,” Nikki answered as Ginger squinted in an effort to absorb this new piece of information.

  He grinned and confidence radiated off of him. “You were right about a lot of things, Nikki.”

  Ginger’s gaze swept from one to the other, but her cell phone rang as she opened her mouth to comment. “I hope you two will excuse me. It seems you have plenty to talk about, and I would love to hear the details, but I have to take this call.”

  After she’d left, Nikki turned back to Dylan. “So things are going well for you?”

  “Well enough. I’m already missing that hefty income, but I’ll survive.”

  “Of course you will. I never doubted that for a moment.”

  His eyebrows drew together. “Funny, I did. I clung to that old life for all those years.” His gaze pinned her. “I couldn’t have made this change without you. I owe you thanks for at least that. I owe you an apology, too.”

  “For what?”

  “It was wrong of me to take so much from you and give so little in return. I never deserved you.”

  She was quiet a moment. “You have given to me. You’ve given your time to me. You’ve given me pleasure. Everyone deserves happiness, Dylan. In this moment here with you, I’m happy just seeing you again. Aren’t you?”

  “I shouldn’t be.”

  “And why not?”

  “Maybe some of us don’t deserve to be
happy.”

  “I suppose my aunt would say some people come to this earth to learn about unhappiness. But if that was your purpose, I’d say you’ve learned that lesson well and now it’s time to let a little joy into your life.”

  He cocked his head. “You brought me joy.”

  She smiled. Both pleasure and pain shot through her. “I’ll tell you something that might be hard to believe. It was my gift—to bring you healing through my touch.”

  He cocked his head. Curiosity mixed with his surprise. “Seriously?”

  “I wish it weren’t so.”

  “Why?”

  “I was born into it. It wasn’t my choice.”

  “Okay…” He leaned toward her. His acceptance was almost as ready as Tess’s had been. It flowed out to her in a comforting wave. “So you are some kind of…enchantress. That’s why I feel peace when I’m with you but the torment is tenfold when you’re away. You have bewitched me.”

  “I’m not an enchantress. But I am a healer, and your resistance is what brings your torment.”

  “A healer? You heal with your touch?”

  “Specifically through my lovemaking. Go ahead and laugh. It does sound ridiculous. I found it hard to believe myself. I still have my own issues with it.”

  “You mean sexual healing? I don’t find it laughable at all. In fact, I’m not all that surprised. You do have a healing touch. I felt it when we first shook hands. I could feel your magic even then. I’ve felt it when I’ve been with you ever since.” He blew out a breath. “Is that why I can’t stay away from you?”

  “As I understand it, when you resist the healing, it makes the parting hard.”

  He reached for her hand. “Nikki…I’m sorry.”

  “I’m fine.” She shrugged. “You lasted the longest so far.”

  “There’ve been others? That you used your…healing on?”

  “None like you.” She cleared her throat and straightened. “So I’ve been studying, too.”

  “Have you?”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of strange, but my mother has been mentoring me on the family…heritage.”

  “It doesn’t just come naturally?”

  “Well, it does to some extent. The more I learn, the more I realize that many of the practices seem inherent—like I was born with some previous knowledge of them, but I don’t remember it.”

  “That is a little strange.” A teasing light shone in his eyes.

  “You wouldn’t believe the reading list she’s assigned me.”

  He chuckled softly. “I’d like to see some of those books. So…no hands-on homework assignments?” Again his tone teased, but apprehension ran as an undercurrent to the question.

  “No, there hasn’t been anyone to practice all this new knowledge on.”

  He nodded and a stream of relief spiraled outward from him. Warmth filled her. He did still care about her. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

  “Nikki?” Ginger reappeared in the doorway. “I’m so sorry, sweetie, but would you mind if we got together later to go over Hank’s report? I have a slight emergency I need to take care of.”

  “Oh, no, not at all. You take care of whatever you need to. We’ll tie this up later when you have a chance.”

  “You’re an angel. Isn’t she, Dylan?” She threw him a speculative glance. “Do you want me to drop you at home, Nikki? I’d forgotten you rode with me.”

  “I’ll see that she gets home.”

  Nikki’s pulse raced as Dylan’s gaze locked with hers. Ginger thanked him, then bade them goodbye with the promise to call Nikki later. All the while, Nikki drank in the desire that flowed from Dylan in soft waves. This was not the fierce hunger she’d felt from him in the past. The intensity of it had curbed, transforming it into more of an uncertain longing.

  Her eyes misted and she rose to put some distance between them. Footsteps sounded in the hall and the house inspector peered in at them. “That’s it. I’ll write up my report, then get it to Mrs. Parker. You’ll have a copy, too, Mr. Cain.”

  “That’ll be fine. Thank you.” Dylan shook his hand and Nikki nodded from her spot by the sink.

  She stood rooted in place, even after the scrape of the front door opening then closing drifted to them from down the hall. Distant sounds of traffic filtered from outside. The warmth of the sun penetrated the glass of the window and melted into her skin, sending gooseflesh rippling up her arms.

  Dylan moved to stand beside her. He ran his hand up her arm, smoothing away the bumps. “Nikki, I…”

  She cupped his cheek. “It’s okay.”

  “No, it isn’t. Nothing’s quite okay without you. I…miss you.”

  Then she was in his arms and his mouth claimed hers. The kiss only fed the longing as they maneuvered closer, tongues dueling, bodies straining. Her heart thrummed as he lifted her and carried her to his bed.

  Dylan broke the kiss to lay Nikki on the soft comforter, then he stretched out beside her. “I’d like to offer a new deal.”

  “No deals, Dylan. Not this time.”

  “But I want more. You’ve helped me see that I shouldn’t have shut you out before—that I should have shared more of my life with you.”

  “Let’s just take this one day at a time. No deals. No promises.”

  He meant to protest, but she kissed him again, pressing her body to his and distracting him with the savory texture of her tongue. His pulse quickened as he responded in kind, pulling her close and caressing her back. He slid his hands down and squeezed her firm bottom. She made a soft sound in her throat and moved against him, stirring him through his clothes.

  After an endless time, he pulled away just far enough to gaze down at her. “Will you stay with me tonight? I want to fall asleep with you, then wake in the morning to make love to you again.”

  “Yes, I’ll stay.” She tugged on his shirt and he slipped it off with one smooth motion.

  She ran her hands over his torso tracing the valleys where muscle met bone as he unbuttoned her blouse. He swept the shirt open, then cupped her breasts through her bra. Moaning softly, he buried his face in her cleavage as he kneaded her.

  How he’d missed the feel of her.

  “So beautiful,” he whispered against her flesh.

  His thumbs pushed aside the lacy cups and he nuzzled a path to first one nipple, then the next, feasting on her with the steady pull of his mouth. Liquid heat spread through her veins. She moaned as he suckled her, then drew back to blow on the hardened peak.

  They helped each other out of the remainder of their clothes, tossing garments aside to stroke and fondle as they pleased. She found his male nipples and teased them, rolling them between her fingers until he could hardly bear the intense sensation. It was almost a relief when she pushed him to his back, then straddled him and kissed his eyes shut. He inhaled her scent as she moved over him placing kisses at his crown, forehead, then throat.

  Nudging her legs apart with his knee, he slipped his hand along her thigh to the slick folds of her femininity. She nuzzled his throat as he traced her clit, strumming it to a straining point. Then he slid two fingers into her welcoming heat and stroked her until she raised her head and moaned.

  She moved away from him, sliding down his body to kiss the center of his chest, her mouth warm and soft. She paused there long enough for him to trace his hands over her back, then she placed another lingering kiss on his belly before slipping her hand to his cock. When her fingers closed over him, he shut his eyes and let the sensations take him.

  They both reached for the nightstand drawer at the same time, and he fumbled with the condom. She helped to ready him with frustrated groans, until she slid over him and he pressed up into her, her warmth and vibrancy gloving him, sending excited tendrils of heat flowing through him.

  Time suspended as she rode him, and he let his gaze travel over her flushed face, the pink tips of her breasts and the joining of their bodies, her skin translucent as the tension coiled through his body, bringing him closer
to climax.

  Her mouth formed a silent cry as she shuddered and her orgasm claimed her. She fell across him, her hair fanning across his face and her breath whispering across his cheek as a rainbow of light burst all around him and he came deep inside her.

  “I’VE MADE A DECISION.” NIKKI tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and waited until Dylan glanced up from his task of massaging lotion into her arm.

  They’d had a beautiful night of loving and a languorous morning of more loving, followed by a soak in the tub and now this liberal pampering of every inch of her body. Who was she to complain if he wanted to spoil her?

  “This is serious,” she said as her towel slipped and his gaze slid to the exposed curve of her breast. She adjusted the towel and cleared her throat. “Now pay attention.”

  “Nikki, love, you are my total focus today. Your wish is my command.”

  “Good. I’ll need your cooperation for this.”

  “Just name it. I aim to please.”

  “Okay. I want you to release me from the contract on this house.”

  He stared at her in silence a moment, his forehead crinkling. “I don’t understand.”

  “You can’t sell this house, Dylan.”

  “But I have. To you.”

  “Then let’s undo it. It isn’t too late. We haven’t closed yet. And I don’t want to buy it anymore.”

  He straightened. “Why not? This is a great house. I mean, a really great house. You won’t find any others like it anywhere.”

  “Exactly.”

  His frown deepened. “Nikki, I think I get what you’re doing here, but it’s okay. It’s important to you to establish your own place, right?”

  “Yes, but I can find another place. This is your place. You dreamed it. You designed it. You created it. As much as I want this absolutely incredible house, I could never want it the way you do. It’s yours, Dylan. I couldn’t stand to see you sell it, not when I know what it means to you. Especially now that you’re studying to be an architect.”

  The blue of his eyes darkened. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Just say you’ll release me. You promised to cooperate.”