Love Me Now (Encounters #4)

by Fifi Flowers

  I’d say we had waited long enough… maybe it was time I let him in, all of the way.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nick…

  The evening with Victoria turned out a lot better than I had expected. Talking about the possibility of another man in her life was not an appealing reason to go out on a date. I hadn’t even thought about her thinking or wondering about another woman. It was true that seven years is a long time, but something always told me that I would find her. I didn’t want someone in the way of our reunion. I just wanted her in my life. And after being in her presence again, it was as perfect as I thought it would be. The only thing that was missing was to rekindle the intimate relationship we had engaged in when we first met.

  Before we left for the restaurant, I had a feeling that if I wanted to, I could’ve talked her into bed. The way she was looking me over when I walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel set me on fire. It took every ounce of restraint not to drop the towel and help her out of her clothes. Instead I played the gentleman card and walked away to dress in the closet. A cold shower is where I thought to head at first as my dick had pressed against the terry cloth trying to escape. With a few thoughts about different contracts I needed to wrap up, I got him under control and was able to zip up my pants and return to Victoria waiting in the same spot. As I extended my hand to pull her up, I noted a hint of a sigh as I walked her out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out to the car. If I was honest, I wanted to expel the same disappointed sigh, but I wanted the moment to be right and I wanted a clear path.

  After dinner, with the air lightened around us once we discussed the possibility of my client wanting her too, I took the liberty of being a bit more affectionate. Covering her hand on the table here and there when she rested it close enough to touch, I had a feeling she was placing it deliberately a few times. Things were heating up between us talking about our baking expedition years ago while she shared her dessert with me as the server forgot to bring two forks for her Neapolitan cheesecake. As she fed me, I had vivid pictures of her naked in front of me, coated with sweet white frosting that made it onto various parts of our anatomy. And while the end of our dining experience for the most part was enjoyable, it proved to be a bit painful as well. I was happy when Sugar took the last bite of the cake and stopped licking the fork inappropriately (not really, but seeing her tongue in motion had my mind reeling).

  Finished with the meal and torment, we made our way back home to a quiet house with only my parents present. Thanking them for watching Cupcake, they headed off to their hotel. I had intended for them to stay in my apartment guest room, but with the change of events they offered to remain at the hotel, even though they had to pay more to stay in a two-bedroom suite as their regular rooms had been reserved. Of course, I said I’d pay more and, of course, they refused my money.

  Alone with Victoria, she suggested that we curl up in the family room and watch one of her favorite contemporary Christmas movies, The Holiday. Not sure how much of the movie we watched before we turned into a couple of teenagers; heavy petting, dry humping, making out on the couch. It was Jude and Cameron’s fault that things sparked up between us. Not that I was complaining. I loved every moment that I was able to hold her in my arms, able to taste her lips, able to feel her tongue dancing with mine. All of the electrifying sensations I was experiencing had me falling for her all over again. Only it felt harder… stronger than before, and I didn’t back away from the words I had wanted to say years ago.

  “I love you, Sugar,” spilled out easily over and over.

  The best part was when she said it back to me. And though I wanted to strip her of every stitch of clothing and make her mine when she said, “love me now,” something told me the timing wasn’t right.

  “I do love you, but let’s wait,” I said, going against my eager body that was more than ready to succumb to her wishes… and desires.

  “Soon,” was her breathless response against my lips.

  I managed to nod my head yes as I continued to assault her mouth with mine. I couldn’t seem to kiss her enough as we continued our session in less clothing up in our bed. Talk about willpower, I deserved a medal for making it through the night sleeping next to Sugar wearing nothing more than a pair of lacy red panties. But I had made my decision and she agreed so I couldn’t just change my mind after stating that we needed the perfect moment—it needed to be more than just pure desire. Not that we weren’t partaking in a bit of unbridled passionate groping and kissing like two teens with raging hormones. In fact, we had gotten to the point of exhaustion, and slipped off to dreamland together entwined.

  It was the morning sun that broke through my dreams at about the same time as Cupcake came bouncing in singing, “happy birthday to you… happy birthday, dear Daddy…” And for an instant I was panicked that she’d see her mother topless in bed with me. However, when I rolled over to Sugar as she began to harmonize with our daughter, I saw that she had my t-shirt on, and relaxed.

  “Thank you both but do not tell my mother that you sang to me before midnight.”

  “I can’t stay up that late, silly! I have to go to sleep early for Santa to come.”

  “Looks like we will have to celebrate both days and starting with breakfast. A new tradition we’ll have to clue your parents into it, and hopefully it will make them both happy. Now, up we go! Not only do we need to treat you to a special omelet and toast, but…”

  “We have a cake to bake too!” Cupcake was rather excited to be the one to tell me about my birthday cake.

  “Yes, another tradition we do every year in your honor.” Victoria was up out of bed, pulling on a pair of leggings and walking to the bathroom.

  “You get to taste it this year! Woohoo!” My little girl was jumping up and down and clapping her hands with a big smile on her face. She had me excited to see her on Christmas morning after Santa had made his delivery. I’d have to ask Victoria how that all worked when we had a few minutes alone. My first Christmas with them… my first everything with them!

  Loving the idea of new traditions… beginnings, I agreed to let my two girls treat me to breakfast while I made the coffee. Watching and listening to them as they worked together, tugged on all of my heart strings knowing that I was witnessing what I had been missing out on for years. I found myself, from time to time, in need of a little swipe underneath my eyes, but thankfully they never caught me or if they did, they were kind enough not to point out my tears of joy. I was so happy to be in their company, I really can’t describe the feeling I still get whenever I am near them. But it was the first times experiencing life with them that hit me the hardest.

  “Eat up, birthday boy.” Victoria’s words broke my dazed stare. “What are you thinking about?”

  Not wanting to sound too sappy, but unable to stop myself completely I answered truthfully, “I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve tonight. The last few nights have been nonstop joy… I can’t wait to see what Santa brings.” I knew that my last statement would get Cupcake jabbering away and get me out of a semi-funk dwelling on what I had missed out on rather than appreciating what I had before me.

  Of course, my plan worked and we listened to various words from our daughter about her outing with my parents. It warmed my heart to hear her lovingly call them Gramma and Grampa. It amazed me how quickly Cupcake had adjusted to all of us. Although, how could you complain about a last minute visit with Santa, a gourmet pizza and a red velvet cupcake provided by newly introduced distant relatives, as a kid. But I knew that it was so much more for my parents; it was instant love for Cupcake that I saw in their eyes the minute they met her. I loved how things were working out, and it was only the beginning.

  Next on my list of things to do, as I had promised, I took Victoria and Nicolette by my office to officially meet Lulu after they finished frosting my birthday cake. Cupcake floored me the minute we stepped through the doorway, and were immediately greeted by my assistant. I couldn’t have planned it any
other way.

  “You look just like that Good-Ship-Lollipop-Girl grown up! Do you want a gingerbread man? We baked some for you,” she rattled her words in her usual high-speed fashion and the look on Lulu’s face was priceless. I had never seen her stifled and literally speechless as she stared at Cupcake.

  The silence in the office was deafening until I made proper introductions. Then Lulu was whirling with words of how my little girl was the spitting-fucking (oops, followed her slip) image of me. And how she was amazed that her Betty was Victoria. She also reminded me that she thought that she was perfect for me… if only she’d have probed her better—while pimping—about her background. She apologized for dropping the jingle bells, and not doing better investigation. I shook my head and walked into my office as I watched my two girls carrying on with Lulu. Treating her to the decorated cookies, they insisted that she try them along with the Christmas latte they brought her as well. Lulu seemed to be in heaven—being catered to for a change. I was surprised she remembered that she was at work when she escaped briefly to hand me a stack of mail and gave me a message.

  “Jet called for you and she was very upset you were not in your office. She will be in LA in a couple of months on… and I quote ‘fucking-V-day! Please come to your senses and prove your yummy talents to me, Nick-baby!”

  “Georgette!” I said, shaking my head. “Did you remind her that it is Christmas Eve day?”

  “Yes, in fact, I did. And I believe to that, she remarked, ‘holiday-smoliday,’ before she gave up with a big, dramatic sigh and finally gave me the message I just recited.”

  “So there is another woman?” Part smirk, part something else, Victoria stepped into my office behind my assistant and walked toward a spinning Cupcake in my office chair. I hadn’t even seen her slip onto it.

  “Oh, God, no!” Lulu was clearing up any misunderstanding about Jet. “That woman is not for him. I have tried to change her, but she doesn’t listen and continues to go against everything Madame Jezebel suggests… even the love candle I sent her she tossed away. Jet is no problem for you. No need to be jealous.”

  “Do you call gypsies like Hunchback?” Cupcake was quick to ask with wide eyes.

  Disney cartoons were not what Lulu was talking about. She was a worshipper of some psychic she met while on a trip to Florida a couple years back and she consulted her regularly. Even tried to find Victoria at one time for me. I told her to keep the lady to herself, even though the stories she told were rather interesting. Lulu seemed happy to tell them to Cupcake with her mouth agape and probably imagining a fairytale princess character complete with a crystal ball.

  Watching Cupcake follow Lulu—continuing their animated discussion out of my office—leaving Victoria and I alone, I decided to have a little fun at her expense.

  “So were you a bit jealous? I hope that look was jealousy.” I walked up behind Victoria standing by the window taking in the great view I had, and wrapped my arms around her. “But I told you there has not been another significant woman in my life since you. You’re all I’ve ever thought about or wanted. But I have to say that I was quite fond of the territorialness I detected in your voice.”

  “You like me jealous, do you?” She shook her head and covered my hands with her soft ones. “Well… it’s hard to believe no one captured your eye, but I do believe you… until someone starts calling you ‘Nick-baby.’ Then I wonder if there is perhaps someone stalking after you.”

  I laughed thinking about me and Georgette. First, Pierce would’ve killed me. Second, most often she feels like a sister. Third, there was no one for me but Victoria Davine! I loved her last name, it fit her so well as she is absolutely divine with an “i” instead of an “a”. However, I hoped to change it permanently to Granger.

  Turning Victoria in my arms, I wanted to be eye to eye when I told her once again that I only had room in my heart for her.

  “That is Pierce’s baby sister. She has been trying to get me over to her dark-side. I keep telling her that I am not getting involved and to stop telling me about all of her evil plans. She claims she is using me as an advisor, but if Pierce only knew what she was up to… let’s just say that I don’t want to be in the middle.”

  “And the Nick-baby?” She arched a perfect eyebrow. “Maybe she has a school-girl crush on you?”

  “She’s not that much of a baby. She’s only three years younger. She has helped me out, pretending to be a girlfriend in a couple sticky situations and has called me that as a term of endearment in front my assailants. Nothing more. She just calls me that now as a joke. So enough about her. She may not be fond of the holidays, but I love them, again! Let’s celebrate!”

  “Yes, we better grab our daughter before she wants to run off and join a fortune telling caravan of gypsies.”

  We laughed like crazy and then pulled Cupcake away from her new found friend. I could see a future of high-strung bantering between my assistant and my daughter. And I have to say that the thought had me grinning; imagining what other unimaginable things would be exchanged in their conversations. I just hoped that the colorful Lulu would remember that Cupcake was a mere child and didn’t need to learn things way beyond her years. I didn’t need her turning into a teenager too soon.

  With wrapped gifts in hand, we made our way back to the house where we found my mother already in charge of dinner prep. Not a big surprise as Victoria had given her a key to the house when they babysat the night before. However, I was shocked to find two more children racing around the bottom floor of the house and their mother telling their father to please watch them.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” slipped from my lips before I could stop myself not quite realizing that little ears had a tendency to record and then repeat.

  “Did you think I was going to miss out on meeting my new niece?” my sister, Caroline, asked with her hands sternly placed on her hips. “And remember now that you are a father, you need to watch your tongue.”

  “I am! The father of the first born grandchild.” If I had followed up my statement by sticking my tongue out, it would’ve been completely like old times. Sibling rivalry; always trying to one up each other.

  “Real mature, you ass!”

  “What did you say about language?” I laughed, and then pulled her in for a hug.

  Broken apart, I had the pleasure of introducing Victoria and Nicolette to the rest of my family; Caroline, her husband Rob and their two adorable children Sierra and Colton (Cupcake’s cousins). I couldn’t believe that we were all in one place together. The last time that we had spent Christmas together was in San Francisco when we were stranded there due to my injury.

  “Can we give him more painkillers?” Caroline begged my mother. “Please! Please! I cannot hear another word about his perfect snow bunny.”

  “If I remember correctly, we’ve listened to your stories about Rob one too many times. I think that shiny diamond ring on your finger has been flashed in all of our faces at least a million times since you got engaged in front of all of us at the Thanksgiving table.” My dad was quick to come to my defense.

  “I hardly think that some week fling with a ski-bunny is the same as Rob and I. We’ve been together since high school. We know everything about each other.” My sister’s words were like a slap to the face. It felt like she was saying Victoria was just some tramp I fucked. But she wasn’t. I knew that she was it for me and someway, somehow I would find her, and if I had enough strength I would’ve argued with her.

  However I didn’t have to, as my father stepped up for me once again as he had heard the most about Victoria since being in the hospital at my side. “Sometimes it doesn’t take a lifetime to find the one that’s best suited for you. You’re mother and I didn’t know each other long before I proposed to her and we’ve been married for over twenty-six years. So give your poor heartbroken brother a break and stop rubbing it in that you will be beating your brother to give us the first grandchild.”

  “Oh, Will, don�
�t get in the middle of their childish squabbles. You know how they are—next thing you know, they will be arm-in-arm ganging up against us.” My mother was right, it had happened on more than one occasion.

  I guess everyone was on edge, cooped up together in a hotel room eating room service instead of being at our family home sitting around the dining room table. I had to say that I too wished that we were enjoying our traditional prime rib feast with Frank Sinatra Christmas music playing in the background. I also wished that I hadn’t gotten hurt, that I had joined Victoria for lunch, and had given her a proper goodbye for the moment; complete with a kiss, followed by the exchanging of phone numbers. Since there was obviously no way for me to rectify that, no way to go back in time and right the wrongs, so I bucked up and treated my family a little better. None of our situation was their fault and they had no reason to suffer along with me while spending a very un-tradition Christmas together.

  Being together that was the important part of the holiday gathering not that it was complete with a decorated tree, a festive meal, presents, music and laughter. Having the love of your family was the real thing that made it truly complete and wonderful. And it didn’t get any better than that. Well, that wasn’t quite true. I did have other plans… surprises that I hoped would top the newest invasion to our home.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Victoria…

  Oh my! The surprises just kept coming during a holiday season like no other I had ever experienced. Just a week and a half ago it was only Sugarbug and I planning out our Christmas activities while having hot cocoa and sweet treats at the Bouchon Bakery with Gracee. Our little family of three celebrating the holiday, exchanging gifts before she went off with her family (or so she had claimed—I had caught her in that little white lie). Now Nicolette and I have a whole new family starting with Nick and ending with little cousins, close to Sugarbug’s age, for her to play with and grow up with. Funny, I had never imagined more than reuniting with Nick; giving Nicolette a father. But we got so much more that we really didn’t need presents—presents can never trump having a family that loves and cares about you. And that was exactly what I saw as I glanced around the kitchen and the connected family room.