Cocktails & Dreams

by Autumn Markus

  Jena snorted. “Who would be fighting, Uncle Travis? The guy is almost as tall as Conor, and I’m pretty sure I can’t take him down in a fair fight.”

  Travis gave Jena a funny look. “Hello…Earth to Jena. You don’t think Nicholas would bitchslap the guy who looks at you sideways?” He shook his head at Jena’s blank look. “Have you gotten to know the guy at all? Still waters and all that happy crappy. He’s nuts about you, Jen.”

  Recalling Nick’s calm acceptance of Stefan’s crush, Jena wondered how well she did know him. “It’s not that way, Trav. Not for him, anyway. We’re just having a good time.” Jena sighed and headed for the door, suddenly not as excited about the evening ahead. As much as she couldn’t imagine not being with Nicholas now, Jena couldn’t stand the thought of presuming and then finding out she was wrong about how he felt.

  Travis slung his arm around her neck and kissed her on the top of the head. “Keep telling yourself that, Jen. It still won’t make it true. C’mon…let’s dance and drink and have the time of our lives and forget about all of this crap. Wanna take bets on who pukes first?”

  They looked at each other and burst out laughing, both saying at the same time, “Leisa!”

  Stevie’s was hopping when Travis and Jena stepped in the door, Travis’s trusty guitar in tow. Stevie herself, a big, blowsy blonde with arms like a wrestler’s, stepped out from behind the bar to give Travis a one-armed hug, as she was carrying a pitcher and four mugs in the other hand.

  “Thank God you showed up, honey. You regulars are bringing the college kids out in droves. I personally despise the spoiled fuckers, but I do love their money.” She gave Jena a quick hug, too. “Don’t take it personal, sweetie. I don’t consider y’all in the same category as those fucks.”

  She gestured with her chin toward the pool tables. Jena’s heart sank as she recognized Stefan and some of his fellow football players guffawing loudly as they ran the balls.

  “Damn,” she muttered.

  Travis handed Jena his guitar and gestured toward their regular table, where Leisa was already established and waving frantically. “I’ll talk to him, Jen. Promise, he won’t get near you tonight. Relax.” Travis sauntered over to the pool table, a sunny grin on his face, and Jena saw him shake hands with Stefan before she worked her way over to their table, Stevie in tow. Stevie carefully set the pitcher and glasses on the table, patted Jena on the shoulder and headed back to the bar.

  Leisa was practically squirming in her seat, smiling broadly as Jena plopped down next to her and carefully placed Travis’s guitar on another chair. “So? Tell all, sweet pea! Was it worth all the angst? How was he? Long-timer or quick fuse? Or—”

  Jena clapped her hand over Leisa’s mouth. “How much speed did you take today? ’Cause someone would have to be high to ask those kinds of questions and honestly expect an answer.”

  Leisa slowly pulled Jena’s hand from her mouth and said with quiet dignity, “I’ll thank you for keeping your paws to yourself. I thought we had a special relationship.” She poured a mug of beer and took a sip. “We are sisters, really, and sisters share information.” Leisa leaned forward and said accusingly, “You’ve seen Travis’s peepee.”

  Jena banged her head on the table repeatedly. “Not on purpose,” she moaned. “I just wanted some pizza, damn it.”

  Warm arms wrapped around Jena’s torso, and she felt herself lifted onto a lap. “Hey, now. Don’t hurt my girl.” Nicholas kissed her neck as she settled back against his chest. “What did Leisa say that has you trying to knock yourself out?” Nicholas turned to smile at Travis as he approached the table.

  Travis sat down next to Leisa and nodded at Jena, leaving her relieved that Stefan would apparently not be bothering her tonight.

  Leisa leaned forward with a teasing look. “Well, Dr. Nicky—” she grinned as Jena frantically mouthed no and please “—I was trying to worm information out of Jena about how long you take in bed and discussing a certain pizza night…” She settled back with a look of satisfaction as Travis burst out laughing, and Jena turned to hide her face in Nicholas’s shirt.

  Nicholas kissed Jena’s temple and asked, “Do I want to know?”

  “Think ‘King Schlong,’” Jena answered. Nicholas nodded in sympathy.

  “Hey! Why isn’t anyone talking about my peen?” Conor plopped another pitcher and two more mugs on the table before scanning the room for his next potential true love.

  “Speak of the devil,” Nicholas muttered, and Jena giggled. “We get enough demonstrations of your junk that we don’t have to talk about it, assbag. You leave nothing to the imagination.”

  Conor grinned. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty eye-catching, aren’t I?” He looked around and chuckled. “That big ass dude over there better not be looking at me, though.” They all looked where his gaze rested, and Jena stiffened when Stefan waved with one finger.

  “That fucker,” Travis muttered, quickly walking toward the pool tables with a stern face. Leisa followed him, chattering brightly as she wrapped her hands around his arm and cast a confused look back at Jena.

  “Let’s dance, Nick.” Jena slid off of his lap and tugged him toward the tiny dance floor as a new song started on the jukebox.

  Nicholas pulled Jena into his arms and rested his forehead on hers. “I missed you this week,” he said, dipping his head to brush his lips against Jena’s. She felt it down to her toes and curled her hands into his hair as he brought his lips down again and again, each time holding the kiss for longer and holding her closer, until Jena realized that they weren’t dancing any longer. And she didn’t care.

  “Holy crap,” she said shakily when she finally pulled back, resting her forehead on Nick’s chest, where she could feel his heart hammering madly. The sudden sound of clapping rose, and Jena looked up to see the patrons of Stevie’s giving them a round of applause. Travis’s rebel yell was only barely drowned by Stevie’s loud whistle.

  Nicholas laughed as Jena hid her face in his shirt again. “I think your admirer finally got the hint.” Jena jerked her face toward the door and saw Stefan leaving after tossing a glower in her direction. “About fucking time,” she thought she heard Nicholas mutter, but by the time she looked back at him, he was smiling and gesturing toward their table.

  As the room settled back to its usual rumble of noise, the group of musicians that were gradually becoming Travis’s band played and the place filled to capacity. A grateful Stevie sent pitcher after pitcher of free beer to their table, most of which was thirstily consumed by Leisa, Conor, and his evening’s punch bunny. Eventually, though, Jena turned to see Nick’s face split in a huge yawn before he looked at her with glazed eyes and laughed, shrugging.

  “Come on, Hot Bod,” she said, pulling him to his feet and wrapping her arm around his waist. “Let’s get you home and into bed.”

  “Whatever you say, girl,” Nicholas murmured, waggling his eyebrows at her as she shook her head and smiled.

  After quick goodbyes, they were settled in Nick’s car. Jena snapped her fingers and gestured for his keys. He shook his head, yawning hugely again. “Nope. You’ve been drinking.”

  “One beer. Almost three hours ago. You’re so tired you almost can’t stand up, so you tell me who’s the safer driver?” Jena snapped her fingers again, and Nick tossed her the keys.

  The trip to his apartment was quick, and Jena was glad when they finally made it up the three flights and in the door. Nicholas sprawled on the couch, groaning. “Sorry I’m such shit company, Jen.” He rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “I’m tired as hell, but I’m so tense that I can’t relax enough to sleep very well.”

  Jena started tugging at his jacket. “Well, then it’s good that you have me. Part of my job is to help people relax.”

  He sat up with a grunt and finished taking off the jacket, quickly tossing his shirt to join it on the floor. Jena looked away from the tempting sight of Nicholas, shirtless, leaning forward to rub his face with his hands as his elbows
rested on his knees. She knelt, untying his shoes and slipping them off and adding his socks to the pile of clothing as she rubbed his white, somehow vulnerable-looking feet.

  After a minute, Jena looked up to see Nicholas watching her with a tender expression. “You don’t have to do that, Jena,” he murmured.

  “I want to,” Jena said. They stared at each other until Jena couldn’t take the rising tension anymore and jumped up to pull Nicholas to his feet. “Now. Into a hot shower, mister.” She slapped his bum, and he jumped.

  “Care to join me, Ms. Baker?”

  Jena smiled. “Not this time. Let the water concentrate where the tension is the worst, and I’ll be waiting for you in your bedroom when you’re finished.”

  He nodded, already unbuttoning his jeans as he walked down the hall. Jena took a deep breath and puffed it out. “Nicholas needs sleep,” she mumbled to herself over and over, trying to get control over the little hormone women that were screeching and dancing deep within her body. Grabbing a beer out of the fridge, Jena chugged it down, hoping to anesthetize them and get them caged before Nicholas walked out of the bathroom, all warm and wet and male.

  She heard the shower shut off and quickly turned to search the cupboards for a relaxing tea. And to hide her flushed face.

  “Problem?”

  Jena glanced behind her and saw Nicholas standing in the doorway, hips draped in a towel, water droplets glistening in his chest hair and hair mussed and damp. She turned around quickly and remembered to breathe.

  “Just looking for tea.” Jena’s voice sounded strangled, even to her.

  “Sorry. A little too estrogen for this testosterone casa.”

  Jena looked around in time to catch his grin. “That’s okay. Just go on in and lie on your stomach and I’ll be right in.” Nicholas walked down the hall, and Jena heard his soft sigh as he lay down. “Do you guys have any baby oil or massage oil or anything like that?” she called.

  “Conor might have some in his room, if you dare to brave whatever else you might find in there.”

  “Nope. Not that brave,” Jena declared, and they laughed together as she walked into the bedroom and sat at the foot of the bed. She started massaging Nicholas’s feet and moved slowly up his legs, carefully blanking out everything but the individual muscles that relaxed under her practiced touch. When Jena got to his thighs, he groaned softly, and Jena started to move back.

  “Don’t stop,” Nicholas murmured, eyes closed. “That feels…really nice.”

  She hesitated, finally placing her hands on the small of his back and stroking firmly upward with her thumbs at each side of his spine until she couldn’t reach any further comfortably, even when she knelt next to him. “Nick, do you mind if I change? I’ll just borrow a shirt, if that’s all right. I can’t stretch enough in these jeans.”

  His eyes were still closed. “Mmm-hmm.”

  She slid off the bed and exchanged her jeans and shirt for a soft tee. Returning to the bed, she hesitated again before straddling his hips. “I can’t reach from the sides of the bed,” she explained. Nicholas nodded slowly, and Jena resumed stroking and rubbing his back, feeling his tension melt away as the minutes passed and he relaxed.

  “So, what are you stressing about?” she asked softly, moving up to sit on the small of his back in order to reach his shoulders. It was getting harder and harder to block out the fact that this was Nicholas Cooper, the man she’d wanted since she was eighteen years old. Jena started to reconsider the decision to straddle Nick’s back as his warmth began to seep through her underwear.

  “Hospital,” he mumbled. “Parents.” He paused. “The rocket scientist.”

  Jena stopped moving, surprised. “You’re not seriously worrying about him?” Nick shrugged, and his shoulders started to tighten up again. She dropped a kiss on the back of his neck, and he shivered. “Don’t. Ever.” She started to massage his head, sliding her fingers through his hair and along his scalp.

  Nicholas moaned deep in his throat. “I need to roll over. This is getting uncomfortable,” he murmured.

  Jena swung her leg over and knelt beside him as he settled on his back. “Crap, I’m sorry.”

  Nicholas caught her hands and brought them to his chest. “It’s not you, Jena. It’s me. And I’m not sorry at all.” Jena swiftly glanced down and laughed. Nicholas closed his eyes again, smiling. “Continue, please.”

  Jena looked at his resting face and decided to start there, gently stroking the planes of his cheeks and continuing down to his neck and shoulders. “Jena…” Nicholas whispered as her thumbs trailed lightly over his shoulders. The smell and feel of his warm body was driving her crazy, and soon she was following every touch of her hands with a kiss or a nuzzle or a lap of her tongue. Nick gripped Jena’s shoulders as she started to tug at the tucked edge of towel that was still wrapped around his hips.

  “Wait.” Jena looked up. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, breathing shallowly.

  “I want to,” she whispered.

  When he was satisfied, Jena scooted up to lie beside him. Nicholas flung a heavy, relaxed arm around her hips, resting his head on her stomach and breathing raggedly. She stroked his hair and within minutes, he was almost asleep.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he mumbled through a yawn. “You didn’t get much out of that.”

  “What, are we ten? We need fair turnsies?” she joked.

  Nick smiled sleepily, looking up at her through half-closed eyes. Jena smoothed the hair back from his forehead, and he stretched his neck so she could drop a kiss on his mouth. “Sometimes it’s gonna be all about just one of us. This just happened to be your turn, so go to sleep.”

  His eyes drifted closed again. “Yes, ma’am.” Nicholas settled his head more comfortably on Jena, and curved his body around hers.

  Jena felt her own eyes closing, so it wasn’t a surprise that she almost missed Nick’s murmured “…love you…”

  Chapter Fourteen

  AS SOON AS THE WORDS left his mouth, Nicholas knew they were true.

  And it scared him to death.

  He froze, waiting for Jena’s reply, and then realized that her soothing hand had stopped moving in his hair. Raising his head slightly, he looked up to see her lashes resting on her cheek and lips slightly upturned as her stomach moved evenly in sleep.

  Thank God, his brain muttered. You dodged a bullet, big time.

  He slowly settled his head back on Jena’s body, wrapping his arm more tightly around her waist. What was he supposed to do? How did he get from thinking this was definitely the hottest, funniest girl he had ever met to wanting her to never leave his sight? If he was anywhere near Jena, he had to be touching her, and when she wasn’t with him, he craved her.

  Nick scooted up to lay his head on the pillow, pulling her back against his chest and tangling his legs with hers. Burying his face in her hair, he wrapped his arm around her waist and slid his hand under the shirt she was wearing.

  “…feel you…” Jena muttered, blearily opening her eyes before yanking the shirt over her head and dropping it to the mattress beside her. She snuggled into Nick’s body, drawing his hand up and holding it against her chest. Her deep, even breathing resumed.

  Nicholas closed his eyes, willing sleep. He’d been almost there before he fucked up and scared himself to death by saying those words. He could only remember telling someone he loved them a handful of times, and most of those were said to his dog when he was a kid. He always knew his parents loved him, and he assumed they knew he loved them, so there hadn’t been reason to discuss it. In fact, he got the distinct impression that saying it would have made everyone uncomfortable.

  Jena, though…she drew the words out of him, and not just because she’d been incredibly generous that night. It was everything about her, all the time. As he absorbed her warmth, Nicholas felt himself begin to relax again.

  The week had been a bitch. Between the non-stop sucking up of the students and being treated like an idiot in
a white coat by both residents and nurses, Nick was ready to rip someone a new one. He had seen and treated a lot of accidents and injuries firsthand during his time as an EMT, and being regarded as one amongst the newbies drove him nuts.

  Then, in an unprecedented event, his father had shocked him with a phone call to see how Nick’s rotation was going. After a chuckle over his son’s disgusting and funny week in Peds rotation and a discussion of how he could make the best use of his time there, Nicholas expected his dad to quickly hang up. He didn’t. He rambled on about their trip back to Boston, and that was weird, because Dr. William Cooper was far too busy to ramble. Finally, William got to the point and asked if Nicholas was finding time to see Jena. The conversation got tense at that point, Nicholas questioning his father’s problem with Jena, and William denying there was one. They had hung up after strained goodbyes.

  Now Nick had to deal with the rocket scientist trying to move in. And he could see Jena every day, if he wanted to. Take her to lunch. Visit her at work. Have time to spend with her in the evening, maybe?

  Jena shifted as his arm tightened around her, and he forced himself to relax. Jena’s openness about what had happened was enough for him to realize that she wasn’t interested in Stefan, but it still didn’t make it any easier to hear that the fucktard refused to acknowledge that she was taken. Remaining calm and supportive when she’d sounded so tired and upset hadn’t been easy, but Nick had managed it…until she hung up and he destroyed the crap on the coffee table. Conor was pretty pissed when he found his favorite remote in the garbage, even when Nicholas came back from Target with a new, top-of-the-line universal. That was cheap compared to the phone Nick replaced at the same time.