Trusting Nicole

by Muriel Garcia

  “Not buying it, but we’ll be nice and give you time to come to that conclusion on your own. After all, you’re still young. I wonder how Gabe and Aleck would react to you two dating. I’d pay to be there when you tell them!” Ayd says laughing.

  “You’re a bitch.”

  “I love you too, Kitten.” She waggles her eyebrows, leaving me speechless.

  “What?” I raise my eyebrow at her.

  “Don’t think I didn’t hear him call you that the other day, it slipped into the conversation. I don’t know where you got that nickname from, but my guess is that you’re not telling us the truth.”

  I groan. “I don’t know why he called me that.” I shrug.

  “Yes, you do.” She looks at me intently.

  “You’re forgetting who you’re talking to, Ayd. I’m not going to tell you anything.”

  “So something did happen, good to know.” She smirks, proud of herself.

  “You suck! No, nothing happened. He’s 12 years older than me anyway, that’s too old for my liking.”

  “Sure, sure. Keep finding excuses, you should be proud if you scored a hottie like him. Just saying.” Charline grins.

  I take a sip of my coke. I do want to talk to someone about it, but it would only raise more questions and would be unfair to Jason. “Can we just drop this?” I sigh as I feel my good mood slipping away.

  “Hey, we’re just teasing, are you alright?” Viv asks, concerned.

  “Yes, I’m alright. I do care about him, a lot. I know nothing will happen, that’s all.” I shrug.

  “Why not?” Charline looks at me, confused.

  “Many reasons.”

  “Name three.” She grins as if she won the lottery.

  “My brothers, he’s a cop, my MC family and the fact that he lost his wife a month ago. I have more if you need more.” I finish, realizing how wrong just thinking about being with Jason is.

  “Hey, let’s change the subject,” Ayd says popping another olive in her mouth.

  “You and those things.” I frown disgusted, I hate olives.

  “What? They are good!” She looks at me as if I’m crazy.

  “Gross.” I shudder.

  “Weirdo.” She grins and pops another one.

  “While this is cute, Ayd and I have something we’d like to ask the two of you.” Charline grins wide.

  “Should we be worried?” I look at Viv with wide eyes.

  “Yep, they are evil alone, imagine what they’re like together.” She looks back at me with eyes as wide as mine.

  “Will you two stop.” Line squints her eyes at us and grins wide. “So, we’ve been talking and since we both are having babies at the same time, we want you two to be our babies’ godmothers. I’m Cameron’s godmother already so it’s only fair that you two get to be as well.” They both beam at us as me and Viv look at each other, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

  “Wait, that could still be an evil plot, they could ask us to babysit when they want to have fun with their men, cock blocking us.” Viv whispers loudly.

  “I think you’re right.”

  “Nutters! We’d really love it if you would accept, pleaaaaaaase.” They both put on their best puppy eyes.

  “Of course! Did you really think we’d say no?” I raise my eyebrow at them.

  “You never know with you two!” Ayd says grinning.

  “Who is whose godmother though?” Viv asks.

  “Well, since Nic is going to be my little angel’s aunt, you get to be the godmother.” Line beam at Viv who gets up and hugs her.

  “Thanks for leaving me with olive muncher over there.” I frown playfully and hug Ayd.

  “You love me, really.”

  “Of course I do.” I grin and rub her baby bump.

  “Love you too, Kitten.” She snickers.

  “You’re lucky you’re pregnant or I’d take you outside and kick your ass.” I narrow my eyes at her and grin innocently.

  “I’m sure I’d be the one doing the ass kicking!” Ayd grins, flexing her guns.

  “Show off,” Viv says making us laugh.

  “You know it!” Ayd grins proud and digs into her food as soon as it’s placed in front of her.

  Lunch is a blast as usual. We always have so much fun when we hang out together. I love these three women. They are the best friends anyone could ever ask for. They don’t judge, no matter what you’ve done. It’s a proven fact considering the weird pasts Viv and Line have. They don’t know mine though. I don’t know how they will react when I finally tell them what I’ve been through. No one knows, not even Gabe. I’m ashamed of some of the things I’ve done. I wish I could change it, but it’s not possible. I need to get out of the situation I’m stuck in before anyone catches wind of it. I’m afraid of what it’ll bring down on us if any of my friends find out about it before I’m able to tell them. I just don’t know how to get out of it.

  We go our separate ways after lunch and I’m almost home when I get a phone call. Masked number. I know it’s him. I don’t want to answer, but I have to. If I don’t, he’ll keep calling and it’s not going to be any good for me. He’s the one who’s been keeping me safe all these years. I owe him my life. I wish I could step away from all of it.

  “Hello?”

  “You’ll meet Mr. Raferty at the Hilton Garden Inn, room 409 at seven pm. Don’t be late,” he says before hanging up.

  I wasn’t expecting this. Usually I never meet them in a hotel room. I hate change, especially like this. I park at home and go inside, making sure I rearm the alarm and go upstairs to take a shower and get ready for tonight. Looks like it’s a ball gown and high-heeled shoes type of evening for me tonight.

  It’s close to one in the morning when I finally make it back home. I’m exhausted, my feet ache and I’m starving. I freeze when I see a black Mustang parked in front of my house. What is he doing here in the middle of the night? I park in the driveway and get out of the car. I look over to his car and see that it’s empty. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s not Jason’s car. I mean, he’s not the only person who drives a black Mustang in the area.

  I rush inside and reset the alarm. I drop my shoes in the hallway and walk into the living room, not bothering with the light. I know the house well enough not to trip over every piece of furniture. I go straight to the fridge and make myself a sandwich and grab a bottle of water. I down half of the bottle and walk back into the living room with my plate. I grab the remote from where I left it on the coffee table and turn on the TV. I sit on the couch and scream as I sit on something squishy that is definitely not my couch.

  I hit the person with the remote repeatedly. I hear a couple of groans but carry on striking.

  “Will you stop, it’s me, Jason.” He winces as I whack his head.

  “Jason? What the fuck are you doing here?” I shout and turn on the lamp that’s by the couch. I gasp as I see his face. “Did I do that to you?”

  “I needed to talk to you, so I came over here since you weren’t picking up your phone and yes you did.” He reaches up to his eyebrow and wipes the blood that’s oozing from his eyebrow. “Remind me never to scare you again, fucking hell.” He grabs a tissue from the tissue box on the coffee table and holds it against his cut.

  “I’m sorry, you scared the shit out of me, I didn’t expect anyone to be in my house in the middle of the night. How did you manage to get in and get around the alarm?” I look at his eyebrow and find my small first aid kit on a bookshelf.

  “Handy.” He chuckles and sits still. “I’m a cop, I have access to that kind of stuff. The lock is easy to pick.” He shrugs.

  “Right. What did you want to talk about in the middle of the night that was so important that you broke in instead of waiting in your car?” I dab an alcohol soaked cotton ball on his cut and he winces. “Big baby.”

  “It stings! What are you doing dressed like that anyway?”

  “Again, big baby. Nothing, just a party I was invited to.” I put a small plaster over
the cut and dispose of the cotton balls before washing my hands and attacking my sandwich.

  “Nicole…”

  I sigh. “I told you, I was at a party.”

  “What type of party? That’s pretty fancy.”

  “It was a ballroom thingy event. It was boring.”

  “You do know I could figure out pretty easily what you were up to tonight.”

  “Yes, and you’d find out that it was just a party, so just drop it.” I glare at him and take an angry bite of my sandwich.

  “They don’t feed you at that type of party?” He chuckles and wipes some mayonnaise from the corner of my mouth.

  “Appetizers and those kinds of things, nothing filling.” I frown and take another bite.

  “Sounds like that party sucked.”

  “It did. So, why are you here?” I look at him and see his good mood crumble. “Hey, what’s with the long face?” I set my plate down and rub his arm.

  “Wiping your hands on my jacket?” He chuckles softly.

  “Yes, you know.” I shrug and grin softly.

  “Just demons from my past catching up.” He sighs.

  “With what happened to Jenny or something else?”

  “Both.” He rubs his face.

  “I know how hard this must be fo-“

  “You have no idea how hard any of this is for me.”

  “You’re forgetting who you are talking to, Officer...”

  “Never.” He looks at me and something changes in his eyes. “I told you not to call me that.” He leans towards me, making me lean back into the couch. His lips are too close to mine for safety but at the last moment, he takes my plate and eats the remainder of my sandwich.

  “You did not!” I glare at him and punch his arm.

  “Stop hitting me, I’m a cop, remember?” He raises his eyebrow, grinning darkly at me.

  “I remember.” I roll my eyes and get up.

  “Where are you going?” he asks placing his left hand on my right hip, stopping me from going anywhere.

  “I’m going to get changed. This isn’t the most comfortable dress to be sat around in.” I wet my lips and his eyes follow the movement, making me both uncomfortable and horny at the same time.

  “Don’t take too long.” He looks into my eyes and gives my hip a squeeze before settling down into the couch.

  He’s confusing the hell out of me.

  I shouldn’t care about him, but I do.

  I shouldn’t want him, but I do.

  I shouldn’t be attracted to him, but I am.

  None of this should be happening, I should stay away from him like Gabe and Aleck said, but I can’t. I care about him too much. I want to make sure he’s okay, that he’s coping, that he’s alive. Truth is, I’m selfish. I just want to spend time with him and want him to want to spend time with me.

  I groan in frustration as I change into short sweat shorts and a tank top. I remove my make up and put my hair up. He’s seen me at my worst already, this is nothing new for him.

  I walk back downstairs to find that he’s not there, but his jacket is still resting on the back of the couch. I go in search of him and it takes me a few minutes, but I find him sitting on the rooftop platform above the kitchen. I watch him for a minute before climbing out the window and on to the rooftop. He looks relaxed, I’m not sure how long it’s been since he’s been able to fully relax.

  “Party for two on the rooftop, underneath the sky?” I startle him and can’t help the laugh that escapes my lips. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s alright. I was lost in my thoughts.” He scoots over, making space for me on the makeshift lounge chair Gabe made a while back.

  “What were you thinking about and what are you doing up here? How did you know this was here?”

  “Your brother mentioned this a couple of times. I wanted to check it out. The view is beautiful and it’s peaceful up here.” He sighs.

  “It is, I love it up here. Whenever I want to shut the world out, I come up here.”

  “I can see the appeal. I’m just thinking about the past.” He sighs.

  “You know I’m here if you need someone to talk to.” I rub his arm.

  “I know, Kitten. I’ll open up when you do.” He smirks at me and wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me back so we are both lying down.

  “I told you already.” I shrug and relax in his arms.

  “And I’m not buying any of it.” He smiles at me. His smile. I missed that smile.

  “Too bad for you.”

  We stay silent for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s presence.

  “Did you fuck anyone tonight?” he asks out of the blue.

  “What the fuck? How fucking dare you!” I try to pull away but he holds me close to him.

  “Just a question, Kitten.”

  “No, I didn’t. Not that it’s any of your fucking business.”

  “Good.”

  I look at him as if he’s grown a second head. “Why the fuck did you ask me that?”

  “The dress you were wearing, the make-up, the high heels, that’s not you. Even when you dress up it’s never like that. Just making sure you are not doing something you don’t want to.” He looks at me intently.

  “I’m not fucking for money! Are you out of your fucking mind!?” I push him away and try to get up, but he doesn’t let me go.

  “Not so fast.” He turns my head so I’m facing him, our lips way too close to each other’s for comfort. “You’d tell me if you were in trouble, right?”

  “Sure.” I reply vaguely.

  “Nicole…”

  I sigh. “I’m not in any kind of trouble, don’t worry. Not that Gabe would let me get myself into any trouble.”

  “True.” He chuckles and looks into my eyes.

  “What?” I look at him confused.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispers, leaning in and closing the gap that was separating our lips. At first, it’s a very soft, feather light kiss, but soon he deepens it. Sucking and nibbling on my lower lip he renders me a brainless mess who knows they should stop this, but a) doesn’t want to, and b) I’ve missed this and him too. All too soon he breaks the kiss and we pull apart, both out of breath.

  “I’ve missed you too, but we shouldn’t be doing this,” I whisper, not trusting my own voice.

  “I know.” He sighs and rubs his face. “I just can’t help it, I’m a different man when I’m around you, Kitten.”

  “Not sure how I should take that.” I chuckle.

  “Good, you make me feel good and alive. I hate that I feel this way when it hasn’t been long, but I just can’t stay away from you.”

  “But you should.”

  “Why?” He looks at me hurt and confused.

  “Because it’s wrong, it’s too soon and my brothers are going to fucking kill you.”

  “Will you stop swearing? And let me deal with your brothers.”

  “Never and I don’t even want to imagine what they’d do to you. They already told me to stay away from you.”

  “Why are you listening to them?”

  “I’m not, clearly, since I’m here with you fucking making out. I can’t stay away from you either, Jase. The thing is, we’ll never make each other happy. I know it and you know it. We’re both from different sides of the tracks. You’re the law and I’m part of the outlaw. It’s like Romeo and Juliet, we can’t be together or it’s going to end in a tragedy. You fucking know it.” I get up and pace the platform. I meant what I said but fuck, it hurts. Jase and I have a past, it’s been complicated since day one and it’s not getting any easier.

  “Why do we have to care about what the future holds? And will you stop fucking swearing.” He walks to me and cradles my face in his hands.

  “Because it’s going to fucking kill us both, sooner or later. It’s inevitable, especially considering the shit storm that’s coming our way.”

  “You know about that?”

  “Yes, everybody knows.”
/>   “How?”

  “Well, I’m not stupid. I watch the news and saw that an MC is heading our way, wreaking havoc on their way here. What do they want?” I look at him, hoping he’ll tell me the truth, but I know he won’t. He’s going to blame it on work secrecy or the club, I don’t know which one, but I won’t get the answers I want.

  “Can’t tell you, Kitten, work ethics and all that.” Called it!

  “Right. You do know that keeping secrets has caused Ant, Aleck and Gabe to suffer and make some pretty fucked up mistakes. Don’t make the same ones.” I turn to leave and go back inside, but he grabs my hand and turns me around.

  “I’ll make sure you stay safe. I promise. I’m sure we can put those lips to better use than to shout out profanities.” He smirks.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I grin innocently, and not two seconds later his lips are back on mine and he’s backing me towards the lounge chair.

  He makes quick work of stripping me from my shorts and shirt. I’m not shy, but having his heated gaze traveling over my body and makes me feel self-conscious. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers and kisses down my neck, covering my body with his.

  “Jase.” I moan softly, caressing his back and holding him to me, both enjoying the feeling and scared that this is just a dream.

  “Right here, Kitten.” He kisses me deeply and grinds into me. The feeling of his rough jeans against my sensitive flesh is driving me insane. I’m so turned on that even though I know how wrong this is, I’m unable to stop it, nor do I want to.

  I want him.

  I need him.

  He stands up and I whimper at the loss of his body against mine, but it’s only for a few seconds while he takes off his shirt and jeans and removes a condom from his wallet. I look up at him, admiring his perfectly toned and muscled body, the tattoos, the scars. My eyes pause on his already hard cock. I raise my eyebrow at him.

  “I’m always hard when I’m around you, it’s a fucking nightmare.” He chuckles and rolls the condom down his impressive length. He’s not massive, but it’s the perfect girth and length to fuck me like a God every time. He’s the best I’ve ever had and he has completely ruined me for any other men.

  He slowly lowers himself over me and grinds his cock over my sensitive clit, rendering me a writhing mess underneath him. “Cut the fucking teasing, Sanders.” I glare at him, making him chuckle.