"That’s good, but..." He pauses as he gives me a stern look. "If you hurt my baby girl in any way, there will be consequences son. Nicole has been through enough this past year." It looks like that last part has aged him ten years.
"I understand sir, I want to make her happy and I promise I'll never intentionally hurt her." He smiles at my answer.
"Good," he nods. "Let' s get back before my daughter and wife come looking for us,"
We make our way back but I pause when I see the door to Nicole's room ajar and hear rummaging inside.
"Excuse me sir, let me just grab Nikki, I think she's in her room." Her father lifts the drink he's still holding and nods.
"Baby why are you hid-" I stop talking when I see that the person in Nikki's room is not Nicole but that bitch Gabriella.
"Can I help you?" I ask, placing the glass in my hand on the study desk beside the door before folding my arms over my chest.
"Hey handsome, I was hoping you would come find me in here." She says in a creepy low voice. Is that supposed to be her sexy voice or something?
"Come on Mace, you know you want me. Forget Nicole, she’s pathetic and not the kind of woman you want," she says now standing right in front of me. I can feel my jaw ticking from anger. I've never in my life wished a woman was a man just so that I could punch her senseless. Who the fuck does this woman think she is talking about my woman like that in front of me?
"Let me guess, you think you are the woman I want?" I laugh drily in an attempt to stay calm but I'm finding I quite hard.
"Yes, I'm ten times the woman Nicole Parker can ever be," This time she tries to touch me but I swiftly take a step back.
"You are soo barking up the wrong tree right now," I say. "Listen and listen carefully. You, are nothing but a jealous heartless bitch," I say between clenched teeth. "Nicole, is the most wonderful woman I've ever met and if you do anything to hurt her more than you already have, I will personally make your life a living hell," By the time that threat leaves my lips I'm seething.
"I'll prove that I'm better than her," she whispers before flying towards me so fast that I don’t move out the way in time. Our lips briefly touch and I'm about to push her away when the worst thing that can ever happen actually fucking happens.
"Mace, my dad-" Nikki chooses that exact moment to walk in.
Shit!
****
NICOLE
"Baby, I can explain." Mace says as I just stand in my bedroom doorway, frozen in place while my heart falls and shatters into a million pieces.
"I..." Words fail me as hot tears start running down my face like a faucet has been opened.
"Nikki, baby, it's not what-" I don’t wait for him to finish as I take off on a sprint.
"Nicole, wait!" Mace calls after me. I start running faster when I hear his heavy footsteps behind me.
"Honey, where are you going? It’s raining outside," I hear my mother’s panicked voice as I run through the door.
I start crying even harder when I make it to the car to find it locked. I let my body slide down the side of the car while the rain soaks me, hiding the tears that refuse to stop flowing from my eyes. I sit on the wet sidewalk and continue to cry into my hands.
How could he do this to me? How could I be so damn stupid to give him my heart in such a short time? I knew this would happen. Why didn’t I just fight harder to stay away?!
“Nikki.” My eyes snap up to be met by the same greens that looked me in the eye while making sweet love and promised to never hurt me.
“You promised-” my voice breaks as I stand up.
“And I meant it baby,” I lift my hand in a stop motion when he takes a step forward. “Shit,” he curses as his hand goes through his now soaking wet hair.
“Nicole, she threw herself on me and I wasn’t fast enough to dodge the kiss. I swear I never kissed her back, please believe me Nikki, please.”
“I saw you Mace,” I sob as his lips on hers plays over and over in my head, breaking my already broken heart even more.
“You came in just as it happened. Nicole, I can never hurt you like that, I... love you!”
“What?” I didn’t expect that. What if he’s saying it because he got caught?
“I. Love. You. Banana Girl,” a half laugh half sob slips through my lips. “Please believe me, baby. You are the one I want, not that jealous witch-bitch in there… no one, only you,” he continues. I don’t stop him this time when he takes a step closer.
“I want- no need you in my life Nicole. I mean, who else is going to wave bananas at me?” he jokes and I snort out a laugh.
“I love you too,” I finally say just as his lips lock with mine in a passionate kiss.
“Come on Banana Girl, let’s get out of the rain,” he says when he pulls back. He takes my hand in his and leads the way back to the house.
“Honey, what happened? Why did you run out of here like that?” My mom asks as Mace and I walk back in, soaking the hardwood floors. I look around to see four pairs of worry-filled eyes looking at me, waiting for an explanation.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I say just as Gabriella joins us. She is actually smiling right now, like she didn’t just try to steal yet another man from me. She really is a cold, cold bitch.
“Gabriella,” I start. “Thank you,”
“What?!” everyone says at the same time.
I sigh before going on. “Both you and Donald broke my heart in a million pieces. If it wasn’t for your betrayal, I would have made the mistake of staying in a relationship where I wasn’t appreciated. I would have never moved and I would have never met the good friends I’ve made and a man who makes me happy and who truly loves me.” I’m met by silence so I continue.
“But here is the thing, I’m through letting you get to me and I’ll be damned if I let you get in the way my happiness.” “Oh, and one more thing, it doesn’t matter what you do, you can try and steal everything I have but fact remains, you will never be me or have my life.”
My parents and Gabriella’s parents are staring at me and Mace is smiling down at me looking proud. But Gabby actually looks angry or maybe constipated… I don’t know but either way, I’m sick of being in her presence.
“You are not welcome here Gabby, so get the fuck out before I throw you out,” I tell her as I turn and make my way to my room.
“You coming Mace?” I ask over my shoulder just as Gabby’s father says; “Come on Gabriella, you have embarrassed this family for the last time.”
Mace and I make our way to my room in silence. Him, smiling all the way while my mind replays the events of the night. I am actually proud of myself. For the first time in a very long time, I stood up for myself.
“Nikki?” Mace says as he closes to door to my childhood room.
“Hm,” I’m already getting rid of my wet clothes. I’m starting to get seriously cold
“I meant what I said,” I look at him, a smile playing on my lips.
“I know,” I slowly walk towards him, now clad in only my red lacy underwear.
“Hear me out,” he says and I pause in front of him. “I never meant to hurt you tonight. I came in here thinking you were in here but instead found Gabriella. She made a move on me but I swear I turned her down.” he briefly closes his eyes. “She threw herself on me and I just wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way because I wasn’t expecting it and that’s when you walked in.” He gently cups my face before continuing. “I really am sorry baby.”
“I believe you, and you’re forgiven.” I slowly start unbuttoning his shirt that is clinging to his body, outlining those abs I love so much.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“What does it look like I’m doing, Abs?” he laughs but almost immediately swallows that chuckle when I start trailing kisses on his smooth golden chest.
“Nicole, you are making it hard for me to keep my hands off you… in that way.”
“Oh, you’re hard alright,” I glance down at the
bulge in his pants. “And what makes you think I want you to keep your hands of me in any way?”
“Fuck,” he groans when I start ridding him of his jeans. “At your parent’s house?” He pulls me closer to his body by my waist.
“Yes,” I lean up and kiss him.
“Can you be quiet?”
“I can be whatever you want me to be,” I bite my bottom lip as I push his jeans down.
He groans as he kicks the wet jeans off and kissing me again gently and passionately. He slowly guides me toward the bed and lays me down straddling me without breaking the kiss.
His lips travel from my lips to my neck, then nips his way all the way south of my body, pausing once to take off my bra and then again to slide my panties down my legs.
I stifle a loud moan when I feel his hot tongue licking my throbbing clit. An accidental loud moan slips through my lips when he starts sucking hard. He immediately stops and makes his way up. Shit, no. I didn’t mean for him to stop.
“I thought you said you can be quiet,” he smiles before kissing me again. I can taste myself on his lips and that makes me even hotter.
He positions himself between my legs before sinking in slowly. I bite my lip hard in order to stifle the moan that’s threatening to erupt from my lips.
“I love you Banana Girl,” he whispers as he starts thrusting in and out of me ever so gently but the feeling is still fucking exquisite.
“And I love you, Abs.” I pant as goosebumps start forming on my body as proof of the pleasure I’m feeling right now.
“Now, I’m going to worship every inch of your perfect body and show you just how much I love you,” he says as his head dips to the nape of my neck. He starts nipping and sucking as his thrusts pick up pace, owning me, making me feel like I’m his one and only as he rocks my world.
This is it. The beginning of my happily ever after. I finally have the love I’ve always longed for. I never thought that my broken heart will ever be healed but Mace Maynard has proven otherwise.
He has proven that only true love can heal a broken heart.
EPILOGUE
MACE
Eight Months Later
“Hey man, what do you think about this one?” Connor asks as he hands me a photo of an elderly woman. He finally fired that damn babysitter and is now looking for a new one that will be living in his house.
“First, I don’t think you should just go on photo’s, go through the resumé first.” I hand him the photo back. “And second, I think she is a bit too old to handle Abby, remember that little princess is a busy bee man,”
“I’ve already gone through the resumé's and these photo’s I brought over are the people on the short list,” he says, picking up another photo and looking at it a bit longer than the one of the old woman.
“Okay, and that one?” I hold out my hand for him to hand it to me.
“Samantha Davies, twenty-seven, used to look after her three younger sisters nine, fourteen and seventeen, just finished college and desperate for any kind of job while she looks for something in designing,” I take the photo from him and study it.
“She has some experience with kids and she’s beautiful,” I say handing him back the photo of the woman with long black hair, brown eyes and a heart shaped face.
“Yeah,” he grabs the photo and gives it another long look.
Holy shit, I think my brother is attracted to the woman in that photo.
I’m about to say something to him when the door bursts open and Nikki slams it behind her before running through the house without even acknowledging us.
Shit, what’s wrong?
“Baby?” I start to panic as I stand and rush after her, following her into the ensuite bathroom of our bedroom. Yeah, two months ago I asked her to move in with me and she agreed.
“Nikki, what’s wrong?” I ask as the panic heightens when I find her crying on the bathroom floor.
“I don’t think I can do this,” she sobs, worrying me even more. Shit, what the hell? Do what? Us? God, I hope she doesn’t mean us?
“Hey, what’s going on?” I ask again with a slight shake in my voice as I kneel beside her.
“I haven’t been feeling well this past week so I went to see the Doctor today.” Fuck, what could be wrong with her that’s upset her this much? “I-” she sniffles. “I’m pregnant,” she says, her head falling into her hand as her body shakes with sobs.
“What?” My eyes widen in shock. Holy shit but how? She’s on the pill, I see her take the damn things every morning. But then, the wheels in my head start to turn. “Pregnant?” A slow grin tugs at my lips as I start getting a bit excited. Holy mother... “I’m going to be a father?” An unexpected laugh bubbles through my lips. I sit flat on my ass then pull her into my arms.
But why is she so upset about this? Is it because she was scared I’d be angry or something? If so she has nothing to worry about. I’m freaking ecstatic! I’m going to be a fucking father!
“Mace, I don’t know if I can do this,” she says looking at me with tear filled eyes. It takes me a minute to catch up on the true reason why she’s so upset. She lost a baby before. God, I’m such an idiot, she must be terrified!
“Nikki…”
“What if something happens and I lose this baby too?” she sniffles again. “I can’t survive that kind of loss again Mace, I just can’t!”
“Hey, nothing is going to happen to our baby,” I soothe. I need to convince her that everything is going to be okay, that things are different this time around.
She looks up at me; “But-”
“No baby, everything is going to be just perfect.” I tell her. “Nikki, look at it this way, this is a second chance. A way to make things right,” I kiss her forehead.
“You think so?” she asks, sniffing.
“No baby, I know so.”
For the first time since she got home, she smiles, a genuine smile that lights up her beautiful tearstained face.
“I guess you’re right, this is just part of our happily ever after,” I laugh before kissing her salty lips.
“I love you, Banana Girl. I love both of you,” I tell her as I gently rub on her flat stomach that’s carrying the best present one can ever ask for.
“I- We love you too.” She replies before pulling me down for another kiss.
THE END
BOOKS BY Rachel M Storm
· Knowing Fey (The Fey Trilogy Book 1)
· Hunted Fey (The Fey Trilogy Book 2)
· Forbidden Affections
The next book in this series will be Connor's book. I can't wait to share his story with everyone.
Thank you so much for reading hope you enjoyed xx
Healing Nicole Page 13
