A happy sob escaped. “I love you, too, Brandt. Don’t let this be a dream.”
I kept pushing in as her walls wrapped around me. “This is our reality, baby. No one is going to take that away from us.”
“Kiss me.”
My lips went to hers. We kissed, slowly making love in front of the crackling fire.
I memorized every movement, never wanting it to end. Our bodies climbed, beads of perspiration formed on our skin, and when we couldn’t hold back anymore, we came simultaneously. I rolled Nikola on top of me, still buried in her.
She sighed contentedly. “Thank you for giving me the special memories you did today. I’ll treasure them forever. I know you were thinking of my wishes from that night.”
I rubbed my hand down her back. “We were both ready. There’s one wish I don’t think we are ready for.”
“A baby.” Nikola had put it out there without hesitation. My breath caught, wondering if she were going to want one right away. We’d talk it out, but I wasn’t ready. “You can start breathing again. I’m not ready either.”
I chuckled beneath her. “I didn’t really stop breathing.”
“Yes, you did.” She kissed my chest. “Someday, in the future, when we’re ready, we can have a little Brandt running around the house. I still want to enjoy our time together while it’s only us. We have plenty of time for a family. It’s not something that should be rushed.” Nikola traced light circles on my chest as she spoke.
I continued to run my hands down her back. “I agree. We’ll work through all our ups and downs together. My mum told me the downs are what make a strong marriage. I’d say we have a good strong foundation to build our life on.”
Nikola nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”
We basked in the afterglow of our love-making and our feelings for each other.
We were over at Anne’s, having lunch before heading home from our honeymoon. Nikola’s parents had gone to Tybee Island after the wedding. I didn’t understand them. They were here from halfway across the world but still wanted isolation. I’d stepped outside to call to Adam. He’d sent a text asking me to call him when I had a moment.
The hum of the traffic sounded in the distance. A bird chirped a late afternoon song. My world seemed as close to perfect as it could be at the moment.
Adam picked up on the second ring. “Hey, man. How was the honeymoon?”
“It was the best part of the entire wedding.”
Adam chuckled.
I reaffirmed my earlier statement. “You’ll see. You’ve got a wedding coming up.”
Someone spoke from a distance. It sounded like Trigger. Adam responded, “Yeah, let Karen handle it. She’s the manager now, it’ll be a good learning experience for her.” Trigger’s voice answered Adam, but it was muffled. “Brandt, are you there?”
“Yeah.”
Adam took a deep breath and my anxiety went up. “A member is trying to get in early. We’ll see how Karen handles it. The reason I wanted to talk is that I received a phone call the other day. We have an offer for a buyout of the club. It’s a good offer.”
“What?” My voice sounded in disbelief.
“We got the offer the morning of your wedding. I didn’t want to talk about it then, but someone wants to buy the club and franchise it. We need to discuss. It’s a serious offer, Brandt.”
I couldn’t believe Adam was actually contemplating selling the club. “Adam, I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to do this.”
“Okay.” He paused. Adam sounded shocked that I wouldn’t jump on this. Did he think marriage would make me want to give up my entire life? He continued, “Will you at least look at the proposal?”
“Sure. I need to get back inside. But you need to be prepared I may not want to sell.” I knew I sounded frustrated. I was frustrated.
He took a big breath. “We’ll talk about it later. Tell Nikola I said hey.”
“Will do.”
I hung up and jammed the phone in my pocket. I pinched the bridge of my nose while I tried to quell my temper. Why was he wanting to change things? I needed to hear his side of the story. In some ways, the club had become a burden as it required constant supervision. It was getting hard to manage with everything else I wanted to do. But I refused to think that way. The club was a huge part of our lives. I pushed the thought of selling the club to the far recesses of my mind. I’d deal with that later. Now, I was going to focus on my bride.
After a few minutes, I went inside. As I approached the kitchen, I heard Nikola and Anne talking as they ate chocolate.
“How does it feel to be a married woman?” Anne asked.
“I never imagined it would feel like this. There’s this peace I feel, knowing how committed we are to each other. I love the feeling of belonging to Brandt.”
I pushed up my sleeves, casually walked into the kitchen, and leaned against the counter. Nikola raised an eyebrow at me. She sat at the bar.
I knew Nikola sensed something was bothering me from the way she looked at me. Anne walked over and set down a plate with a piece of pie on it.
“Here’s your piece. It’s still warm. Are you up for another game of Rook? Have you paid your debt to Nikola?”
I shot Nikola a sultry look as Anne turned her back to grab a container out of the cabinet. Nikola giggled as I said, “I’ve paid my debt. I’m up for another game.” I looked at Nikola. “Shall we have the same stakes?”
I picked up my plate and took a big bite. Warm chocolate goodness filled my mouth. Anne made a mean chocolate pie.
Anne put her hand up as she walked out. “I don’t want to know what you guys are betting about. I’ll get the cards.”
Nikola and I continued smirking at each other. There was coughing down the hallway, then a door closed to muffle the sound out. Anne’s cough had significantly worsened. She seemed slower and more tired. We had a doctor’s appointment in five days. At dinner, Nikola had tried to talk Anne into an earlier appointment, without success.
After she climbed off her wooden barstool, Nikola moseyed over to me. “Are you ready to be defeated again? And to put your fate into the hands of the Magic 8 Ball?”
I bit her lip then ran my tongue over the bite. “Are you ready for that striptease?”
“If you lose, I’ll give you a striptease with a little extra something I bought.”
Nikola swayed her hips as we walked out into the living room. I walked right behind her, whispering in her ear, “What’d you buy?”
“Win and you’ll find out. Lose and it’ll stay my dirty little secret.”
We made it to the card table. Anne was sitting there with a glass of water. She must have brought it from the back of the house. I watched her closely as she dealt the cards. The gravity of Anne’s illness started to sink in. For now, I’d enjoy this moment.
Grabbing my cards, I prepared for battle. Whatever my wife had purchased on the sly was going to be a hell of a surprise. I had to win.
We pulled onto the highway as we made our way home from Anne’s. The sun was setting as the dusky sky turned a brilliant orange. As I went around a truck, Nikola asked, “What was bothering you when you first came back in from calling Adam?”
Remembering what Adam had brought up about the club had me flustered again. I wondered what Nikola would think. I hadn’t even thought about whether she’d want me to sell the club and get into something else. “Umm—we got an offer on Club Envy. It’s supposedly a good offer that Adam wants to entertain, but I don’t know if I do. I don’t know why, but I never thought of us selling the club.”
Nikola laid her hand on top of mine, resting on the console. “That would be hard,” she said. “The club was there for you this last year as you buried yourself in security.”
Exactly.
“What do you think I should do?”
She took a deep breath. I saw Nikola’s chest rise from the corner of my vision. “I think it wouldn’t hurt to at least hear the offer, but you have to be th
e one who decides. I’ll support you regardless of what you choose.”
This was why we were meant to be together. I should have known Nikola would support me in whatever I decided.
We continued driving as we reminisced about our wedding. As we were pulling into the neighborhood, Nikola’s tone changed as she tried to hide her laughter. “Hey, Brandt, can I tell you something?”
I glanced to her as she sat, relaxed in her seat. “Sure, you know you can tell me anything.”
Nikola held up her index finger and middle finger in a V. “Boy oh boy. I can’t wait to have all five of these babies up when I keep pummeling you at Rook.”
The garage door went up as I hit the button on the visor in the car. I’d given Nikola the spot next to my Corvette. I’d park in the driveway until we decided what we wanted to do about a house.
Chuckling, I responded, “I figured you were going to say you still want to do your wifely duties and striptease for me.”
She countered, “Or maybe the Magic 8 Ball will want you to do a striptease for me while I play ‘It’s Raining Men.’ But, it has to be the Geri Halliwell version. I think that would be great.” Nikola nodded, as if it was the perfect plan.
I pulled the vehicle into the garage, trying to play it cool. “The Weather Girls know their stuff.”
Nikola withdrew that dreaded, black, round sphere of doom. The last time the fortune had gone my way, which meant that that horrid thing was bound to turn on me.
She handed the ball to me. “Want to give it a go and see how cool they are to dance to?”
To stall, I hit the button to close the garage door. The moment the door hit the floor, I felt like I was being sentenced. Nikola faced me, trying to suppress a laugh. She started speaking again.
“I’ll sweeten the pot. You can choose to ask one of two questions to the 8 Ball. The first choice is to ask the 8 Ball if you should do a striptease to the song. The second choice is to ask if I should be the one to do the striptease in your place. If you ask the sacred 8 Ball if you should do the striptease and it says no, that means I have to do it and vice versa. So one of us will be stripping tonight regardless.”
I turned to face her. “You’re giving me the choice on what I ask the 8 Ball?”
She nodded and giggled.
I held out my hand. “Give me that damn ball.”
There was still a faint light in the garage from the light hanging from the ceiling, so I could still see everything. Nikola handed me the Magic 8 Ball, and I stared down at it.
Are we going to be friends still? I hope so. I don’t want to make threats, but if you make me dance to that fucking song, it’s not going to be a pleasant end for you. Shit, I’m talking to you like you’re not some toy. Just be kind and we’ll get along great.
I looked up at Nikola to make sure I hadn’t slipped and said something out loud. She was barely holding in her amusement, but I hadn’t. Whew.
Holding the 8 Ball out, I still didn’t know which question I was going to ask. This was either going to go extremely well or terribly bad. I closed my eyes as I wished with all my might. “Magic 8 Ball, should I get my dance moves on and strip for my wife?”
Shaking the damn ball, I turned it over and waited for that blue triangle to float up to the top. Nikola leaned over, waiting to see what our fate was going to be. When I saw the words, My reply is no, I started cheering in the car.
“Boo-yah, Magic 8 Ball. Boo-yah! The tides have turned. This little beauty is now my BFF, and not yours. Yes! Yes! Yes! Baby, get your stripper shoes on, you’re getting naked for me tonight!”
I stopped when Nikola laughed. “You’ve come to the dark side of the power of the Magic 8 Ball.”
“Fuck that stupid Magic 8 Ball.”
Nikola got out of the car. “Be careful. It may pay you back next time you have a question if you don’t love the Magic 8 Ball.”
I’m sorry, Magic 8 Ball. It wasn’t personal. I promise.
I got out of the vehicle after mentally apologizing to the Magic 8 Ball. “Go get on something good. I’ll be waiting in the living room for you.” I met Nikola at the front of the car and swatted her ass. “Make sure to bring that special gift, too.”
Nikola opened the door that led into the house as she pulled her sweatshirt over her head. I didn’t say a word as I enjoyed her backside. This was going to be a good time tonight. I made my way to the couch and positioned the coffee table across the room to give her room to dance right in front of me. I stripped out of my clothes, ready to fuck her brains out when I couldn’t stand anymore.
A few minutes passed and what sounded like music from the club began playing through the speakers. My docking station at the back of the room was wired throughout the house. The low, erotic pulse sounded throughout the room.
I stroked my dick as I waited for Nikola to come stand in front of me. A velvet pouch came over my left shoulder and dangled in front of my face. Warm lips came to my right ear. “There’s a vibrator in my underwear, positioned in front of my clit. This is the remote to control the strength of those vibrations as I dance for you.”
“Holy shit.” I stopped stroking myself, afraid I was going to come on the spot.
Her tongue traced the rim of my ear. “I thought you’d like that.”
I took the pouch and opened it to find a small, rectangular remote. On it were ten numbers. Nikola came to stand in front of me, wearing black sheer panties and a matching bra. There was a matching robe of the same material over top.
“Nikki, you’re fucking gorgeous. Whatever I did to deserve you, I’ll never know.”
She twirled. “I take it you like.”
“Oh, baby, I like.”
Nikola swayed her hips as she undid the tie to her robe. I hit the One on the remote and her eyes closed for a second before letting the garment slide off her arms. Nikola continued to walk my way before turning and bending, leaving her pussy mere inches from my reach. I went to touch her, but she stood, swaying and touching herself in the sexiest way as her body moved to the beat. I pressed the five on the remote and got an audible gasp. She faltered, but continued.
I squeezed my dick harder as Nikola unsnapped her bra. Instead of letting me see those luscious tits, she covered them with her hands and began to massage them. I hit the number six and was rewarded with her eyes closing, and her fingers went to the end of her nipples. She pinched them. Nikola didn’t lose her rhythm this time.
Knowing I wasn’t going to last, I pressed seven, and Nikola said, “That feels so good. I’m so wet. So wet. I wish you could feel how ready I am for you.”
I pressed eight, and Nikola began moving my way. She didn’t touch me as she put her hands on the couch to the outside of my legs. Licking her lips, she leaned down and swirled her tongue around the tip of my cock.
“Shit, baby.” I pressed ten, and Nikola dropped to her knees. We were both getting close. I got up, moving her hands temporarily, and positioned myself behind her. Getting on my knees, I lifted Nikola’s hips to the perfect height to fuck her. The vibrator was still going as I pushed the fabric aside and plunged inside. She was wet, warm, and tight as I pounded into her.
“Brandt. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.”
I grabbed her hips and rammed myself in, balls deep, starting the ripple effect of our orgasm. Pulses began in the center and continued to move outward, overtaking our entire bodies. We sagged onto the floor after I pulled out. I held Nikola to me. I reached for the remote and turned the vibrator off.
She looked over at me, the picture of a satiated woman. I brushed a piece of hair off her face. “I’m glad the Magic 8 Ball did not pick me to do that.”
“Me, too. I think the vibrator was a hit.”
I kissed her hard. “Oh, it’s definitely going into the frequently-used pile.”
We were touching each other and kissing. It wasn’t going to be long before I was in Nikola again. We weren’t going to get any sleep tonight if I had anything to do with it.
THER
E WAS A noise from the bathroom as I peeled my eyes open. Something crashed. I felt for Brandt, but his side of the bed was cold and empty. Throwing back the green duvet, I headed toward the bathroom. I could hear someone sniffing, as if they had a runny nose. Glancing back at the clock, I noticed it was a little after three a.m.
Is Brandt sick? Why didn’t he wake me?
My voice tried to work, but it was dry from sleeping and only a croak came out when I tried to call out his name. Fear pooled in my gut as I tried to stay positive about what was going on behind the door. The time it took to close the distance seemed to last forever. It was as if I was stuck in tar, barely able to move.
I tried to speak again, but nothing came out. What is wrong with me? My hand went to my throat as I tried to make any type of noise. Only a raspy sound came from my vocal cords. Finally, after what felt like hours, I made it to the door and cracked it open.
There was a mirror on the cabinet and two lines of white powder were evenly spaced on it. A hand appeared holding a rolled-up dollar bill. Brandt leaned over and snorted a line of coke. My heart broke as tears began to fall freely down my face.
My vocal cords broke free as I screamed, “You promised! You promised! You promised!” My world ended. I kept yelling, “You promised! You promised!”
“Nikola, wake up! Wake up, baby!”
My body jolted forward and my skin was damp from the perspiration. Breaths were heaving in and out of my lungs. Needing to see the bathroom, I ran in there and flipped on the lights. Everything was as I’d left it when I’d gotten ready for the striptease. I turned around and ran into Brandt’s chest. His hands came out to steady me.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” I started crying and crushed my face into his chest. “Nikola, you’re scaring the fuck out of me. Please, tell me what’s wrong.”
I sobbed harder. Brandt picked me up and cradled me in his arms as he walked back into the bedroom. He sat on the bed, and I clung to him.
“I’m trying to be patient, but I’m about to go out of my mind here, baby.”
Domino Effect Page 20
