by Amy Brent
Suddenly all the warm and fuzzy feelings faded as I watched Nicole start to speak to him, her voice tense and angry. Whoever the hell he was, I wasn’t going to make her face it alone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
~Nicole~
A whole lot of emotions were churning through me as I marched to the man waiting at my door. Disbelief, incredulousness, rage, confusion. They all mixed together, ramping me up so that my nausea was forgotten for a brief moment.
Sure enough, it was exactly who I thought it was. Standing right in front of my building’s door, looking like a damn model in a light blue polo and dark washed jeans.
“Jason?” I asked, my tone mixed up three ways from Sunday. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Nicole! Hi! You look beautiful.” He turned to me with such a movie star smile, but it only made me angrier. How dare he show up on my doorstep, acting pleasant like he hadn’t been complacent in the ruining of my life. “I ran into your mother at the supermarket and she told me that you’d move to St. Louis and were flourishing. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, naturally I wanted to drive up and see how you were doing. And, you know, maybe make up a little for the less than awesome things I’ve done.”
“It’s more what you didn’t do that was the issue.” I said coldly, glaring at him and crossing my arms.
“I realize I probably deserve that, but still, it’s so good to see you.”
“I don’t think that feeling is mutual. Look, I know that you probably think you’re a great guy, and hell, I once thought so too. But now, you can just-”
A wave of nausea rolled over me and suddenly I was gagging, then nearly barfing as I doubled over. Of course, stupid Jason was at my side in a minute, asking me if I was okay, but I managed to push him back and collect myself before I did any sort of technicolor shouting.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I said, standing up and unzipping the light jacket I had put on. I had been cold in the doctor’s office but now that I was all heaving and stuff, I was overheated.
Right as I stood, Jason’s eyes went wide, and I realized that he hadn’t known I was pregnant with how my jacket covered my body. I really needed to stop surprising people that way; I was going to end up accidentally giving someone an apoplexy.
“You’re pregnant,” he said, completely shocked.
“Wow, glad to see all that training they give you at the police academy has really honed your observation skills.”
His face turned from pleasant to spiteful at the turn of a dime. I wasn’t surprised, though, I had long since learned that there was a viper underneath that public servant uniform. “Huh. Maybe Marilynn wasn’t off with what she warned me about.”
That was the wrong thing to say.
I felt my face practically catch fire and then I was going zero to one hundred in less than a breath. “Are you freaking kidding me, you condescending, self-absorbed bastard?!” I yelled, not caring what the neighbors heard. “You have the gall to come visit me after helping to chase me out of my own town and now you want to insult me like you have the higher ground? Why, I should-”
I was suddenly cut off as a large form stepped between us. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it was James. He must have gotten out of the car and walked up without me noticing.
“Can I help you?” He asked, looking down at Jason from his superior height.
“Can I help you?” Jason retorted.
“Sure. I’d like to know why you’re bothering Nicole here when clearly she doesn’t want you around.”
“And I’d like to know why the hell you think any of this is your business.”
I watched, stuck in a surprised sort of shock, as they two men edged closer to each other until they were chest to broad chest. I had never seen a ‘man-off’ in real life, but this was definitely one without a doubt.
It was akin to watching two apex predators fight for dominance, and I didn’t know if I should be insulted, flattered or nervous that I would get caught un the crossfire. Either way, James had never looked so incredibly attractive as he did now, standing up to the man who had refused to ever defend me when I needed it most.
But I quickly realized that I didn’t want a fight on my hands. After all, Jason was a cop and I didn’t put it past him to manipulate the law to get back at James -especially if a fight could somehow endanger his career. I had learned that first hand.
“Look, Jason, you need to leave before one of you whips your dick out and a measuring stick. I want nothing to do with you, and you have my permission to never come back again.”
Jason looked like he was going to say something to me, but James bumped him ever so slightly with his chest, interrupting our line of site. There was another tense moment, and finally Jason backed down.
“Whatever. You left town for a reason and you should probably stay out,” the officer said as he walked away.
But I wasn’t going to let him think that he had somehow gotten to me, so I grabbed James’ hand and pulled him towards my house. I didn’t look back, even thought I wanted to, and just beelined straight inside.
“You want to tell me what the hell that was about?” James asked as I continued tugging him inwards.
“Not now,” I said, pressing the button to call the elevator.
“Who was that guy? And why was he speaking to you like that?”
“Not now,” I repeated. My blood was rushing and I could feel a yearning sort of warmth within myself and I didn’t want to ruin it by thinking about idiotic Jason and his selfish ways.
I pushed James into the lift and slammed my lips into him, feeling all of my emotions pour out of me. I wasn’t the type of woman who normally needed to be defended, but this was the second time he had come to my aide when I was so used to having to take care of myself. How could I not be completely aroused by my own personal Prince Charming come to help me?
His arms wrapped around me and he pressed me to him like we were the same person. My belly pushed into him, and I could already feel my breasts growing more sensitive by the second. Suddenly I was back in that moment in Vegas when we first shared the night together. There was no drama, no fear, just the desire we had for each other.
We stumbled out into the hall, me walking backwards and James’ hands all over me. Eventually, we crashed into my door, and I broke contact long enough to fumble with the keys.
It took me a bit longer than it normally would to open my door, but we made it in again and then his mouth was on mine once more.
Maybe some of it was the pregnancy hormones, maybe I was just lonely, but I knew exactly where this was going, and I couldn’t wait.
But just when I was going to haul him towards my bedroom, he pulled away abruptly, looking down at me with such a mixture of concern and desire that it made me wet right then and there.
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” He asked, clearly holding himself back from what he wanted to do.
But that just made me want him that much more. Even when it was just the two of us, he was still intent on making sure I was absolutely protected. For being my future-ex-husband, he was the nicest man that I had ever met, and I didn’t see any reason to hold back any longer.
“Yes. I am one hundred percent certain.”
“Good,” he said, tilting my head back and laying kisses down my neck. “I was hoping you would say that.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
~James~
Once more I found myself doing something that I knew was a poor choice, passion surging through every fiber of my being as I walked Nicole backwards, my hands exploring all of her that was within my reach.
We needed to focus on getting a divorce, on severing our paths legally so we could move on and be the functioning adults that we were supposed to be. But how was I supposed to do that when she fit against me like she was made for me and everything about her was so damn intoxicating?
It wasn’t fair. It was like I had been set up with a game that was impo
ssible to win, and why would I want to? Winning meant not feeling, tasting, or experiencing the paradise that was Nicole, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.
We were almost to where I remembered the bedroom was from the tour, but at the last moment she pulled me in another direction. I hesitated, and of course she couldn’t budge me an inch, so she broke the kiss to look up at me with an eager expression.
“I have an idea,” she said, voice husky with desire. I knew better than to question that and let her lead me to the bathroom.
Not exactly the sexiest place in the house, but I didn’t question it. Even when she pulled away from me and turned around, bending down to fiddle with something that I couldn’t see.
It wasn’t until I heard the water running into the tub that I realized what she was doing. Oh, so she wanted to play in the water, did she? Well I could accommodate that.
Once she had the water to a temperature she liked, she turned back to me, swaying sexily. I reached out, letting my hands rest on her hips as I pulled her back to me once more.
I let my head dip down, pressing a single kiss against her swollen lips before pulling her shirt up over her head.
She lifted her arms, aiding me, and I revealed her lacy camisole and the very top of her floral bra.
“Did you wear this for me?” I teased, letting my hand gently glide over the smooth curves of her skin, reveling in the feeling of warmth and silk there.
“No,” she said quickly, too quickly, before smiling sheepishly. “Maybe.”
“Uh-huh.”
Her hands reached up and she started to unbutton my own shirt. Although I had dressed somewhat casually, I still had gone with a somewhat but together look. But now I found myself cursing the fact that I chose clothing that wasn’t exactly easy to get out of.
Nicole, as if she had a guide on how to drive me crazy, leaned forward to kiss my chest every time she freed a button, going lower and lower until she was on her knees.
I pulled my shirt from my frame as her hands went to my pants. Considering that I didn’t have a belt on, she was able to undo all the fastenings on them much more quickly than she ever had before.
Looking up at me, there was an illicit sort of passion in her gaze that poured like lava over my mind. She gave me a bit of a smirk before pulling my pants right down and helping me step out of them.
I was barely freed when she was already pulling me from my boxers, stroking my fully hard length and making me hiss with pleasure. I tilted my head back, wishing I had something to lean against, but I had to stand and absorb everything that Nicole doled out.
And boy did she know how to dole it out. Her hands left me after less than a couple of minutes, being replaced by her narrow, wet tongue. I shuddered as its tip laved along me, leaving a slick trail in its wake. I knew from experience what that muscle could do to me, how easily it could put me over the edge, so I focused on my breathing. Deep inhales, deep exhales. Deep inhales, deep-
“Holy shit!”
Apparently, I had been far too calm for Nicole’s liking, so she had suddenly wrapped her mouth around me and surged forward, engulfing all of me in one go. When I had enough of my wits together, I looked down, only to see her smirking up at me.
It looked like someone was in a mischievous mood tonight. Two could play at that game.
Reaching down, I wrapped my fingers in her hair, winding through the tresses until I had enough grip to influence the motion of her head and just how deep she took me.
I pulled her back, until the tip of my manhood was just barely between her lips. She groaned, straining forward, clearly wanting more of me. But I held her still, only allowing her the slightest of contacts.
“Are you going to be a good girl?” I asked, feeling my lips twist into a crooked smile.
She nodded, her tongue flicking across the head of my length. I shuddered at that, and gave her a little slack, sand sure enough she was bobbing along me with renewed vigor.
I held on as long as I could, fighting each wave of pleasure that went over me until finally I couldn’t take anymore.
“That’s enough,” I said, pulling her off me. She let go, cheeks red and face swollen, and I almost lost myself right then and there.
“Perfect timing,” she said, turning back to the deep, deep tub. “The water’s at about the perfect level.”
She sat down at the edge of the water and wiggled off her yoga pants along with her panties. Although it certainly wasn’t the most graceful strip I had ever seen, I loved every moment of it.
Because it was special. Just between the two of us. Sure, there was no polish, sure it was a raw, unguarded moment without pomp or refinement, but that’s what made it different. How could anyone witness this and think there was any ulterior motive? Nicole was as straight forward as they came, with an earnest sort of honesty to everything she did.
Once she was bare, she slid into the water, like a mermaid finally finding its home. There, standing in the water with her rounded belly and mussed hair, she looked like the closest thing to a goddess that I had ever seen. I peeled off my socks and threw them to the side, then removed my boxers, before carefully joining her.
The last thing I wanted to do was slip and bring and unfortunate end to her brilliant little idea. So, I took my time, until finally we were both in the warm water together, just experiencing the moment.
I lowered myself onto the built-in seat all around the edge of the tub and pulled Nicole towards me. As she straddled me, I reached between her legs, searching for her entrance.
I found it without much problem, and my fingers rubbed against it. This wasn’t my first time at the rodeo, so I knew that water had a tendency to counteract a woman’s natural lubrication, despite what most people thought, so I would have to work overtime to make sure that she was ready for me.
She whined as I slid within her, my fingers working her over in just the way that I knew she liked. Just like in Vegas, this position put her at the perfect height for me to take one of her pert nipples into my mouth, rolling it over my tongue and between my teeth.
The sounds coming out of her were pure sin, and combined with the seductively warm water around us, and the jets causing the liquid to foam and froth, pushed everything to a whole new level. It was like all of my senses had been heightened, only to be filled with her.
Like usual, I tried to take my time, tried to make sure that she was truly ready for me, but there was a strange sort of urgency to what we were doing, like the moment was enchanted lightening that needed to be caught in a bottle before it disappeared forever. So much sooner than I normally would, I was positioning her over me and guiding herself as she lowered onto me.
It went easier than it had previous times, and I didn’t know if that was because I was learning her and what she liked more and more each time, or because the warm water was helping her relax. Either way, there wasn’t nearly as much pain in her face as she adjusted, taking bit by bit of me until I was buried completely inside of her.
She leaned against me, pregnant belly warm and pressing against my own front. I was reminded that our child was in there, and that just made me want her that much more. It was the best kind of torture to make sure that she was ready for me to move, and I tensed all of my body until I was practically one ball of muscle, until she finally gave me the nod I was waiting for.
I gave a few experimental thrusts at first, water sloshing all around us. When there was no resistance and only cries of pleasure from Nicole, I picked up speed until we were gyrating against each other wildly.
The water splashed up over the edge of the tub, getting everywhere, but neither of us cared. The world was just the two of us, moving against each other in the way only two lovers could. Her skin was glistening, slick to the touch and enticing in every way. My hands gripped her hips, thumbs alternating between stroking the skin there and gripping it tightly. I guided her as we surged against each other, my body electric with sensation.
“God, James,�
� she cried, her hands reaching out on either side of me to grip the side of the tub. She put all of her weight on me, and it was comforting, reminding me that she was real, and in the moment with me. “I’m so close!”
Good, because I was nearing my edge too. Normally I liked to make her climax at least once before penetration, but we had been in too much of a hurry. I would never let myself orgasm before my partner, so I was grateful we wouldn’t have to take a break where I’d have to get her to the same point I was.
Besides, we could always do a round two later while we towel dried ourselves.
But it was a bit early to start thinking about that. After all, I still had this round to deal with. Even with a few more minutes left in me, I could already tell this was going to be one hell of a finish.
Her hands moved from the tub edge to my shoulders, nails biting into my skin, the pain just amplifying all the pleasure she gave me. I bent my head down in response, lips finding her neck and worshipping the skin there, only taking breaks to occasionally worry at the smooth expanse with my teeth. I could feel myself throbbing within her, and I knew it was only a matter of time.
Grabbing one of her hands, I pulled it down into the sloshing water, planting it where we were joined. She got the idea and I could feel it as her own finger went to work on that sensitive nub that could send her toppling over the edge.
