by Blue Saffire
Nick pecks my lips and starts off in the direction of the reception with me in his arms. I look over to see Wyatt is carrying Nellie just as effortlessly. I just shake my head.
Chapter 15
Get This Straight
Sephora
I look up into Nick’s eyes as he sways me in his arms on the dance floor. Michelle and Sasha are forgotten at this point. I have dismissed them just as they have done me over the years, when Ettie wasn’t looking.
These are the moments I cherish most. Moments when Nick has me in his arms and the rest of the world melts away. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now. My fingers are even doing a happy dance in the hairs at the nape of Nick’s hair.
Nick’s hands haven’t been able to stay still since we started dancing. Oh, who am I kidding. Nick’s hands have been everywhere every chance he has gotten today. He knows he is driving me insane.
Leaning in he presses his lips to my ear as his hands settle on my backside. “This dress is killing me,” he groans in my ear. “I want you so much it hurts. I’ve been trying to sneak off with you for hours now and we keep getting interrupted.”
“Sneak off with me? What exactly do you have in mind,” I smirk and turn my head to look into his eyes.
Nick presses his lips to mine gently at first before deepening the kiss. “I want to take my time tasting that sweet pussy of yours, before I take you hard from behind. I can’t wait to get my hands in your hair. You don’t even understand the restraint it is taken not to coil it around my hand right now. I know if I do, I’ll take you right here in front of every one without a care,” Nick breathes heavily against my lips.
I moan and snuggle closer to him. I move my hands from his hair and rake my nails down his back. Nick tightens his hold on my ass. I am already wet. I’m just as tired of waiting as he is.
I open my mouth to speak, but the clearing of a throat pulls me away from responding to Nick. We both turn to see my mother staring at us accusingly. I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
“Nicholas, I thought now would be just as good a time as any to cut in,” my mother says with her chin lifted in the air.
I feel the rumble building in Nick’s chest before it makes its way out. I place both hands on his chest to calm him. When he turns to look me in the eyes, I smile up at him.
I tilt my head towards my mother and say, “When you are done with my mother come find me,” I lift on my toes to place a kiss on his lips and then move to his ear. “Then I will let you taste me all you want.”
A wicked smile takes over Nick’s face. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Sephora,” Nick rasps.
“I never do, Lincoln,” I say with a wink.
Nick throws his head back and laughs. Reluctantly, he releases me and lets my mother take my place. I spot Kimmie sitting at a table and I go over to give my aching feet a break.
“You and Nick make the perfect couple you know. I can tell he loves you so much,” Kimmie coos with a beaming smile when I take a seat next to her.
“He is something special, isn’t he,” I say with a huge smile of my own. I turn to Kimmie and tilt my head as I study her face. She is glowing and she looks much happier than when I arrived at her apartment back in Seattle. “So things look like they are getting better with Luke,” I pry.
Kimmie’s smile consumes her face. “He was so happy to find out we are having a little girl. I didn’t think he would be so happy about a girl. Everything changed after he got to see her,” Kimmie pauses and shakes her head. “I can’t explain it. It’s like knowing the sex of the baby and seeing her on that screen melted something in him. He has been really sweet; I mean, even sweeter than he has been since I came back.”
“That’s a good thing right,” I ask excitedly.
Kimmie bites her lip as her eyes fill with tears. She nods her head with a watery smile. “He is just so different. He tells me he loves me all the time now. It was never like that before. He would always say that I should let him love me, but he has never just come out with the words to say it, not like he does now,” Kimmie chokes out.
I pick up a napkin from the table and dab at her cheeks with it. “I’m so happy for you two. I know you guys have something special. You just have to get over the dumb shit,” I say.
Kimmie bursts into laughter and leans to pull me into a hug. “I love the new Sephora. Nick really is good for you,” Kimmie pulls back to look me in the eyes.
“Yeah, I remember you saying he would be,” I giggle.
“Yeah, and I was totally right. Ugh, I wish I was getting as much sex as you. I’m so horny with all these pregnancy hormones. Luke may have come around a lot, but he still won’t touch me enough to get me in bed,” Kimmie groans. “At least one of us is getting some, I hope you guys make a playmate for my little girl soon.”
This time I am the one that bursts into laughter. Kimmie has no idea how much sex Nick has insisted on having since I stopped the pill. We already had an active sex life, now it is like the substance we need to sustain life.
“First, I need to get to the bottom of whoever is threatening FLI. Then we can think about babies,” I say not wanting to jinx the fact that Nick and I are considering having a baby.
Kimmie presses her lips. We both have been digging into the A&T servers to see if we can find something more. Nick would kill us if he knew, but we are being very careful. I think I may be on to something. I just haven’t had time to get Kimmie to look at my latest finds with me.
“I don’t have a good feeling about all of this, Soph,” Kimmie sighs. “Nick wanted to handle it with his security team for a reason.”
“Kimmie, we both know that Nick doesn’t have anyone that’s as good as you or I on his security team. No offense to Kevin and the other guys, but they wouldn’t have gotten half as far as we have in such little time without being detected,” I huff.
“I still don’t feel right about it. Maybe if we just told Nick that we want to help he could at least know what we are up to to help minimize the danger,” Kimmie says and begins to worry her lip.
“Listen, if you want to stop working on it, I’ll just continue to do things on my own. I just know I am too close to something important to give up now,” I just can’t give up now. I know I am close to closing in on something that will unlock some part of this puzzle.
Kimmie’s face turn angry. “Sephora, you are my best friend. There is no way I am leaving you in a dangerous position with no one to watch your back. I just think it would be better if we involve Nick,” Kimmie says firmly.
“And I want to wait until we have something that will really help before we go to him,” I sigh.
“Because you know he would tell us to stop if he knew what we were up to,” Kimmie twists her lips at me.
“Kimmie,” I start but I am cut off by a curious looking Luke.
He walks over looking between Kimmie and me. I shut my mouth, using my eyes to plead with Kimmie to keep my secret for now. Kimmie rolls her eyes but she gives me a slight nod. I relax knowing I can trust my friend.
“What are you two over here talking about. Whatever it is looks too intense for a wedding. No geek talk tonight,” Luke teases.
“Hey, I am not a geek,” Kimmie pouts, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yeah baby, you are. A sexy geek, but you are a geek. I have proof. You hide your stripes well, but not well enough. I love that you have a brain in that pretty little head of yours,” Luke says in a loving tone.
“Who are you and what have you done with my brother,” I tease.
“Whatever Lilla du, Ettie is looking for you. She sent me over to retrieve you,” Luke says with a crooked smile.
I groan and lift to my feet. Ettie has been running me ragged for the last two days. I’m surprised I’ve broken free for this long. This has been a beautiful wedding but I have already decided that this is over the top and not at all what I want.
“Ah, well duty calls,” I chirp before heading over in t
he direction of my sister.
Nick
Sephora was pissed off before she disappeared into the bathroom and so was I. Watching her get all possessive over me and ready to fight, when I know Sephora has never had a fight a day in her life, was a major turn on. When I stood outside the bathroom waiting for her I had every intention of carrying her off somewhere where I could finally get some relief for my aching cock.
I have been wanting to get my hands on Sephora since she walked down the aisle in that dress. I’ve imagined a million ways to take her and satisfy us both. I almost had my chance too. I think Wyatt had the same idea. We almost got away too. That is until Ettie’s little wedding coordinator popped out of nowhere to inform us all we were needed inside for speeches.
Now here I am with Faraz in my arms, still pissed off. If this woman says one word out of line to me, I am going to blow. I have always had patience for Faraz in the past, but seeing firsthand how hard she is on Sephora boils my blood like none other.
“You have come to hate me,” Faraz says to break the silence as she cups my tight jaw.
“I wouldn’t say that,” I mutter.
“Cut the shit, Lincoln. I am not the lush everyone thinks I am. I’ve more than earned my Oscar around here,” Faraz says lifting a brow at me.
“Humph,” I snort.
“So you know the entire truth don’t you,” Faraz says softly. “Liam appreciates you not revealing it all to Lucian. We are all in danger, Nicholas. Dating you puts my Lilla du in greater danger. I don’t disapprove of you for her. I disapprove of you being with her before someone nips this all in the bud.”
“I can understand that Faraz, but this is not new. You have damaged Sephora self-esteem for years. Not just in the past eight. Do you know she has no idea how gorgeous she is? I watch her cringe for months whenever a lighter or thinner woman entered a room. She’d sneak a peek at me to see if they grabbed my attention away from her.
“She used to hide behind her hair. As if you could hide all of that beauty to begin with. She is not just gorgeous on the outside, she is stunning on the inside. So please tell me why you made her feel like anything but, way before there ever was a Nick and Sephora,” I grind out.
Faraz lifts her chin defiantly. “You are a white male, Nick. You will never know what Sephora and I have lived through as dark skinned black women. I have done all that I have to ensure her thick skin when it counts. I’d rather it be me to deal out the punches than someone out there that doesn’t love her. I didn’t have that.
“I learned the hard way how cruel people can be out in the world. Did you know I was on track to be a model right before meeting Liam. Actually, it is a funny story. I met him the day I had my heart broken by the fashion world. I walked in to that casting call with my head held high knowing I deserved a fair chance.
“They sat at the table blinking at me as if I was there to deliver their lunch and was taking too long to drop the bags and leave. They actually told me the gig was filled and they wouldn’t need to see any further models.
“I was used to being told I wasn’t thin enough, or tall enough, but this, this stung greater than any of the rest. As soon as I walked out they called in the next model. It was then that I noticed there wasn’t one dark brown face there other than mine. They never even took my portfolio. Didn’t even ask my name.
“I tore out of there in tears. I couldn’t even see pass my tears. I ran smack into Liam on the street. I remember him wrapping his arms around me and murmuring soothing words,” Faraz looks up at me with a softness I am not used to seeing on her face. “He called me his beautiful angel. There was never a day he didn’t make me feel beautiful. I may have wanted to be a model, but I had my own insecurities. Liam helped to wipe those away.”
Faraz takes a breath and blinks away what looks suspiciously like real tears. “I sighed a breath of relief when Lucian and Ettie were born. Their father’s fair skin gave them a chance I wasn’t afforded. When Sephora was born I knew right away she was different. She was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen, but I knew the world won’t see pass her lovely chocolate skin to appreciate that beauty.
“I don’t know if I was wrong in the way I raised her. I did everything I did out of love. I tried to even the playing field for her as much as I could. I have never thought of my daughter as any less than my other two children. Honestly, I value her more. Everyone else sees her as the timid one. I see her as the strongest one,” Faraz says with a sincerity that makes me ingest her words more deeply.
“Not everyone. I see her for who she is,” I reply.
“And that is why I am here. You are good for her Nicholas. I am so proud of her for standing up to me, but the monster you are up against has proven to be a challenge for us all. I need you to do a better job than Liam has in protecting Sephora. I know he did what he thought was best, but it wasn’t best for everyone,” Faraz says and pats my cheek. “If she doesn’t come first you will lose it all.”
“She will always come first,” I say through clinched teeth.
“I know. I just needed to hear it for myself,” with that Faraz kisses my cheek and walks away as the song comes to an end.
I have so many questions for her, but this is not the time for them. She is right. I have learned more than I ever thought I would about what really happened all those years ago. I have been filled with resentment for weeks now with the things I now know.
I consider following Faraz and going somewhere where I can get answers. However, I am stopped in my tracks by the sound of Sephora’s laughter ringing in the air dancing through the music that is starting anew. I turn to find the source of her joy and wanting to see that gorgeous smile on her face. Only when I find her my blood pressure nearly shoots through the roof.
There is a Black brother standing on each side of her and not the one Black that I trust her around. Ryan and Braxton are standing a bit too close for my liking. I have been meaning to get some face time with Ryan Black. Wyatt is the only reason I haven’t sooner. His baby brother is very lucky Wyatt is like a brother to me himself.
I move over to them with purpose. I see the moment Sephora feels me coming. The smile drains from her face and she looks up in my direction. Ryan looks down at her and frowns, then looks up to see was Sephora is looking at.
The little shit actually smirks. Surely knowing he is going to piss me off he tosses an arm over Sephora’s shoulder and winks at me. Sephora looks up and scowls at him, elbowing him in the side, but that is not enough.
I’ve known Ryan since before he could piss straight. Anytime he would join Wyatt on one of our little get togethers when we were younger, I remember him being the curious one that didn’t miss a thing. I could give two shits that he is now taller than I am. I’ll kick Ryan’s ass.
I walk right up to him and stand right in his face. Not looking away from his eyes as I reach out and wrap my arm around Sephora’s waist and pull her to me. I am standing inches away from Ryan, but not close enough to have to look up at him.
Ryan is six-seven and built, but not as thick as Noah or Wyatt. That doesn’t take away from the fact that I am six –three and I never miss a day of my workout. I look him in his golden eyes, so much like one of my best friends. He doesn’t so much as flinch, and neither do I.
Sephora sighs beside me placing a hand on my chest. “This is so unnecessary,” Sephora huffs. “Stop being an ass to my boyfriend, Ry.”
Ryan chuckles and throws an arm around me to pull me into a hug. “You’re getting soft in your old age or is it that you’re pussy whipped? The Nick I remember would have tried to kick my ass by now, so disappointing, bro,” Ryan laughs into my ear.
I shrug Ry off and slap him in the back of the head hard. “Keep your pretty little ass away from Sephora, Ry. Put your lips on my woman ever again, baby Black and I’m going to fuck you up,” I hiss. I glare at Ryan for a few beats before I smile and pull him back in for a hug. “What are you two little shitheads doing here?”
You’ve guessed it. I have a soft spot for each of Wyatt’s brothers. I have thought about really kicking Ryan’s ass, but in truth Wyatt was not the only reason I haven’t. Over the years the Black family has become a second family to me. Joe Black has kept an eye on my little problem from afar.
Not many know how close I really am to the entire family. It is better that way. I can’t have my enemies knowing just how close I am to revealing them.
“Little, I outgrew you three years ago,” Ryan snorts.
“Who you calling pretty, Lincoln,” Braxton chuckles. “You do know there are six of us you’ll have to go through before you can kick Ry’s ass don’t you?”
I shrug, “Wouldn’t be the first time. Where were you when he was putting the moves on my innocent girl,” I ask Braxton as I kiss the top of Sephora’s head.
“Up Heather’s ass, where else,” Ryan chuckles.
“Fuck you, you’re the dumb fucker that goes and gets a crush on a girl that is in love with practically family. Felix warned your dumb ass,” Braxton grunts and shakes his head.
Ryan’s cheeks turn red and he rubs the back of his neck. “Can you blame me,” Ryan peeks at Sephora through his lashes.
I look at Sephora at last to see she is ducking away shyly. She is so perfect I can’t blame him. I don’t like it, but I don’t blame him. I was gone years ago, just after one look.
“You do know if you were anyone else I would have had you buried alive somewhere,” I toss at Ryan.
“Yeah, yeah, what’s new. Anyway to answer your question we are here to see you,” Ryan says becoming more serious. I take the look in his eyes for what it is. Joe knows something I need.
