The Halo Series Boxed Set

by Kimberly Knight

  She tugged at the zipper of my pants and I stepped back, helping her as I pushed them down my legs, stepping out of them until they joined her pile of clothes. She lifted her butt off the counter and shimmed her scrubs down over her legs and I threw my shirt on the pile until we were both left naked, gaping at each other. I wanted to burn it into my memory so I’d get through the next week without her.

  I stepped over, turning on the water in the walk-in shower and testing it until it was the right temperature. When I turned around, Nicole’s ocean blue eyes were staring at me and I smiled. I felt like it was only a dream; that I’d wake up and it would only be Wednesday and not Friday night. But it wasn’t a dream. Nicole was sitting on the bathroom counter less than five feet away and naked.

  She started to jump off the counter, but I stopped her, scooping her in my arms and carrying her until we were both under the warm spray of the water. Water cascaded down our bodies, our mouths tasting each other.

  “I’ve really missed this,” I said.

  “Me too.”

  “I mean, I’ve missed you more, but this is worth missing too.”

  “I’ve missed you like crazy. This week was tough.”

  I pressed her back against the tiled wall away from the water, and her legs wrapped around me as I held her up by her butt.

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” I said, kissing her neck.

  “Brooke has had it worse obviously. When we pick her up for dinner, let’s try and talk about something else.”

  “You got it.”

  She bit her lip, causing me to groan and I brought my lips to hers again, kissing her hard. Every fucking time she bit her lip, it stabbed me in the dick, but in a good way. My cock was throbbing with need. I wanted to be the good boyfriend; make sure that she knew I was there for her and not just sex, but I couldn’t keep my hands off of her.

  Setting her down on her feet, I reached for my jeans to pull out a condom.

  After I’d covered my dick with the latex, I turned to see Nicole under the water, her back towards me. Stepping behind her, I reached around, grabbing her breast in one hand out of habit as the other glided down her flat stomach, not stopping until it found her sweet spot. She moaned, maybe from the pain of her breast, maybe from the pleasure. I removed my hand from her breast and braced myself on the wall near the shower head, kissing along the back of her wet neck.

  She spread her legs farther apart, giving my hand room to insert two fingers in her. The moment I slid them in, she moaned again, leaning her head back against my chest with her eyes closed. She lifted her leg, resting it on the edge of the lip of the walk-in shower. My fingers pumped, my thumb rubbing circles over her clit and my dick poking her in the ass.

  Her hands found my hair as she reached up behind her head. My fingers played, bringing her close to shattering in the palm of my hand. The water cascaded down her stomach, lubricating my hand to easily thrust into her. My body was hard—every inch as I felt her perfect body in my hands, on my tongue, on my legs. My balls ached, my dick throbbed and just the friction of her ass on my dick was enough to make me come. She moaned again, her body tensing as it pulsed and squeezed my fingers.

  Before I lost my shit, I removed my fingers, licked off her juices and spun her until her back was pressed against the tiled wall. I knew my girl liked it hard and fast and that was what she was going to get. I couldn’t wait another minute.

  I’d missed her.

  I craved her.

  I was addicted to her.

  I picked her up, her legs wrapping around me again and I guided myself in, bracing myself with my arm on the wall so I didn’t slip. If I weren’t careful, we’d have another falling episode.

  Grabbing her ass in both hands, my legs spread apart enough to brace us, I began moving her up and down my shaft with my arms. Her back glided against the slippery wall, helping me as I hit deep each time her pussy met the base of me. My hand over the week was nothing compared to the feeling of Nicole’s warmth wrapped around my dick, and I wasn’t sure how I would make it through the following week without her.

  My arms started to burn, my ass clenching to stabilize my core, and with each thrust, I was that much closer to blowing my load. She brought her mouth down to mine, kissing me as we rocked. I loved the feeling of her in my arms—me buried so deep that I could feel the end of her pussy with the tip of my dick and her mouth on mine.

  I groaned, pumping faster as I jammed into her over and over. She gasped, her body tensing, and with one more thrust she was screaming in my arms as she came. The vibration of her pussy around my dick was enough to send me over the edge after her.

  I don’t know how I did it, but we didn’t fall. I made a mental note to keep working my legs on leg day because this wouldn’t be the last time I fucked my girl in the shower.

  I was exhausted by the time I got off of work, but knowing that Avery was minutes away from showing up at my doorstep, gave me an afternoon boost. Once I saw him walking towards my door, my heartbeat kicked up a notch and I almost threw the door open with too much force that would cause it to fall off the hinges. I was excited to see him, to say the least.

  After our shower, we dressed and then left to pick Brooke up for dinner. I didn’t want her sitting at home, stressing about the biopsy. I was stressing myself and I wasn’t the one going through it. I wasn’t the one getting a needle stuck in her neck to have a sample of her tumor withdrawn, so it was my duty to distract her.

  We knocked on her door and when she opened it, Avery greeted her with the flowers from Easton.

  Brooke’s eyes lit up—something I hadn’t seen her do in a very long time—and she took them, smelling the red roses as if she could smell Easton on them. “Thank you,” she said and then her smile faltered. “I wish he were here.”

  I gave a tight smile because I knew what it was like to wish the person you wanted to be with was standing in front of you and not hours away.

  “He does too. Trust me, B.B.,” Avery said.

  “Well, let’s go eat. I’m starving and I feel like I could eat for two.”

  After dinner, the three of us went for ice cream and then coffee. I didn’t understand why Avery was insisting we stay out late, especially since Brooke’s biopsy was in the morning and we couldn’t stay in bed all day, but I didn’t say anything. Brooke needed this. It was as if she was our baby and we were trying to wear her out so she’d sleep through the night.

  It was after ten when Avery finally wanted to call it a night. I was exhausted again. Since coming home from the cruise, it was as if I couldn’t get enough sleep and I was in bed by nine. Ten was after my bed time. So when we dropped Brooke off and made it back to my condo, I changed into my pajamas and was out before my head hit the pillow, Avery snuggled behind me.

  I woke up nervous. Today was Brooke’s biopsy and I had to be strong. I couldn’t show her that I was scared. None of us could. Medicine was different from sixteen years ago when my grandma had passed away. I was hopeful that whatever the tumor was, there was a cure; some sort of solution.

  “Today makes me wish I’d gone into Oncology,” I whispered, staring out the window of Avery’s truck as we drove to Brooke’s.

  “Babe…we don’t know if she has cancer.”

  “I know.” I sighed. “But what if? What if she does? What if she has cancer, and I have to watch her die like my grandma?”

  “You can’t live life thinking “what-if.” Brooke’s strong. She’s been dealing with this for over two months. And between you and me, Easton will make her fight. He thinks it’s his fault his ex died. He’ll do anything and everything to make sure Brooke’s okay.”

  “He can’t cure cancer.”

  “I know.” He paused for a beat, my mind still wondering to all the what-ifs. “How about this? How about we not think that she has cancer until we know for sure? How long does it take to get the biopsy results?”

  “A few days.”

  “Great. This weekend and until Brook
e finds out for sure, you act like everything’s normal.”

  “How can I act like everything’s normal?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Look, Baby, I’m just saying you need to think positive.”

  “I know,” I sighed. “I just don’t want to lose her too.”

  “I know you don’t.” He grabbed my hand and held it until we arrived at Brooke’s.

  If the biopsy came back that Brooke had cancer, there was a chance doctor’s could remove it.

  I really hoped it turned out like that.

  We pulled into Brooke’s apartment complex and parked, going up to have a cup of coffee before we needed to head to the hospital. We were early, but I was a Nervous Nancy and felt like if we showed up early, then it would all be over faster.

  “Hey, why are you guys here so early?” Brooke asked, opening the door.

  “Early? This isn’t early. We need to leave in thirty minutes,” I said, stepping past her. “Oh, shit! I didn’t know you were here, Easton.”

  “You didn’t?” he asked. “I thought Avery would have told you.”

  “Well, he didn’t,” I said, lightly punching Avery’s arm.

  Why didn’t he tell me that Easton was distracting Brooke? I thought for sure she’d be up all night, tossing and turning. Okay, maybe she was, but it wasn’t alone, if you know what I mean.

  “Wait, I thought you knew he was coming and that is why you were stalling after dinner?” Brooke asked.

  “No?” I said, raising my eyebrows at Avery. Seriously, I wouldn’t have told Brooke. Well…my words wouldn’t have told her, but no telling what I would have done to give her clues.

  “Don’t forget to brush your teeth before you go to bed.” “Maybe you should use that new perfume Lucy got you for your birthday after you shower.” “Don’t forget to shave your legs so the doctors don’t see your stubble.”

  “I didn’t tell her, and it slipped my mind when we got back to her condo,” Avery said with a mischievous smile.

  I didn’t know why he was smiling. I’d passed out on his ass.

  “Enough said,” Brooke said and left for her bedroom.

  The inside of Avery’s truck was silent as he drove the four of us to the hospital. No one wanted to bring up what was going to happen in the next few hours. I glanced into the backseat where Brooke and Easton sat and the sight made me want to bawl my eyes out, but with happy tears.

  Easton was holding Brooke’s hand, brushing his thumb across her knuckles, and at that moment I knew the cruise changed all of our lives forever. Jared would have never done that. He would have let me take her to her biopsy while he slept the whole day then played Call of Duty while Brooke rested at home. I guess it was true; things happened for a reason.

  Still no one talked as we walked into the hospital and checked Brooke in for her biopsy. Easton held her tight and Avery rubbed circles on my back, trying to calm my nerves. I wasn’t sure if I was more nervous than Brooke was, but I tried really hard not to show it.

  Finally, a nurse came and called Brooke. Brooke looked to me and I knew that she needed Easton and not me. I was okay with that because I needed Avery. If I were to go back with her, I would have been kicked out while trying to tell the nurses how to do their jobs.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Avery said, rubbing the back of my neck and trying to relieve some of the tension that was built up from my stress.

  I didn’t respond. What would I say?

  I knew nothing except I couldn’t lose my best friend.

  If you would have asked me a week ago what I’d be doing the first weekend with my girl, I wouldn’t have told you that we’d be sitting in a hospital while her best friend had a biopsy done to see if she had a cancerous tumor. I thought we’d be shacked up in her condo naked for the whole weekend. After all, that was what you did in a new relationship.

  I wouldn’t change it though. Okay, maybe the whole tumor part I’d change. But watching Nicole care for Brooke and worry like a mother caused my heart to swell as I envisioned her pregnant with my baby.

  I felt crazy thinking about her pregnant after only two weeks of dating, but I was thirty-one and ready to settle down. If things were still going this well after Brooke fought her tumor, I was going to ask Nicole to move in with me. I was done going to bed alone at night. It felt strange not waking up with her in my arms since I did for seven days straight while on the cruise. Hell, it felt strange going to bed without her too.

  I just wanted her there because without a doubt, I was in love with her.

  After Brooke’s biopsy and after lunch, we dropped Brooke and Easton off at Brooke’s apartment and then went back to Nicole’s. Again she was exhausted and I understood. The more Nicole worried, the more I knew she was comparing Brooke to her grandmother. I tried telling her that there was no reason to stress until we knew for sure about Brooke’s tumor, but I understood she had to worry.

  Brooke was more than a best friend to Nicole, she was like her sister. Nicole was an only child like me and I knew the bond she and Brooke shared because I shared the same with Easton. I would be a total wreck if I lost Easton.

  “You want to take a nap and then let me take you to dinner?” I asked, setting my keys on her breakfast bar.

  “I feel like an old lady. I don’t understand why I’m so tired lately.”

  “It’s been a long day. Let’s take a nap.”

  “You don’t mind?” she asked, giving me a tight smile.

  “Baby, as long as you’re in my arms, I don’t care. I’ve been wanting to have you there for a week now.”

  She smiled and grabbed my hand, leading us to her bedroom.

  I woke to darkness, Nicole wrapped around me so tight that I wasn’t sure how I was breathing. In the morning, I was leaving again. Leaving for another five days, maybe longer because I had to cover the bar Friday and Saturday night. I needed to ask Nicole if she’d come to New York. There was no way I was going to be able to go longer than five days without her.

  She stirred in my arms. “Hey, beautiful. You hungry?”

  “I’m starving.”

  “Good. Let’s get you fed and build up your energy so I can pleasure you all night.” I grinned like a fool at the thought.

  She smiled against my chest. “I like the sound of that.”

  We dressed and Nicole gave me directions to her favorite Italian restaurant. It was small, only had about twenty tables. The smell coming from the kitchen, of garlic and cheese, was making my mouth water.

  “What’s that smell?” Nicole asked after the waitress brought us to our table.

  “Um…awesomeness?” I laughed.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “It smells like rotten eggs.”

  “I don’t smell anything but Italian goodness.”

  “Weird.”

  Weird? The smell was making me hungry and I didn’t smell rotten eggs. I smelled garlic, cheese, pasta, bread, pizza—pretty much anything in Italian cooking and I was in heaven.

  I looked over the menu, waiting to order everything because it all sounded good.

  “Know what you want?” I asked, setting my menu down and noticing Nicole wasn’t looking at hers.

  “Yeah, I always get the tortellini with pancetta. It’s my favorite.”

  “You’re gonna let me have some?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  “Maybe.” She smirked.

  The waitress came over, took our drink orders and left a basket of bread.

  “I think I’m going to order the chicken fettuccine.”

  “Good choice,” she said, sticking a piece of the bread in her mouth.

  I grabbed a piece of the warm bread, spread a little butter on it and ate it all in two bites.

  “Bet this beats frozen yogurt for dinner.” I joked.

  Nicole laughed. “Yeah, it does.”

  “Tell me again why you and Brooke only had frozen yogurt for lunch after her biopsy.”

  “It’s like our thing. You know
when you’re a kid and you go to the doctor, your mom takes you for ice cream after?”

  “No,” I said, giving a sarcastic chuckle. My parents never did that.

  “Oh. Well, my parents did that. They always said it would make me feel better.”

  “Did it?”

  “I was a kid. Ice cream made everything better.” She grinned.

  “True.”

  The waitress returned with our drinks then took our order.

  “Want to continue our game?” I asked.

  “Of course.” She smiled.

  I’d been wanting to ask her serious questions for two weeks now, but never thought the time was right. Maybe now it was.

  “If you could go anywhere for a vacation, where would you go?” I didn’t want to start off with a bang. I needed to ease my question in.

  “Fiji.”

  “Nice.”

  “What about you?” she asked, dipping her bread in the oil and vinegar mixture.

  “Dublin. I’m curious how the bars are there.”

  “I’d like to go to Dublin one day.”

  “Maybe we can go together?” I asked, smiling.

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  Over the last few weeks, I noticed that our thing was asking for someone to make a promise. Honestly, I’d promise her anything she asked for.

  “Do you wish you had your own kid after helping Easton with Cheyenne?”

  My eyes widened. I guess we weren’t easing into the questions. “Almost every day,” I answered, honestly.

  “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “She’s a handful, let me tell you. She’s just like her mother.”

  “That’s really sad about her mom.”

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “It tore us all up for a long time. Since Easton and I grew up together, I’d known Dana since day one. Even though she had an attitude, she was a good person and a good mother. After she died, I immediately started helping Easton. His parents were in New York and Dana’s parents wanted to take custody. So, instead, Easton and I became like Cheyenne’s two dads and I just tried to do what I had seen Dana do for the five years before she died when I was home from college. Dana’s parents backed off once they realized that Easton could actually be the father Cheyenne needed him to be, and then we moved to New York.”